Davidson offers arts on the edge this weekend. You can check out art exhibit openings, chat with author Charla Muller about her husband’s favorite birthday gift, or grab some existential popcorn and join Professor Burkhard Henke for a weekend at the movies.  You can also enjoy a special Summit Coffee concert by Kellin Watson of Asheville, offer your thoughts on running commuter rail lines through town, drop dollars in firefighter boots, or catch the Wildcat men’s soccer team on the field.

Weekend of Sept.11-14

The Charlotte Area Transit System will hold a public meeting in the Davidson Town Hall Thursday, 6:30-8 p.m.  The meeting will address the North Line (Purple Line) Commuter Rail project. CATS invites people to hear the latest project information and share comments and questions. Questions: 704-336-RIDE (7433).

Summit Coffee will be hosting writers, musicians, and, of course, serving up lots of good coffee this weekend, in the lead-up to the store’s 10th anniversary celebration on Sept. 20.  Live music includes Matt Walsh playing Thursday, The Mike Strauss Trio Friday and a special concert by Kellin Watson of Asheville Saturday. Tickets ($10 each) are required for Ms. Watson’s concert, and as of Thursday morning there were only a dozen left.  This concert will be held upstairs, where the bar will be open.  Bands play 8-11 p.m.

Before the music starts Saturday, Summit will host a free book signing, reading and chat with North Carolina sensation Charla Price Muller.  Her bestseller “365 Nights: A Memoir of Intimacy” has been described as a hilarious, G-rated account of Ms. Price’s “very special” birthday gift to her husband.” For more about the author: www.charlamuller.com.

The 2008 Lake Norman Kiwanis Club Charity Golf Tournament is Friday, starting at 9 a.m. at the Birkdale Golf Club in Huntersville.  Proceeds will benefit local children and families in need. Registration begins at 8 a.m., shotgun start at 9. Prizes awarded, including hole-in-one awards. For more details, contact Robin Noud at 704-860-6688, and to register online, click on: www.golfdigestplanner.com/6722-KiwanisGolf2008/

Friday is an evening for art openings. Lake Norman Art League holds an opening reception for its Fall 2008 show, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the group’s new gallery, in the offices at South Main Square, 442 South Main St.

Then at 7 p.m., Creative Arts Exchange hosts an opening reception for “David Boraks: Photographs,” Friday, 7-9 p.m. at the Cornelius Arts Center (located behind the police station in the Oak Street Mill).  The exhibit is of new work by Davidson photographer (and DavidsonNews.net editor) David Boraks, including a series of photos shot with a mobile phone camera.

The new Davidson Farmers Market will continue Saturday, 8 a.m. – noon, offering shoppers fresh local produce and meats, baked items, flowers and more.  The market will continue through October and is located next to Town Hall and behind Summit Coffee.

Davidson Firefighters will be standing in the street at the intersection of Main Street and Concord Road Saturday, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., collecting donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.  Firefighters will be working “to give MDA the Boot” by offering passers-by a chance to drop cash into actual firefighter boots.

The Davidson College German department will host a marathon screening Saturday and Sunday (8 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day,) of Edgar Reitz’s “Heimat: A German Chronicle,” an 11-episode journey through the 20th century in Germany. Films are in German with English subtitles. The event will be held in the Semans Lecture Hall of the college’s Belk Visual Arts Center at the corner of Main and Griffith.  For more information, contact German professor Burkhard Henke at 704-894-2269.

Wildcats Sports this weekend features the men’s soccer team hosting the Panthers of High Point University. Kick off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday in Alumni Stadium.  The Wildcats are coming off a 4-1 loss to No. 9 Maryland.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

• TUESDAY, SEPT. 16, 8 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Carmencita “Chie” Abad of the Philippines speaks about her experience working in a sweatshop on Saipan making clothing for The Gap, sponsored by One Neighborhood, a non-profit fair-trade retailer in Birkdale Village, Huntersville. Free, but seating limited. Donations to One Neighborhood will be accepted. Supported in part through an Arts & Science Council grant. Details: one-neighborhood.org.
  
