An eclectic collection of nonprofit organizations have received funding over the past several years through the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s Festivals & Cultural Events Support Fund. The grant program, started in 2016 to provide financial support for local events that showcase and preserve the cultural identity of the community, has been relaunched following a one-year suspension due to the pandemic and restrictions placed on mass gatherings. Applications for festivals and cultural events happening in 2022 are now being accepted through September 28, with grant awards announced in late October of $1,000 to $5,000 (not to exceed 50 percent of the total event budget).The number of grants awarded will be limited by available funds, and monies will be disbursed in 2022 following the successful completion of each event. Grantees also receive marketing assistance from Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote attendance. To learn more and apply, click here. To view past recipients of support, click here.
Happenings:
Mark your calendars for this year’s Blue Ridge Pride Festival on Saturday, September 25 at Asheville’s Pack Square Park from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. With the theme ‘Inclusion Y’all” for this year’s festival, the week leading up to the festival is packed full of events. Currently scheduled events include Generation Plus’s Senior Prom, a Drag Brunch, the Annuel Blue Ridge Pride Pageant, Stonewall Sport’s Corn Hole tournament, a “Luv All” brew launch party hosted by Green Man, a Strength in Pride art show and much more. On the day of the festival, a welcome procession will kick off the day at 10 a.m. (register for the procession here) followed by a full day of entertainment, vendors, exhibitors, sponsors and more. With new events, performers and vendors being added each week, keep up with the festival at their website here.
United Way is holding a ‘United for Youth Block Party’ on August 19 from 4 – 6:30 p.m. downtown at the City-County Plaza! In an effort to celebrate students, families, educators and community partners as the 2021-22 school year is kicked off, this free community event will have free food, books and activities for families of all ages, will feature youth performers and highlight young entrepreneurs, have a DJ and more. Learn more about the Block Party here.
The Asheville Habitat ReStore is inviting residents to share their creativity and talent by entering the ReStore ReUse Contest for its 10th consecutive year! The purpose of this annual contest is to showcase innovative building and DIY projects constructed predominantly of reused building materials. If you recently took on a DIY project using predominantly reused building materials, the Asheville Habitat ReStore wants to know. The ReStore Reuse contest is a great way to showcase their projects and inspire others to reuse, recycle and repurpose usable materials. A panel of five judges will select winners in the following categories: Furniture, Homesteading, Live and/or Work Space, Art, Home Décor, Vans and Vehicles (NEW!), and Best in Show. Winners will be announced in mid-October.The contest is open through September 30 with guidelines and submission forms available here.
To address the concerns of local business leaders as the world changes post-COVID, Peridot Consulting, Inc. is holding a three-day Business Roundtable series for small business owners with dates running from late August through October. The goals of the Business Roundtable Series include shedding light on the elements of business that participants may not be aware of or haven’t yet experienced. The four-hour sessions will include topics such as financial matters, standard management, hiring strategies and more. The Business Roundtable Series comprises 12 hours over three days, each about three weeks apart. The series is open to small business owners and participation is limited to six people for each session. To register for the Business Roundtable Series, click here.
ReSource Network and Blue Moon Water are holding a free Health & Wellness Benefits event on Thursday, August 12 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Mojo Coworking. Jared Lee Lyons of Blue Moon Water will talk about how they are using ReSource Network to provide unique benefits for their employees. Learn more and RSVP here.
Hire:
Mars Hill University’s band has a new leader. Hunter Kopczynksi is the university’s new director of bands, a role which includes the co-direction of the marching band with director of percussion studies, Brian Tinkel. An assistant professor of music at Mars Hill, Kopczynski teaches conducting and music education courses. As director of bands, he conducts the wind symphony as well as co-directing the marching band. Learn more here.
United Federal Credit Union (United) has announced the appointment of Canio Costanzo as Mortgage Advisor at the Hendersonville South Branch at 203 Greenville Highway. Costanzo will provide real estate lending expertise through financial counseling and product awareness to credit union members regarding their real estate financing needs and generate investment quality mortgage loans. Costanzo brings more than 20 years of customer service to his new role, he was previously a Customer Care Representative for Genova Diagnostics and also spent five years as the Member Development Specialist with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. Learn more about United here.
Outreach:
Vannoy Construction recently donated their time, materials and expertise to build a low ropes course for kids at the YMCA Youth Services Center in Beaverdam, one of the several YMCA locations that offers both summer day camp and after school programming. Several vendors assisted Vannoy with the project, including Kloesel Engineering, United Rentals, Network Distributors, Southern Concrete Materials and DSG Concrete. Vannoy and these vendors spent two Saturdays in July working on the low ropes course, which will be completed later this fall. Learn more here.
Resource:
With the new ‘Visit NC Farms’ app, finding local farms, food and your next weekend adventure is now easier. The free mobile app was developed by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and is your one-stop shop to find farms, fisheries, local food & drink, farm stays, local events and more in Buncombe County. Learn more about the app and download it here..