It’s time for a little pomp and circumstance to celebrate the Class of 2008, whose 422 members will graduate Sunday from Davidson College. Graduates, we salute you! Also this weekend, consider warming up your muscles for Saturday’s 5K trail run at Fisher Farm park. There are also art classes, an art opening and an art auction to keep in mind.

Weekend of May 15-18

GRADUATION EVENTS –

• FRIDAY, MAY 16, 9-10:30 p.m., Alvarez College Union – The Davidson College Jazz Ensemble will perform a free concert in honor of graduating seniors.
• SATURDAY, MAY 17, Davidson College Presbyterian Church – The annual Baccalaureate Service will begin at 4:15 p.m. Then at 7:15 p.m. the Davidson College Choral will perform a free farewell concert for graduating seniors.
• Also Saturday, the “historic campus promenade” open house will begin at dusk, offering free public tours of the Phi and Eu Halls and of Oak and Elm Row, which form the original quad for Davidson College (located parallel to Main Street at the end of today’s main quadrangle). Docents will be at each building to explain their significance.
• SUNDAY, MAY 18, 9:50 a.m., Commencement for the Davidson College Class of 2008. This begins with an academic procession of college professors out of Chambers, dressed in their full, Medieval gowns. The ceremony will follow at 10 a.m. on the Front Campus. In accordance with college tradition, the college president is the featured commencement speaker. (That’s Bobby Vagt, dressed in Davidson red at last year’s graduation procession. This year will mark Vagt’s successor, Tom Ross, in his first commencement address.)

OTHER EVENTS –

Live folk/Americana music this weekend at Summit Coffee includes Kate Minogue Thursday and Davidson Express Friday. Plus, the coffee house will hold a benefit concert for the Davidson Land Conservancy Saturday, noon-11 p.m. Bands play on the back patio (or upstairs in the case of rain) from 8-11 p.m.

The Lake Norman Art League will sponsor a 3-D glass sculpting class Friday, 9 a.m. – noon, to be held at the Art Glass Works Studio, 20850 Catawba Avenue in Cornelius. Supplies will be furnished and no experience is necessary. Participants will be able to collect their fired sculpture Sunday afternoon. Cost is $40 for art league members, $50 for non members. Register at league website.

Creative Art Exchange will host a live and silent art auction Friday, starting at 7 p.m. in the Cornelius Arts Center, located on Oak Street in the Old Oak Mill building (behind the Cornelius Police Station). Davidson artists are among those who have donated items for auction. Refreshments will be available from local vendors. Tickets are $50, with proceeds benefiting the CAE mission to bring visual art to the Lake Norman area.

Davidson’s brand new Farmers Market continues Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, with produce and other goods by area farmers and vendors. This weekend, the market will have a chef demonstration at by Greg Guthrie, owner of Green Cuisine. Shoppers will be serenaded by musical artist Kate Minogue. The market is located next to Town Hall. Details: www.davidsonfarmersmarket.org

Fisher Farm Park, off Shearers Road – The “Ready, Set, Go Green!” 5K trail run and fun run will be held Saturday morning at Fisher Farm Park, off Shearer Road. The event has been organized by students from Woodlawn School to raise money for the Davidson Lands Conservancy’s land acquisition fund. A fun run will start at 8:30 a.m., followed by a 5K at 9 a.m. See our April 2 news item about the event.

The SoAlive Gallery, located at 108 South Main Street, will host an art opening Saturday, 6-8 p.m., for Davidson College students Katherine Eastland and Anna Nam. Proceeds from the sale of some of the work will be donated to the Free Clinic of Our Towns at the Ada Jenkins Center.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

• SATURDAY, MAY 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Writer/Authors Day at the Bradford Store. Local authors will be invited to exhibit their work during store hours. Call Kim at 704-578-0023 for more details.
• JUNE 19-21 and 26-28 – Davidson Community Players will perform “Little Women, the Musical” in matinee and evening shows at Davidson College.