This is a weekend for both participating in and watching sports in Davidson. Saturday morning, the police department will host a town badminton tourney for all ages and skill levels, serving up a fundraiser for the Special Olympics. Then Sunday the Wildcat’s women’s soccer team will seek to maintain its national ranking by playing SoConn defending champion UNC-Greensboro. Also this weekend, there’s Contra Dancing Friday night, an Oktoberfest celebration at Summit Saturday, Art in the Park in the McConnell neighborhood and more.

Weekend of Oct. 12-14

EVENTS

Contra Dance Carolina will be twisting and twirling at the Davidson IB Middle School, 7:15 – 10:30 p.m. Friday. The band “Crowfoot” will play and Adina Gordon will be the caller. Balcony seating is available for nondancers and lessons will be offered at 7 p.m. Cost is $7 for general admission and $5 for students.

Summit Coffee on Main Street will have live and local musical entertainment featuring classical guitarist Adam Whiting of Charlotte Friday and an Oktoberfest celebration Saturday, with live music and comedy. Tickets for the Oktoberfest are $15. Performances are 8-11 p.m.

The Davidson Police Department is hosting a badminton tournament on the village green Saturday morning, to raise money for Special Olympics of North Carolina. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and play begins at 9 a.m., with games every 15 minutes. Doubles only, no age or gender limits. For pre-registration or more information, contact: John Hewitt, 704-892-5680, or email wjohnhewitt@bellsouth.net; or Scott Misenheimer, 704-892-5131, smisenheimer@ci.davidson.nc.us

The Bradford Store, located on the southwest edge of town on Hwy. 73, will hold a Saturday morning craft and yard sale that includes free flower picking from the store’s front beds.

The Town of Davidson will host the third of eight scheduled volunteer trail clearing days Saturday morning starting at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers for the Fisher Farm Work Day should meet at the parking lot. Bring pruning shears, clippers, and hand saws. Experienced trail builders will guide volunteers. Wear appropriate clothing. Youth are permitted to help but parents must sign a waiver on the morning of the work session. Questions: contact Lauren Blackburn, Davidson Town Planner.

The McConnell neighborhood will host a children’s artshow Sunday, starting at 2 p.m. on the neighborhood green at the end of North Downing Street. McConnell children of all ages are invited to drop off artwork by 1:45 for the show.

SPORTS –

Wildcats sports this weekend features women’s soccer on Sunday at Alumni Stadium. The Wildcats are on a seven-game winning streak and are currently ranked 10th among Division I teams in the NCAA’s southeast region. The team’s goalie, senior biology major Bevin English, is the reigning SoConn Student Athlete of the Week after back-t0-back shutout wins. You can cheer the women’s soccer team Sunday, starting at 2 p.m. when they face UNC Greensboro, last season’s conference champion.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

• MONDAY, OCT. 15, 7 p.m., Davidson Parks & Recreation, 420 Armour St. – Lake Norman Teen Council, for middle and high school students. Community service project signup sheets from local organizations.
• THURSDAY, OCT. 18, 7 p.m., Davidson Town Hall, 216 S. Main St. – Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce local Candidate Forum, with contenders for Davidson Mayor and Davidson Town Board.
• FRIDAY, OCT. 19, 6-9 p.m., Summit Coffee, Main Street – Book signing and reading by Davidson-based writer David Fleming, a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. Mr. Fleming’s second book, Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 ChampionshipBreaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship, has just been published. The book focuses on the Pottsville, Pa., Maroons, one of the most dominant, influential – and controversial – teams in NFL history.
• SATURDAY, OCT. 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 301 Caldwell Lane, off Concord Road – Community Blood Drive. To schedule a time in advance, email Jeff Ready. Walk-ins welcome.
• SUNDAY, OCT. 21, 2 p.m. – Davidson Day School (750 Jetton St.) open house for prospective students, preschool through high school, for the 2008-09 school year. Tour the new facility and meet faculty and staff. For more information, contact the director of admissions, Erin Anderson, eanderson@davidsonday.org
• OCT. 24-28 – Davidson College production of the English Renaissance tragedy, “Women Beware Women” will be performed at the Duke Family Performance Hall.
• WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31, 3 p.m., Village Green – Pumpkin display on the Green, organized by DavidsonREADS. Bring your carved pumpkin to the green starting at 3 p.m. The lit jack-o-lanterns will be on view in the evening, to correspond to a scene from the book “The Bridge” which the community is encouraged to read.
• WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31, 5:15 p.m., Town Hall – Annual Halloween March, where costumed kids are invited to march on Main Street, collecting treats from local merchants.
• MONDAY, NOV. 5, 7 p.m., Davidson Public Library – public discussion of the novel “The Bridge” by Doug Marlette, as part of DavidsonReads, led by Davidson professor emeritus Tony Abbott.
• WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 10 a.m., Davidson Public Library – a daytime public discussion session of Doug Marlette’s novel “The Bridge,” part of DavidsonREADS.
• THURSDAY, NOV. 8 – The off-Broadway play “Driving Miss Daisy” opens for an eight show run through Nov. 18. Contact Davidson Community Players for more information.
• MONDAY, NOV. 12 – The American Legion Post 86 and Davidson Parks and Recreation will hold the 14th annual Davidson Veteran’s Day Observance on the village green starting at 11 a.m.