This week’s calendar of events in and around Davidson includes the start of a month-long discussion series on the ideas of the liberal Christian theologian John Shelby Spong.

The week also features the local Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop defending its title in an ice cream competition, National Night Out, the start of a bluegrass concert series in Cornelius, a community celebration sponsored by MI-Connection, the Saturday farmer’s market and more.  Details on those and other events below.

Just a reminder: We update this calendar continuously as we receive new listings. And check back Thursday, when publish our Weekend Calendar.

WEEK OF AUG. 3 – 9

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MONDAY, AUG. 3, 10-11:30 a.m., Ben & Jerry’s, 202 S. Main St. – 10th Annual Inter-store Competition. The Davidson Scoop Shop team will be defending its ’08 title, and will face off against teams from five area Ben & Jerry’s shops in ice-cream-themed events.

TUESDAY, AUG. 4, 10-11 a.m., Main Street Books,  126 S. Main St. – Story time for the five and under crowd.  Call the store at 704-892-6841 for for more information.

TUESDAY, AUG. 4 , 6:15-8 p.m., Ada Jenkins Center – The ideas of liberal Christian theologian John Shelby Spong will be the focus of a four-week discussion series, “Visioning the Future Jesus Faith Tradition.”  Evenings will start with a fruit and cheese dessert time.  Discussions will be led by Dan Carrigan of Cornelius, who has just completed a similar series in Charlotte.  Bishop Spong, a Charlotte native, will be the guest lecturer at a seminar Oct. 16-18 to be held at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte.  Click here to see our previous coverage.

TUESDAY, AUG. 4, 7 to 9 p.m., Smithville Park, 19710 S. Ferry St., off Catawba Ave., Cornelius – Celebrate “National Night Out” with Cornelius Parks Arts Recreation and Culture (PARC) Department along with the Cornelius Police Department. It’s a unique crime/drug prevention event which strengthens community spirit and police-community relationships. Free and open to all ages. Face painting, games, inflatables and more. Entertainment and food will be provided. Meet local police officers and firefighters and see a fire truck up close. Details: www.corneliuspr.org or 704-892-6031 ext. 160. In case of rain, call the rain-out hotline at 704-896-2460 ext. 300.

TUESDAY, AUG. 4, 5-9 p.m., Charles Mack Citizen Center, Main Street, Mooresville – National Night Out Against Crime. Free hot dogs, face painting, child identification kits, bike giveaways, a canned food drive for the Mooresville Christian Mission and more. For more information, contact Captain Phil Blocker at 704-658-9016. Details: www.ci.mooresville.nc.us

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 5, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main – Live music: Open mic night.

THURSDAY, AUG. 7, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Live music on the back porch stage: Rusty Knox and Friends.

FRIDAY, AUG. 8, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Live music on the back porch stage: Mike Strauss Trio.

SATURDAY, AUG. 8, 8 a.m. to noon, downtown Davidson next to Town Hall – Davidson Farmers Market, with local farmers and vendors selling meats, produce, dairy products, baked goods, and other items. More about this week’s schedule: www.davidsonfarmersmarket.org. DavidsonNews.net is pleased to be sponsor of the Davidson Farmers Market.

SATURDAY, AUG. 8, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Cornelius Presbyterian Church, 21209 Catawba Ave., at Church Street, Cornelius – Bluegrass Concert Saturday, with the Griggs Bluegrass Family. Free admission. For info, call 704-892-5577.  For more information, see our July 30 post, “Saturday bluegrass concerts feature local musicians.”

SATURDAY, AUG. 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 233 Catawba Ave. – John Marshall Custom Homes offers an open house of a home being constructed under the LEED for Homes program administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. See LEED features that are being incorporated into the home and learn more about how to add green features to an existing home. Details: www.johnmarshallcustomhomes.com.

SATURDAY, AUG. 8, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Davidson Town Green – MI-Connection Community Celebration. Family fun activities, live music, giveaways and a chance to test drive cable products.  For more information, see our July 30 post, “MI-Connection to host community event.”