• FRIDAY, SEPT. 19, 5-8 p.m., Beaver Dam historic park, 19600 Davidson-Concord Road – 10th Annual BBQ, Blanket and Bluegrass festival, sponsored by Davidson Parks & Recreation. Live music with Kent Dowell & Friends bring lawn games or play in one of the inflatables. BBQ prices range from $4-$8 while supplies last. For more information, please call Davidson Parks and Recreation at 704-892-3349.
• SATURDAY, Sept. 20, the Davidson Lands Conservancy’s annual Run for Green, including a fun run, 5-k and half-marathon. The events start and end at McEver Field on South Street. Registration opens at 6:30 a.m., with the half-marathon set to start at 7:45, the 5K at 8:15 and the fun run at 9 a.m.
• SATURDAY, SEPT. 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Davidson Village Green – Lake Norman Baby Fair, hosted by La Leche League of Lake Norman. With speakers on childbirth, breastfeeding, aromatherapy, money management for families, and family nutrition. Info available about fitness and childbirth classes, prenatal and postpartum counseling, custom photography, birth announcements, baby gear, and more. Also, La Leche League Leaders will be available to answer questions and offer information about breastfeeding. Free. Information: llloflakenorman.wordpress.com.
• SATURDAY, SEPT. 20, 6-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – 10th anniversary party for Davidson’s favorite coffee shop, microbrew purveyor, live music venue and general hangout. The party will have beer specials, giveaways and music with Rick Spreitzer Band, Billy Jones and The Pocket. Free admission. Summit will donate proceeds from the event to Davidson Lands Conservancy. www.summitcoffee.com
• SUNDAY, SEPT. 21, noon to 4 p.m., Levine Museum of the New South, Church Street, Charlotte – Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists sponsor “Your Voice. Your Vote,” a forum and information session on the 2008 election. Speakers include Davidson’s Lenny McAllister, who has been writing and talking about what it means to be a “hip-hop Republican,” as well as Charlotte Observer columnist Tonya Jameson and candidates for state and local offices. Voters will be able to ask questions, get voters’ guides, and register to vote. The event also includes a discussion “The Changing Face of Politics,” looking at the relationship between the media and the public. Free. Details: www.caabj.com
• SUNDAY, SEPT. 21, 4 p.m., Davidson United Methodist Church, 233 S. Main St. – “Gospels and Spirituals” concert with performances by the Adult and Youth Music Ministries of the church. Followed by an ice cream social in the Fellowship Hall. Donations accepted, with proceeds benefiting a new “Music Academy” outreach program for children in the Lake Norman area. More information is available by calling Kevin Turner, director of music and worship, 704-892-8277, ext. 281, or by email at kturner@davidsonumc.org.
• 

  Bachfest III Sept. 21 at St. Alban's

  SUNDAY, SEPT. 21, 3 p.m., St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 300 Caldwell Lane – Music at St. Alban’s 2008-9 season begins with Bachfest III, with works by Bach, Buxtehude, and Bohm, featuring St. Alban’s Bach Festival Orchestra and nationally-acclaimed soloists. Tickets available at the door or in advance by calling 704-941-0650 weekdays, 9-4. More information in our Aug. 1 season preview of the series. Season subscriptions still available through Sept. 12.

• SUNDAY, SEPT. 21, 6-8 p.m., Village Green – Davidson College Symphony and Jazz Band play the season’s finale Concert on the Green. Free. Bring a picnic: they’ll have a contest for “most collegiate.” Details: www.downtowndavidson.org
• TUESDAY, SEPT. 23, 7 p.m., St. Alban’s Church, 300 Caldwell Lane – St. Alban’s Square Neighborhood Association annual membership meeting. Open to neighborhood residents, to elect Council of Stewards and ratify 2008-2009 budget.
• TUESDAY, SEPT. 23, 7:30 p.m., Davidson College Presbyterian Church – Robert Parrish opens the 2008-9 Organ at Davidson music series with a performance of works by Frescobaldi, Kremer, Bach, Langlais, Hurd and his own Prelude on “Divinum Mysterium.” More about the series in our season preview.
• THURSDAY, SEPT. 25, 7:30 p.m., St. Alban’s Church, 301 Caldwell Lane – St. Albans Neighborhood Discussion Group hosts a forum for at-large candidates for Mecklenburg County Commission. With introductory statements by each candidate, followed by a Q&A.
• THURSDAY, SEPT. 25, 8:30 p.m., Duke Family Performance Hall, Davidson College – Spoken word artists and HBO “def jam” poet Amir Sulaiman will give a free public performance, sponsored by the Muslim Students Association at Davidson College.
• 

  Dr. Keith Devlin, the "math guy"

  THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 7:30 p.m., 900 room of the Davidson College student union – Dr. Keith Devlin, better known as “The Math Guy” on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition. will be giving the annual Bernard Society Lecture for the Davidson College Math Department.

• OCTOBER 24-26, Fisher Farm Park, off Shearers Road – National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest, a three day, family oriented festival with short track, time trials and kids races as well as the season’s final USA Cycling National Ultra Endurance race. Proceeds benefit Davidson Parks & Recreation Youth Scholarship Fund. Featuring national champion and two-time Olympian David “Tinker” Juarez, and co-sponsored by Cowbell Challenge Inc. Details: www.nationalmtboktoberfest.org

OF REGIONAL INTEREST:

• SEPT. 11 – NOV. 2, Rural Hill Center of Scottish Heritage, Huntersville – 7th Annual Amazing Maize Maze features flashlight mazes, group fun and a chance to get lost in a huge field of corn.  The maze is open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children ages 5-17.  For directions and more, see the maze website.
• SATURDAY, SEPT. 27, 1 to 7 p.m., VanHoy Farms family campground, Harmony – Bluegrass legend Doc Watson is the featured performer in a benefit concert that includes Richard Watson, David Holt, Michael Kelsh, Wayne Henderson, the Grove Trio and CookShack Gang.  Funds will aid Well of Mercy, a spiritual retreat center near Harmony.  VanHoy campground is at I-77 Exit 65, 15 miles north of Statesville. Tickets $25, children 10 and under free, available online at www.wellofmercy.org, or phone 704-539-5449, or at the gate. Food, crafts, Camping, picnic, RV sites available.

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