COMMUNITY CALENDAR
The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive in McDowell County in September. It will take place Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 1:30-6:30 p.m. at the Marion Community Building at 191 N. Main St.
The Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League in Old Fort will host a reception for artist Larry Hill today, Sept. 5, from 4-6 p.m. An exhibit of his work will be on display at the Arrowhead Gallery through Sunday, Sept. 13. Hill is a retired electrical design engineer. One of his favorite pastimes is to create unique and unusual tables and lamps from old household items. His entry and coffee tables, as well as wine racks, are made from old cast-iron sewing machine bases dated from the late 1800s. Live-edge wood tops are made from cedar, walnut, box elder or old barn wood. Most of his lamps are made with meat grinders and colanders. However, he does delve into the steampunk style, using pipe fittings and glass railroad insulators. For more information, you can find it on the web at www.arrowheadart.org. The Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League (A3L) is a 501©(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to promoting the arts in the Old Fort and surrounding communities.
The McDowell County Transfer Station and all seven convenience sites will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day. The Transfer Station and all seven convenience sites will be open for normal operations on Tuesday, Sept. 8. For questions, contact Jerry Smith or Steve Spencer at 828-659-2521.
The Newcomers and Friends in McDowell County will be holding their monthly membership meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 11 a.m. The event will take place at the Marion Community Building, located at 191 N. Main St. in downtown Marion. A potluck lunch will be served. The guest speakers will be Marlan Brinkley and Haley Grant from the McDowell County Public Library. This club was established to help individuals new to the area connect with others, cultivate enduring friendships, and integrate into the community. Membership is extended to all women residing in McDowell County and its surrounding regions. Prospective members are cordially invited to attend a meeting as a guest before deciding to join. Should you wish to attend, reach out to Chris Amsbary at chris.amsbary@gmail.com for further details.
The McDowell County Democratic Party will hold a Drinks with Dems on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Hillman Beer — Old Fort. You are encouraged to bring a friend.
McDowell County NAACP will have its monthly meeting on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 3 p.m. at Addie’s Chapel United Methodist Church on Ridley Street.
The McDowell County Democratic Party will hold a Coffee Break with Dems on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 9-10:30 a.m. at Seeker Coffee in Old Fort. You are encouraged to bring a friend.
An upcoming community event hosted by West Marion Inc., MATCH program and the N.C. Justice Center will focus on imminent Medicaid changes in North Carolina.Organizers are strongly encouraging anyone who works with Medicaid recipients, as well as recipients themselves, to attend. There are important changes ahead, and organizers want to help the local community understand what they mean for families, navigate new requirements, and protect access to care. The event about health coverage changes in North Carolina will be held Thursday, Sept. 17, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Marion Community Building at 191 N. Main St., Marion. Free dinner and childcare will be provided. The conversation will cover Medicaid and health coverage changes, new paperwork and redeterminations, medical billing and medical debt options, financial assistance, barriers to accessing care and how community experiences can help inform policy. There is an RSVP link to help organizers plan for dinner and childcare. An RSVP is not required and please feel free to attend even if you don’t RSVP.
The McDowell County Center of the N.C. Cooperative Extension will hold a program about preserving fall produce, by canning and freezing. Preserving fall produce to eat later has always helped families have tasty dishes throughout the year. The Cooperative Extension will have a program at the Corpening Memorial YMCA that will cover ways to preserve some of our favorite foods in smaller batches. It will be held on Monday, Sept. 21, from 1-2 p.m. at the Corpening YMCA at 348 Grace Corpening Drive in Marion.Come learn canning in smaller batches, freezing for quality as well as in smaller amounts to use later, and also food preservation as it relates to health as we may be needing to make some changes due to health concerns like diabetes and high blood pressure. You do not need a membership at the YMCA to attend. All are welcome. Please just register at the desk when you come.
The McDowell County Democratic Party will hold a “Hootenanny with all the Fixins” on Saturday, Sept. 26, from noon to 2:30 p.m. at Black Bear Pavilion, 6196 Lake James Road, Marion.
The McDowell County Democratic Party will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 28, at the Marion Community Building. Potluck dinner will start at 6 p.m. You are encouraged to bring a friend. Donations appreciated for the Friendship Home for Women and Children. They should be nonperishable food items, powdered laundry detergent, toiletries.
