It’s family weekend at Davidson College, and this year the annual event will be highlighted by the inauguration Saturday morning of the college’s 17th president, Tom Ross. The college expects at least 4,000 people to attend, so be prepared for a Wildcat invasion this weekend. Plus, it’s time to buy your pumpkin from the Davidson United Methodist Church pumpkin patch. Also, see below for church carnivals, speakers, art receptions and more.

Weekend of Oct. 26-28

Davidson United Methodist Church on South Main Street will have staff available at the annual Pumpkin Patch from noon till late night, through Halloween. Pumpkins are available in all sizes, priced from 50 cents to $25. Bins of mountain apples and decorative squash are also for sale.

Rosie Molinary of Davidson, author of Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image and Growing Up Latina will talk and answer questions Friday, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., about becoming a writer and personal essay writing. Bring a bag lunch. The event will be held at Calvalry Presbyterian Church.

The Davidson College production of the English Renaissance tragedy, “Women Beware Women” will be performed at the Duke Family Performance Hall this weekend with shows at 8:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday and a matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $11 for seniors and $6 for students. Call 704-894-2135 for reservation information.

Demonstrations and an artist’s reception will take place Friday, 6-9 p.m., and Saturday, 1- a.m. – 4 p.m., for Elkin, N.C.-based lithographer John Furches at the Wooden Stone gallery on South Main Street. Many of Furches’ handpainted lithographs have fall and holiday themes. Details: www.woodenstonegallery.com.

Summit Coffee on Main Street will have live and local musical entertainment this weekend, featuring the Mike Strauss Trio on Friday and the Rick Spreitzer Trio Saturday. Bands take the stage from 8-11 p.m.

This is Family Weekend at Davidson College, and that means music, sporting events and other activities Friday through Sunday. Free public musical events on Friday include a Jazz Ensemble concert at 10 p.m. Friday at the college union, the college symphony and chorale performing at 7 p.m. at the Davidson College Presbyterian Church.

Davidson College will inaugurate Thomas W. Ross as its 17th president Saturday with a series events filled with pomp, ceremony, black ties, and bluegrass. (Click here for Colleen McKown’s recent interview with Mr. Ross, on DavidsonNews.net.) Saturday morning’s festivities will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Belk Arena and combine the Inauguration ceremonies with the college’s traditional Fall Convocation. The event, which has been moved inside in expectation of rainy weather, kicks off with a procession in academic regalia of senior class students, faculty, and delegates from about 100 other educational institutions. The new president will be sworn in with an official Oath of Office and then will begin the Fall Convocation part of the program with a keynote speech.

The Town of Davidson will host volunteer trail clearing days Saturday and Sunday mornings 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.

Reeves Temple AME Zion Church, 213 Watson St., will have its annual community fall carnival Saturday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Festivities will include a bouncer, snow cones, cotton candy, hot dogs and other games. The carnival is free and open to the public. Questions: email Castella Alexander.

The Davidson International Association at the college will hold its international festival Saturday, 5-7:30 p.m., at the student union. The event features international exhibits, food and performances.

SPORTS –

Wildcats sports this weekend features men’s soccer and field hockey. The men’s soccer team (3-10-1) will face conference foe Wofford Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. at Alumni Soccer Stadium. The field hockey team will play Radford Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Belk Turf Field. The team (9-7) is coming off a big win against Appalachian, at which senior forward Kayli Maxwell scored her 39th career goal, becoming Davidson’s all-tiem leading scorer in field hockey.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

• MONDAY, OCT. 29, dusk, Ben & Jerry’s parking lot, on Main Street – Ben & Jerry’s sponsors a free fall outdoor movie, “Ghostbusters.” Free, but attendees are invited to bring canned food for Barium Springs Home for Children, Troutman. Also bring chairs and blankets.
• TUESDAY, OCT. 30, 6:30 p.m., Bailey Middle School, Cornelius – Hugh Hattabaugh, north area superintendent, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, will give a short presentation and answer questions about the school bonds. Open to the public.
• TUESDAY, OCT. 30, 7:30 p.m., Duke Family Performance Hall – Human rights activist Sister Helen Prejean, whose book was made into the movie “Dead Man Walking,” will lecture on the death penalty.
• 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.
• WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31, 7:30 and 11 p.m., Davidson College Presbyterian Church – Halloween screenings of the 1921 John Barrymore silent film “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide,” accompanied by scary organ music by keyboard artist Henry Lebedinsky of St. Alban’s Church. Details: www.dcpc.org
• FRIDAY, NOV. 2 , 11:30 a.m., Davidson Day School, 750 Jetton St. – Davidson Day Lecture Series, with David Johnson, author of Voices of Sudan. Johnson is a photographer who will share his images and stories of Sudan and talk about the hope and human spirit that genocide cannot kill. Free and open to the public. Limited reserved seating, call 704-237-5200.
• SATURDAY, NOV. 3, 8 a.m. to noon, Davidson-Cornelius Daycare, 242 Gamble St. – Yard sale to benefit the center’s scholarship fund. Items wanted. Drop off items at the center by Nov. 1. Questions: 704-892-1228.
• 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.
• TUESDAY, NOV. 6 – Election Day, including votes for Davidson mayor and town board. Details: www.meckboe.org
• 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” by Alfred Uhry opens for an eight show run through Nov. 18. Contact Davidson Community Players for more information, but be aware that all 900 seats have already been sold out.
• 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.