SATURDAY, AUG. 8, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Live music on the back porch stage: Billy Jones.

THEATER AND FILM

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OCT. 8-25, Davidson Community Players’ Armour Street Theatre, 307 Armour St. – “Almost Maine,” directed by Melissa Ohlman-Roberge. www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org

GALLERIES & ART EVENTS

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MONDAYS, 6-9 p.m., Creative Art Exchange, Cornelius – open figure drawing sessions, hosted by David Smith. $10 model fee. Contact davidbsmith@bellsouth.net to be added to the notification list.

SUMMIT COFFEE, 128 S. Main St. – “COLORCOrroDED,” an exhibit of new paintings by Ana Kozhevnikova. Upstairs at Summit, open during coffee shop hours.

DAVIDSON COLLEGE VISUAL ARTS CENTER, Smith Gallery, Davidson College, Main and Griffith streets – through Aug. 7, summer exhibition: “The Davidson College Permanent Art Collection: Recent Gifts and Acquisitions.” Hours: Weekdays, 11-4. Details on the college website.

CORNELIUS ARTS CENTER, Oak Street Mill, 19725 Oak St., behind the police station, Cornelius – Through Aug. 28: Children’s Arts Project and Creative Art Exchange summer exhibit “Kids Create,” with work by participants in summer camps. Gallery open Mondays to Thursdays, 9 a,.m. to 5 p.m. Details: 704-892-7323 or www.creativeartexchange.org

MERRILL-JENNINGS GALLERIES, 463 S. Main St. – “The Summer Show,” featuring new works by gallery artists. Through August the gallery will offer rotating original art by all the gallery regulars, with major exhibits by impressionist Dee Beard Dean, expressionist Charlotte Foust, landscapes by Susan Jennings and Ray Byram, folk art by Addie James, whimsical collages by Betsey Hampton, and more. Hours: Mon-Fri 10–5, Sat 10–3. For more information call 704-895-1213 and visit the website at www.merrilljennings.com

CHRISTA FAUT GALLERY, 19818 North Cove Road, Jetton Village, Cornelius – Gallery hours: Tuesdays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., or by appointment. Information: www.christafautgallery.com or 704-892-5312.

WOODEN STONE, 445 S. Main St. – Functional fine art and hand-made objects. Gallery hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays/Mondays. 704-892-1449. www.woodenstonegallery.com.

SO ALIVE! GALLERY, 108 S. Main St. (next to Village Store) – “This is Africa,” an exhibit of photos by Doug Vinez. Also, new work from Larry Dukes, Jenny Kiker, Ryan Blythe, Jason Hendrickson, Michael Joe Moore, and Nora Bouknight. Gallery hours: Tuesday to Friday, 11-5; Saturday, 10-2; Sunday, 12-2; and by appointment. Info: mary@soalive.org.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

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Library summer Davidson public library branch, on the Village Green, has a variety of programs in the works this summer. Check out as the list is updated on the library’s blog, CLICK HERE>

MONDAY, AUG. 10, 8 p.m., Ben & Jerry’s parking lot, 202 S. Main St. – Teen Wii and Rock Band on the Wall night. Lake Norman Teen Council and Ben & Jerry’s present an evening of outdoor gaming on the wall. Games include Rock Band and Wii sports. Two stations with 4 players per game. Free.

MONDAY-TUESDAY, AUG. 10-11, 5:45 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. each evening, Davidson College Prebyterian Church – Series on Faith and the Environment. This DCPC summer series for adults and youth will look at “just and sustainable living.” Evenings will begin with a catered supper. Fees are $20 per adult. Childcare is available, and family costs are capped at $75. See www.dcpc.org for more information. Register by Aug. 6.

SATURDAY, AUG. 15, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Cornelius Presbyterian Church, 21209 Catawba Ave., at Church Street, Cornelius – Bluegrass Concert Saturday, with Rusty Knox, Davidson-based singer-guitarist. Free admission. Artist Ron Weidele will be displaying his work, and other craft items and jewelry also will be for sale. For info, call 704-892-5577.

