Iranian-American scholar Haleh Esfandiari lectures at Davidson College Thursday night, while Davidson’s men’s soccer team hosts South Carolina Friday night in a busy weekend in and around Davidson. The music ranges from gigs at local cafes and restaurants and and outdoor “Jam Thingy” with Davidson College’s symphony and jazz ensemble to an Indian classical music concert and the season’s final Concert on the Green Sunday evening with Rusty Knox and other local musicians. If you’re downtown Saturday, stop by the grand opening of Davidson College’s Cats on Main souvenir and clothing shop, and the Children’s Schoolhouse Carnival on the Green. And don’t forget the Davidson Farmers Market. Check out the full schedule, as well as a list of what’s coming up in town next week, in our Weekend Calendar in The Guide.

Jane Johnson of Charlotte-Mecklenburg public library led a how-to session on genealogy Sunday afternoon at Davidson’s public library branch. Ms. Johnson, an information specialist at the library, talked about resources and techniques to use in putting together a family tree. Her talk was part of the DavidsonReads fall program series surrounding the community-wide read of “The Color of Water,” by James McBride. For more events in the series, see below. Read the full story

The week ahead brings lectures, a Town Board meeting, and a children’s story hour at Main Street Books. The Village Green will be buzzing again this weekend, with the Children’s Schoolhouse’s 28th annual fund-raising carnival on Saturday, and the season’s final Concert on the Green Sunday featuring local singer/songwriter Rusty Knox. Those events and more in our This Week calendar, in The Guide.

Davidson Community Players’ June production of “West Side Story” took home a slew of honors Sunday night – including a share of best regional production north of Charlotte – in the 2009 Metrolina Theatre Awards, presented by the Metrolina Theatre Association. Winners were announced at the association’s annual awards night Sunday at McGlohon Theatre in Spirit Square in downtown Charlotte, an event that’s like the local version of the Tony Awards. Read the full story

Demolition is complete and construction began this week to transform empty storefronts in Sadler Square shopping center off Griffith Street into the planned Our Town Cinemas. Meanwhile, theater developers are inviting residents to share ideas for programming once the cinema opens.

Our Town Cinemas announced Aug. 19 that it planned to convert vacant space at Sadler Square into Davidson’s first hometown movie theater in decades. The theater will occupy the corner of the shopping center next to The Egg at Davidson that once housed a dollar store. Read the full story

By MICHELE MILLER HOUCK
DavidsonNews.net

Davidson-Cornelius Day Care Center, which has been facing a financial crisis in recent weeks, has raised enough short-term funding to stay open for now. Board member Eileen Keeley said the center is halfway to a $64,000 goal, and was able to meet payroll and continue operating past its original fund-raising deadline of Friday, Sept. 11. Read the full story

Two Cornelius-based arts organizations have completed their long-planned merger to form the Community Arts Project, headquartered in the old Oak Street Mill and offering classes for children and adults.

The organization will host a public reception this evening, Friday, Sept. 11, from 7-9 p.m., for a new exhibit of paintings by artist Manny Rashet. Also below, our calendar of events at local art galleries.
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The 6th annual Amazing Maize Maze opened for an 8-week run Thursday, Sept. 10, at Rural Hill Center for Scottish Heritage in Huntersville. the 7-acre maze is a mix of fun and history, this year focusing on the theme of energy. It’s the major annual fund-raiser for Rural Hill, a historic site once the plantation of the Davidson family. DavidsonNews.net‘s David Boraks interviewed Ed McLean, director of Rural Hill about the annual fall attraction, how the maze is created, and what visitors will see.

To watch a multimedia report about the maze, read on.

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