Empty Bowls is CORA’s signature annual fundraising event, held in the early spring. At Empty Bowls, guests enjoy a delicious dinner featuring soup tastings from many local restaurants, spend a fun evening in fellowship with other supporters, and go home with a beautiful piece of handmade local pottery as a reminder of the empty bowls they help fill for neighbors in need.
100% of the proceeds from Empty Bowls will help provide nutritious foods to community members facing food insecurity.
What to Expect:
- Standard and premium styles of local pottery
- Soups served by chefs from local restaurants
- Appetizers, freshly baked bread, and homemade desserts
- Live music from the Popcorn Blue Band
- A 50/50 Raffle
- A program featuring exciting CORA updates
- A Fund-A-Need opportunity to support CORA during the event
During the Fund-a-Need portion of Empty Bowls, guests have the opportunity to make a direct and meaningful impact by contributing to CORA’s efforts to fight food insecurity. Every dollar raised will help expand our programs, provide nutritious food to more families, and ensure that no neighbor goes hungry.
2026 Participating Restaurants
- 39 West Catering/The Sycamore
- Cafe Root Cellar
- Dockside
- Doherty’s Irish Pub
- Flair
- Mi Cancun
- Small B & B Café
- Tarantini
- The Fearrington House Inn
- The Food Fairy
- The Mod
- The Quiltmaker Café
- West End Kitchen
Empty Bowls 2026 Tickets
There are three tickets available for purchase.
- Premier Ticket $100: Includes a premium piece of handmade pottery and a dinner featuring soups from local restaurants!
- Standard Ticket $65: Includes a piece of handmade pottery and a dinner featuring soups from local restaurants!
- Soup Only $35: Includes a dinner featuring soups from local restaurants (no pottery).
Event tickets cannot be purchased with donor advised funds, as IRS rules do not allow benefits such as meals or admission in exchange for these contributions.
Empty Bowls 2026 Sponsorship
By sponsoring Empty Bowls, you can help build a community without hunger while getting your business in front of our audience. Sponsorship includes benefits across multiple platforms. Benefits begin during pre-event promotions and continue throughout the year. Review the 2026 Empty Bowls 2026 Sponsorship Packet today!
If you have questions, please get in touch with [email protected].
