The Pumpkin Patch is now open, through the end of October, at Davidson United Methodist Church's McKay Youth House on South Main Street. Pumpkin sales are weekdays, noon to 8 p.m., weekend days, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Proceeds benefit church missions. For more photos from Thursday's youth pumpkin unloading event, click the image. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

This weekend offers a variety of things to do in and around Davidson. The Davidson Housing Coalition’s Festival for Hope & Housing will be at Davidson United Methodist Church and the Village Green on Saturday. Davidson Farmer’s Market is also on tap Saturday morning, next to Town Hall. And an all-day concert by local musicians is planned Saturday at Summit Coffee, to raise money for the Davidson Library Task Force’s $175,000 fund-raising campaign.

Davidson College Symphony plays the first in its 2010 Concerts for a Cause Thursday night at Duke Family Performance Hall. They’ll be collecting donations for the mental-health awareness programs of Active Minds. The annual Davidson United Methodist Church book sale begins a two-weekend run on Friday. There’s a reception Saturday at Christa Faut Gallery in Cornelius for Davidson artist Herb Jackson. And a new faith group called Inclusion Community holds its first public service Sunday at Our Town Cinemas.

Speaking of the movie theater: Our Town Cinemas continues its classic-films series this weekend. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” has final screenings Thursday, and “The Maltese Falcon” begins a week-long run Friday. The local moviehouse also joins in the nationwide opening Friday for “The Social Network,” a look at the founders and the founding of the social networking site Facebook. (See movie times at right.)

And if you’re a pet owner, you may be interested in St. Alban’s Episcopal Church’s Blessing of the Animals Sunday.

Details about those and other events this week are listed below, or in our clickable day-by-day calendar at right.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 30

College Symphony Concert for a Cause, 7:30 p.m., Duke Family Performance Hall, Knobloch Campus Center, Davidson College – The Davidson College Symphony Orchestra opens its season of Concerts for a Cause with pianist Ruskin Cooper performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The concert is free and open to the public. Details on the college website ^[1] The concert will benefit the mental health-awareness programs of Active Minds.

Ethical Dilemmas in Election Campaigns, 7 p.m., Davidson College Alvarez College Union 900 Room – Political discuss of “Ethical Dilemmas in Election Campaigns,” with lawyer and Democratic campaign consultant Mac McCorkle and Davidson political science Profs. Susan Roberts and Pat Sellers. Sponsored by Van Center for Ethics. Free. Info: Carrie Mahoney, 704-894-2095.

Live music at Summit Coffee, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Live music: Mike Orlando followed by Billy Jones and The Pocket. Info: 704-895-0505.

FRIDAY, OCT. 1

Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., STARTING TONIGHT night maze at 6:30 p.m., Rural Hill farm, 4431 Neck Road, off Beatties Ford Road, Huntersville – Rural Hill presents the annual Amazing Maize Maze, a 7-acre labyrinth with 2 1/2 miles of pathways cut into a cornfield. This year’s theme is the Conestoga Wagon that brought Major John Davidson from Pennsylvania to North Carolina in the 18th century. Today is the first Friday Night Flashlight Maze. Bring a flashlight at have fun. Admission $10 ages 13+ and $7 for ages 5-12. Children ages 4 and under free. Details: www.ruralhill.net ^[2]

Musical Interludes: Pianist Robert Hallquist, 12:30 p.m., Davidson College Sloan Music Center, Tyler-Tallman Hall – Pianist Robert Hallquist performs a midday recital in the Davidson Music Department’s Interludes series. Free.

Methodist book sale, 3-7 p.m., Davidson United Methodist Church, 233 S. Main St. – The church’s annual book sale runs Oct. 1-3 and 8-10 at the Dale House, adjacent to the church’s parking lot. Friday hours are 3-7 p.m.; Saturday from 8-noon, and Sunday from 9-1. Books and media of all varieties are available and well displayed according to type. All proceeds support missions for women and children.

Live music at Summit Coffee, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Live music: Mike Nolan and Skeleton Kednig band. Info: 704-895-0505.

SATURDAY, OCT. 2

Festival for Hope & Housing, 8 a.m., Davidson United Methodist Church, 233 S. Main St. – The Davidson Housing Coalition’s Ride for Hope and Housing this year is the Festival for Hope and Housing. It includes 100K, 50K, and 25K bike rides and a 5K Family Fun Ride or Stride. After the rides, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the Village Green, the Taste of Home festival will have food from Davidson-based eateries, sponsors’ tables, and live music. Ride registration and more information, CLICK HERE> ^[3]

Methodist book sale, 8-noon, Davidson United Methodist Church, 233 S. Main St. – The church’s annual book sale runs Oct. 1-3 and 8-10 at the Dale House, adjacent to the church’s parking lot. Friday hours are 3-7 p.m.; Saturday from 8-noon, and Sunday from 9-1. Books and media of all varieties are available and well displayed according to type. All proceeds support missions for women and children.

