Davidson’s Ada Jenkins Center focuses on giving neighbors the tools they need to improve their lives. Sunday, the center will take time to focus on its own history and the early 19th century school principal (Ada Jenkins, at right) who gave the center its name.
That’s one highlight of a busy weekend in Davidson that will include performances of the musical “Anything Goes” at Davidson College, an Autism benefit at Summit Coffee Saturday and the inaugural Concerts on the Green event.
EVENTS -
Breathing Circles, a fund-raiser for Our Towns Habitat for Humanity will be held Saturday morning at Roosevelt Wilson Park on Griffith Street. Organizers plan two half-hour meditations, separated by a 15-minute break. Bring blankets or chairs. Suggested donation of $10 for adults and $5 for children and students. For more information, call Mimi Sherman, the Soto Zen Buddhist meditation layperson, at 704-252-3551.
April is Autism Awareness Month, and in Davidson Saturday that will mean a special 15-hour benefit concert at Summit Coffee on Main Street. The starts with an open mike format from 7 AM until noon. The afternoon and evening will see a variety of local musicians on the Summit stage, including Billy Jones, Kate Minogue, Blaine and Leah Howard, JD Wilson, The Velcrows, Miles Apart, The Pocket, Mike Orlando, Low Willie, Adam Whiting, and more. All of these musicians are donating their time and craft for this worthy cause. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE The event is free and open to the public; however, organizes hope visitors will be inspired to make a small donation to the cause. In addition, Summit Coffee will donate 10 percent of all sales for the day to the Autism Society of North Carolina. Click here for more information.
Davidson Day will hold an open house at 10 a.m. Saturday at the school’s Armour Street location. Tours will be available of the new campus near Exit 30 of I-77.
Miss Ada Jenkins, the school principal who responded to a devastating school fire in the 1920s by raising money to build a brick school house for Davidson’s African-American students. The “Davidson Colored School” opened in 1937. Today, the Jenkins name graces a community service building on the school site that serves the entire Lake Norman region. The Davidson Historical Society will host a program on the history of the Ada Jenkins Center Sunday, starting at 4 p.m. The center is at 212 Gamble Street.
University of Chicago Professor Sheila Fitzpatrick, a leading historian of modern Russia, will give this year’s Kelley History Lecture at Davidson College at 4 p.m. Sunday in Chambers Hall. The free lecture is titled, “Lies and Truth-Telling in the Soviet Union.”
ARTS
The Davidson College Theatre Department will present the Cole Porter musical, “Anything Goes,” through Sunday in the Duke Family Performance Hall. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for seniors. Click here for more information.
The Aurora Trio, featuring Davidson College sophomore Emily Howe on piano, junior Julie Grubbs on cello and Mejin Leechor on violin will perform a free recital Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Sloan Music Center. The trio will also be performing Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Student Chamber Music Festival. Both the Aurora Trio and the Concord Quartet will be featured at this free event, also to be held at Sloan.
One of the highlights of the summer season in Davidson, the Sunday series of musical concerts on the town green, will kick off Sunday with a 6 p.m. performance of works by Dvorak, Raval and Bruch by the Davidson College Symphony Orchestra followed by new and old favorites presented by the college Jazz Ensemble. Bring the family, bring a blanket and enjoy the music.
SPORTS
The Wildcats baseball team (16-22 overall, 5-10 Southern Conference) will host a series against the Citadel this weekend, with games Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Wildcats women’s soccer team will finish their spring season with a game Saturday at 1 p.m. against the W-League Charlotte Eagles.