The McDowell County Center for the N.C. Cooperative Extension is looking to hold a food drive for the local Foothills Food Hub.Organizers are taking unexpired canned goods, rice, pasta, dry beans and any other nonperishable food you may want to share with people in our community. Donations can be dropped off at the Cooperative Extension’s office, 60 E. Court St., Marion, or to the Foothills Food Hub located in the former Badcock Furniture Building at 1930 U.S. 70 East, Marion.
The Lions Club of Marion meets at 6 p.m. at the Hook & Anchor on Rutherford Road in Marion on the first and third Thursday of each month.
The Foothills Community Band rehearses every Tuesday from 7-8:30 p.m. at the MACA Center in downtown Marion. The band welcomes players of all ages and experience levels, from high school students to those with decades of experience. For more information, send an email to foothillscommunityband@gmail.com.
Loving Hearts, BEAR Closet is asking for donations of blankets, charcoal, batteries (all sizes), flashlights and cleaning supplies. Contact them at 828-7672385 or 828-803-8790 and at 337 Garden Creek Road, Marion.
The Arrowhead Art Gallery and Studios in Old Fort will offer private parties with instructor and artist Catherine Bruggeman. Select a project you have seen or pick from a number of fun two-to three-hour stained glass or wire sculpture workshops. All you need are three friends. Call Bruggeman at 910-915-9104 to schedule or get a list of possibilities. Day, evening or weekend times available.
The Arrowhead Art Gallery and Studios in Old Fort will have a series of free art classes for kids. The classes are for ages 5 to 12 years old. Adult participation is optional. The classes are from 2-4 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month. Capacity is 10 students. The free classes use different media and are often taught by different volunteer artists. All supplies will be provided.
The McDowell County Board of Elections will hold a series of meetings to count absentee ballots. The meetings will be held at the elections office at 2458 N.C. 226 South, Marion. The meetings will be held Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 9 a.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 9 a.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 9 a.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 9 a.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 9 a.m.; and Monday, Nov. 2, at 5 p.m. Another meeting will be held for the counting of absentee ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 2 p.m. Another meeting will be held for the counting of provisional and supplemental absentee ballots on Friday, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. The 2026 November election canvass meeting is set for Friday, Nov. 13, at 11 a.m. For more information, call 659-0834.
The N.C. Cooperative Extension-Mc-Dowell County Center“Keep McDowell Beautiful” program will coordinate the annual Lake James clean-up on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon. Participants would like to invite everyone to remove litter from Lake James and its shoreline. They will distribute supplies ahead of time so you can launch from your home dock, and bring the organizers the trash. During the last Lake James clean-up event, volunteers from the Lake James Environmental Association, Marion Moose Lodge No. 1705, N.C. Wildlife Federation, residents of the Arbor on Lake James, and many others showed their commitment to beautifying their community by removing trash. For the fall clean-up, we will be partnering with the Catawba Riverkeeper’s Catawba Riversweep. Volunteers with boats, canoes, paddling kayaks, and on foot will be needed to help. Online registration is required. Contact Matt_ Burneisen@ncsu.edu or 828-652-8104 to schedule supply pickup.
The Rotary Club of Marion’s 43rd annual auction will take place Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Box Factory performance and event center at 29 Logan St. The preview will begin after 5 p.m. and the bidding starts at 6 p.m. Vacation destinations, gift certificates, unique experiences, collectibles and much more will be sold. Food and refreshments will be available. This will be an absolute auction with no reserves. You don’t have to be present to get an item. You can put in a bid with a Rotarian and the club members will handle it for you. The Rotary Club’s annual auction is its biggest fundraising event, and it makes so many of the club’s programs and projects possible. For more information, visit the Facebook page for the Rotary Club of Marion at www.facebook.com/rotaryclubofmarionnc/ and the club’s website at www.rota-ryofmarionnc.org. There is also a Face-book page dedicated to this event: www.facebook.com/rotaryauctionmarionnc.
The McDowell County Candidates Forum will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Marion Community Building. This is an important opportunity to hear directly from local candidates for the McDowell Board of Education, McDowell County Board of Commissioners and the N.C. House of Representatives. The event is hosted by West Marion Inc. For more information, email ginger@westmarion.org.