Davidson Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. to noon, off Main Street next to Town Hall – Weekly Davidson Farmers Market, with local farmers and vendors selling meats, produce, dairy products, baked goods, and other items. Music by Barrie Howard. NC Bluebird Society will be there with an array of birdhouses and feeders, winter bluebird feeding information and nest box kits.
Davidson College chapter of the Timmy Foundation collecting medicines and vitamins for relief in Ecuador. World of Wonder kids’ nature program: spider matching game. Spider-watching field trip leaves from the market at 10:30 (RSVP required). Open every Saturday. For more information: www.davidsonfarmersmarket.org ^[4]. DavidsonNews.net is pleased to be a sponsor of the Davidson Farmers Market.

Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Rural Hill farm, 4431 Neck Road, off Beatties Ford Road, Huntersville – Rural Hill presents the annual Amazing Maize Maze, a 7-acre labyrinth with 2 1/2 miles of pathways cut into a cornfield. This year’s theme is the Conestoga Wagon that brought Major John Davidson from Pennsylvania to North Carolina in the 18th century. Admission $10 ages 13+ and $7 for ages 5-12. Children ages 4 and under free.
Details: www.ruralhill.net ^[2]

All-day concert for the “Got Brick?” library campaign, Noon to 11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St. – Summit Coffee and The Birdsnest music studio will co-host an all day concert featuring 10 live musical acts to benefit the Davidson Library Task Force’s $175,000 fund-raising campaign to keep the local library branch open amid financial troubles in the public library system. Performers include: Fountain Penn, Cynergy, Angelo Melendez, Rick Spreitzer, Kevin Edwards, Davidson Local, The Rusty Knox Band, Jon Springfield, and Billy Jones and the Pocket. Billy Jones and the Pocket will follow the Rusty Knox Band (7:30 – 8:45) to close the show with a two-hour set from 9-11. Summit will donate 10 percent of the day’s sales, and will match all donations up to $500 during the Pocket’s set. Info: 704-895-9090

Field Hockey vs. Longwood, 1 p.m. Davidson College Belk Turf Field – Davidson field hockey vs. Longwood. It’s “Stick It to Cancer” day. Details in our preview: “Field hockey plays longwood on ‘Stick It to Cancer’ day.” ^[5]

Volleyball vs. Samford, 2 p.m., Davidson College Belk Arena – Davidson volleyball vs. Samford.

Herb Jackson exhibit reception, 4-6 p.m., Christa Faut Gallery, 19818 N. Cove Road, Jetton Village, Cornelius – Reception for an exhibit of 10 new paintings by Davidson artist Herb Jackson. Info: 704-892-5312

SUNDAY, OCT. 3

Methodist book sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Davidson United Methodist Church, 233 S. Main St. – The church’s annual book sale runs Oct. 1-3 and 8-10 at the Dale House, adjacent to the church’s parking lot. Friday hours are 3-7 p.m.; Saturday from 8-noon, and Sunday from 9-1. Books and media of all varieties are available and well displayed according to type. All proceeds support missions for women and children.

Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Rural Hill farm, 4431 Neck Road, off Beatties Ford Road, Huntersville – Rural Hill presents the annual Amazing Maize Maze, a 7-acre labyrinth with 2 1/2 miles of pathways cut into a cornfield. This year’s theme is the Conestoga Wagon that brought Major John Davidson from Pennsylvania to North Carolina in the 18th century. Admission $10 ages 13+ and $7 for ages 5-12. Children ages 4 and under free.
Details: www.ruralhill.net ^[2]

Inclusion Community debut worship service, 10:30 a.m., Our Town Cinemas, Sadler Square, 227 Griffith St., Davidson – First weekly service for Inclusion Community, a new faith community formed in partnership with Davidson United Methodist Church. Read more at http://inclusioncommunity.roundtablelive.org/ ^[6]

Blessing of the Animals, 10:30 a.m., St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 301 Caldwell Lane, off Concord Road – At the 10:30 service, they’ll have a Blessing of the Animals beside the church, in honor of the feast of St. Francis. Bring your pets. More info in our news item, CLICK HERE> ^[7]

Chamber music concert, 3 p.m., Tyler-Tallman Hall, Davidson College – Alan Black, principal cellist for the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, along with violinist Rosemary Furniss and pianist Dana Protopopescu, will open the Concert Series season with a program of chamber music by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and Brahms. General admission is $12; Faculty/Staff/Senior Citizens: $8; $Youth 18 and under: $5; Davidson Students: free with ID.

ReadDavidson lecture on travel writing, 4 p.m., Rare Book Room, E.H. Little Library, Davidson College – Davidson College archivist Jan Blodgett will lecture on travel narratives. It’s part of this year’s ReadDavidson reading series of events surrounding the townwide read, “A Walk in the Woods,” by Bill Bryson.

HAVE A LISTING?

Have a listing for our calendar? Send it to editor@davidsonnews.net ^[8] at least 10 days in advance. Please include a contact phone number in case we have questions. Photos welcome!