Empty Bowls Fundraiser - Friday, October 6, 2023 ~ 4:00 - 7:00PM
presented by Saluda Outfitters
Thank you very much to all who generously supported our 2022 event. We are grateful & look forward to seeing everyone 10/6/23!
What is Empty Bowls? Empty Bowls began in 1990 as an art class project in a Michigan high school to raise money for a food drive. Students made ceramic bowls, served a simple meal of soup and bread and asked guests to keep the bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls at meal time around the world. Soon this simple idea morphed into an international project to raise money and awareness for the the fight against hunger. While everyone puts their own spin on different Empty Bowls events across the globe, a few things must be consistent -
Here in Polk County, Outreach hosts our Empty Bowls Fundraiser typically in the fall of the year. We partner with Tryon Arts and Crafts School and their Executive Director, Will Barclift and professional potter, Ann Gleason. These artists coordinate with other area professional potters & organize all the efforts to create, glaze and fire hundreds of handcrafted bowls that will be given to each guest. Held at Parker-Binns Vineyard the last few years, guests sample soups from 6 local restaurants, enjoy artisan breads from Standing Stone Bakery and live music on the porch by TJ Jeter. Beer and Parker-Binns wines are offered for sale. Our Empty Bowls event is a wonderful, collaborative, community effort that would not be possible without Tryon Arts and Crafts School, our local professional artists, volunteers, restaurant and business sponsors. 2022's Empty Bowls is sponsored by HomeTrust Bank, Artistry Above and Saluda Outfitters. Local soup sponsors include Green River Plantation, Iron Key Brewing Co., Southside Smokehouse & Grill, The Purple Onion, The Rural Seed Restaurant, Twisted Fork. Standing Stone Bakery is providing tasty artisan bread. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, if still available. Every ticket sold will provide a family with one week's worth of food and supports Outreach's mission to provide compassionate assistance to Polk County residents who do not have the resources to provide for their basic needs. The Garage on 25 in Fletcher NC donated a beautiful basket full of handcrafted items made by Western NC artists and craftsmen. The basket, valued at $500, will be awarded to the highest bidder in a Silent Auction. The Orchard Inn in Saluda is sponsoring our 50/50 Raffle - raffle tickets will be sold throughout the event & the winning ticket holder will split the "pot" with Outreach! |
2023 Empty Bowls Sponsors
in loving memory of
Jean & Lee White, by their family |
Looking Back - Empty Bowls Events
Empty Bowls is a wonderful, collaborative community effort that raises money for our food pantry. We are grateful to all who helped to make this year's event such a fun success -
- Business sponsors: Artistry Above, HomeTrust Bank, Saluda Outfitters
- Restaurant & Bakery Sponsors: Huckleberry's, Lavender Bistro, McGourty's, Southside Smokehouse, The Purple Onion, The Rural Seed Restaurant & Standing Stone Breads
- The Arts Community: Tryon Arts and Crafts School and potters- Will Barclift, Jim Cornell, Doug Dacey, Ann Gleason, Becky Hintz, Gary Huntoon, JoAnn Kearney, Samantha Oliver, David Voorhees; all the artists who donated to the Silent Art Auction & Silent Art Auction Coordinators Kam Kammerer and Stacey Lindsay
- Parker-Binns Vineyard
- All our wonderful volunteers
- Everyone who bought tickets to this year's event
Community Make-a-Bowl Event Thank you to everyone who came out to make a bowl at Tryon Arts and Crafts School - over 100 bowls were made. Great turnout and lots of fun!