SATURDAY, AUG. 15, 1-3 p.m., Village Green, Main Street and Concord Road  –  Davidson College Meet the Wildcats Fan Day kickoff for fall sports. Meet Davidson coaches and athletes in football, men and women’s soccer, field hockey and volleyball. Includes prize drawings, a Kids Zone with inflatables and other attractions, and a dunk tank with football coach Tripp Merritt and campus police chief Fountain Walker. Free.

SUNDAY, AUG. 16, 6-8 p.m., Village Green, Main Street and Concord Road – Downtown Davidson Inc. presents another Concert on the Green, with the Stardusters big band. Picnic contest theme: “Elegant & Classy.” www.downtowndavidson.org DavidsonNews.net is pleased to be a co-sponsor of this concert.

TUESDAY, AUG. 18, dusk, Ben & Jerry’s, 202 S. Main St. – Free outdoor movie on the wall, “The Bee Movie.” Come at 7:30 for trivia and games. Movie begins at dusk. Bring a lawn chair and canned food donation for Loaves & Fishes food pantry. Info: 704-892-0604.

THURSDAY, AUG. 20, 5:30 p.m., Mooresville Town Hall, 413 N. Main St., Mooresville – Free outdoor concert with the award-winning beach music band Tsunami Wave Riders. Details: www.ci.mooresville.nc.us.

FRIDAY, AUG. 21, 8:30 p.m., Mooresville Town Hall, 413 N. Main St., Mooresville – Free Movies on Main series continues with “The Wizard of Oz.” Bring a chair or a blanket. For more information, call 704-662-3334.

SATURDAY, AUG. 22 , 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Cornelius Presbyterian Church, 21209 Catawba Ave., at Church Street, Cornelius – Bluegrass Concert Saturday, with Davidson Express, the Davidson-based bluegrass and folk band. Free admission. The Church Art Group will be displaying their work. Artist Ron Weidele will be displaying his work, and other craft items and jewelry also will be for sale. For info, call 704-892-5577.

SATURDAY, AUG. 29 , 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Cornelius Presbyterian Church, 21209 Catawba Ave., at Church Street, Cornelius – Bluegrass Concert Saturday, with Dixie Pharaohs. Free admission. For info, call 704-892-5577.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 13, noon to 4 p.m., Ramsey Creek Park, Cornelius – Jewish Council of Lake Norman presents the first Shalom Lake Norman festival, with klezmer music, soloists, an Israeli dance group, children’s crafts and rides, ethnic food. Organizers hope it will become an annual celebration.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 13, 6-8 p.m., Village Green, Main Street and Concord Road – Downtown Davidson Inc. presents a Concert on the Green, with Tropic Culture. Picnic contest theme: Most Colorful … Taste the Rainbow. www.downtowndavidson.org

MONDAY, SEPT. 14, 11 a.m., Birkdale Golf Club, Huntersville – Rotary Club of North Mecklenburg 20th anniversary charity golf tournament. All proceeds go toward Rotary projects, including Cornelius Elementary summer enrichment program, soccer programs, Circle de Luz, North Meck/South Iredell Transportation, Latina Literacy Program, Lake Norman YMCA Triathlon, Blythe Elementary, The Bin, Flight of Honor, world wide polio eradication, and the North Meck Christmas Project. Entry deadline Aug. 31. Details and registration, www.northmeckrotary.org.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 19, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Davidson Village Green. First “Davidson Green Day” festival sponsored by Davidson Lands Conservancy. The all-day event features exhibitors and information on how to save money and natural resources, and help the environment. Includes live music and opportunities to volunteer for local projects. The event follows the annual Run for Green half-marathon, 5K and 10K running races. Details: www.davidsonlands.org

