Empty Bowls

Empty Bowls Fundraiser: Friday, October 10, 2025

presented by Saluda Outfitters

Special thank yous to the following potters who created the beautiful bowls for our 2024 Empty Bowls fundraising event -

Pro's: Meghan Bernard, Doug Dacey, Dee Lassiter, Susan McDade, Sam Oliver, Rob Wallace
TACS: Tim Bell, Tari Gerst, April Mink, Stephanie Redmond, Roe Sprouls

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 -

a simple meal of soup and bread must be served
a handcrafted bowl must be offered to all guests to serve as a reminder of all the empty bowls at meal time
guests make a donation in exchange for the meal and handcrafted bowl
all funds raised under the Empty Bowls name, must be used to fight hunger

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, their Executive Director, Will Barclift and many local, talented professional potters. These artists coordinate with other area potters to organize the efforts to create, glaze and fire hundreds of handcrafted bowls that will be given to each Empty Bowls guest. Thank you to our team of professional potters who are involved in making made the handcrafted bowls for Empty Bowls 2024 ~ Meghan Bernard, Doug Dacey, Dee Lassiter, Susan McDade, Sam Oliver & Rob Wallace and TACS potters, Tim Bell, Tari Gerst, April Mink, Stephanie Redmond and Roe Sprouls.

Held at Parker-Binns Vineyard since 2016, guests sample soups from 7 local restaurants, enjoy artisan breads from Martha's Amish Bakery and live music on the porch. Parker-Binns will offer their wines and beer for sale.

Our Empty Bowls event is a wonderful, collaborative, community effort that would not be possible without Tryon Arts and Crafts School and local professional artists, volunteers, restaurant and business sponsors. 2024's Empty Bowls is presented by Saluda Outfitters and sponsored by Artistry Above, Ashworth Financial, Back Alley Boutique & Bud Bar, HomeTrust Bank, Mountain Sky Builders, Park Crossing Apartments, Parker-Binns Vineyard, Pro Physical Therapy, Walker, Wallace & Emerson Realty. Local restaurants who are making homemade soups and stews include Cliff Cameron, Outreach Pantry Manager, Huckleberry's, Iron Key Brewing Co., Southside Smokehouse & Grill, The Old Hickory House, The Rural Seed Restaurant. Martha's Amish Bakery provides tasty artisan bread.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, if 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.