SUNDAY, SEPT. 27, 6-8 p.m., Village Green, Main Street and Concord Road – Downtown Davidson Inc. presents a Concert on the Green, with local singer songwriter Rusty Knox. Picnic contest theme: Most Unique … stand up and stand out. www.downtowndavidson.org

SATURDAY, OCT. 3, 8:30 a.m., Davidson United Methodist Church parking lot, 233 S. Main St. – 2009 5th annual Ride for Hope & Housing, a benefit for Davidson Housing Coalition. Sign up for 25k, 50k and 100k routes in Davidson and surrounding counties. Also, 5K family fun ride through Davidson neighborhoods. Registration and more information, CLICK HERE>

ONGOING EVENTS

50+ COFFEE CLUB, Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon, Davidson Parks & Recreation office, 416 Armour St. – Join the 50-Plus Coffee Club, meeting every Wednesday. It’s a relaxing social environment where you can meet old and new friends. Coffee, games, newspapers and pastries provided. No registration required, just show up! Info: 704-892-3349.

CHRONIC AND LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS SUPPORT GROUP, first and third Wednesdays each month, 7-8:30 a.m., Davidson United Methodist Church Congregation Care House, 262 South St. – Individuals coping with an illness or who have family members coping with an illness welcome. Call the church office at 704-892-8277 to register and request child care. You do not need to be a member of the church to participate. Questions? Contact Karen Gray, Director of Congregational Care, at 704-947-0612.

SEPARATION AND DIVORCE SUPPORT GROUP, Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m., Davidson United Methodist Church Congregation Care House, 262 South St. – Facilitators Mark and Gayle Olenik provide resources to help you cope and work toward a new beginning. You do not need to be a member of the church to participate. Call the church office at 704-892-8277 to register and request child care.

NOW WHAT? GRIEF BEYOND THE FIRST YEAR, second Saturday each month, 9:30 a.m., Davidson United Methodist Church Congregational Care House, 262 South St. – If you are coping with the loss of a loved one for one year or more, we welcome you to join. Janet McKee and Bryan Readling will facilitate. You do not need to be a member of the church to participate. Register by calling the church office at 704-892-8277. Questions? Contact Karen Gray, Director of Congregational Care, at 704-947-0612.

DAVIDSON DASH SHUTTLE BUS – Mondays, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Town of Davidson has begun service on a weekly shuttle bus called Davidson Dash. The bus will visit downtown, South Main Street, Sadler Square and the Harris Teeter shopping center near Exit 30. Cost: $1 per roundtrip. To reserve a space, call the recreation department before noon on the Friday before, 704-892-3349 or sign up on the recreation department website, d-recs.org. More information in our Jan. 8 news report, Town plans a weekly shuttle bus for seniors.

CALENDARS ON THE WEB

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DAVIDSONNEWS.NET SCHOOL CALENDAR – Laurie Dennis’s most recent listing of school events, see our “schools” category. CLICK HERE>

DAVIDSON COLLEGE – For an up-to-date listing of events on the college campus, visit the college calendar page.

DAVIDSON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH – http://http://www.davidsonumc.org/Calendar

DAVIDSON COLLEGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH – http://www.dcpc.org/

DAVIDSON ELEMENTARY PTA calendar, http://pages.cms.k12.nc.us/davidsonpta/calendar/

DAVIDSON PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCH events – Events calendar on the library’s blog davidsonlibrary.wordpress.com/.

NORTH COUNTY REGIONAL LIBRARY events, Huntersville – Events calendar, www.plcmc.org

ST. ALBAN’S CHURCH online calendar – http://www.saintalbans-davidson.org/

ST. ALBAN’S SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD – http://www.stalbanssq.org/calendar.html

LAKE NORMAN SENIOR CALENDAR, at LKNSenior.com

YOUR COMMUNITY CONNECTOR – online listing of alternative and holistic health information and events. http://www.yourcommunityconnector.com/

SUBMIT YOUR EVENT

Send listings and press releases to us at editor@davidsonnews.net. Don’t forget to include a contact phone number, in case we have questions.