This week in Davidson brings a variety of public meetings (including the Town Board Tuesday), art and music events, Thursday’s Veteran’s Day Holiday and ceremony on the Village Green, and Davidson College Homecoming Weekend, including Saturday’s homecoming football game vs. San Diego. Next weekend also brings the 15th annual Rural Hill Sheep Dog Trials, one of this area’s most unique autumn traditions. Details about those and other events below, or in our day-by-day clickable calendar at right.

See also this week’s Art News column ^[1] for information about visual arts events.

Theater: Once Upon This Island Jr.

Davidson Community Players will present their first-ever first-ever youth musical, “Once on This Island Jr.,” described as the Caribbean adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.” Directed by Melissa Ohlman-Roberge, with a cast featuring high school performers from the region. Shows Nov. 13-14 at 1 and 4 pm, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m., Nov. 20 4 p.m., Nov. 21 1 and 4 p.m., at Armour Street Theater, 307 Armour St., Davidson. To reserve tickets call 704-892-7953 or visit www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org ^[2]. All tickets are $9. The show is recommended for ages 6 and above.

MONDAY, NOV. 8

Photographer Rachel Goldstein at Lake Norman Art League , 7 p.m., Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce, 19900 W. Catawba Ave., Cornelius – Lake Norman Art League monthly meeting, with presentation by photographer Rachel Goldstein of Davidson. Free for members. $5 for nonmembers. LKNArt.org ^[3]

TUESDAY, NOV. 9

CMS board votes on “Comprehensive Review”, 6 p.m., Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, Charlotte – Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board meets. Agenda includes votes on proposals developed under the board’s “Comprehensive Review,” including school closings, consolidations, boundary changes. Agenda and documents on the CMS website, cms.k12.nc.us ^[4]

Davidson Town Board, 6 p.m., Davidson Town Hall, 216 S. Main St., Davidson – Monthly Town Board meeting. Agenda includes public hearing and vote on proposed change in use from commercial to residential at Davidson Commons East, off Griffith Street. Also, update presentation on the MI-Connection cable system, public hearing on affordable housing ordinance amendments, public hearing and vote on rules of procedure for Design Review Board/Historic Preservation Commission. Preview, agenda and documents in our Monday preview. ^[5]

Karen Bentley addresses Republican Women, 6 p.m., NorthStone Club, 15801 NorthStone Drive, Huntersville – North Mecklenburg Republican Women meeting, with guest speaker Karen Bentley, the Mecklenburg County Commissioner for District 1, which includes north Mecklenburg. Tickets $20. Registration at 6, dinner at 6:30. Reservations: nomeckrw@gmail.com ^[6]

2-organ concert, 7:30 p.m., Davidson College Presbyterian Church – Jane Dimmock Cain, director of music at the church, will present a two-organ concert. Reception following the concert. Free, with donations appreciated. For information call 704-892-5641.

Davidson College Artists Series: ScrapArts Music, 8 p.m., Davidson College Duke Family Performance Hall – The 2010-11 Smith Artist Series continues with a performance by the contemporary percussion ensemble ScrapArtsMusic. ^[7] The Vancouver-based group is composed of five drummers who create rhythms using kinetic instruments fashioned from recycled materials ranging from accordion parts to artillery shells. Their music is influenced by street performance, jazz and world music traditions. For tickets call 704-894-2135 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays or visit www.davidson.edu/tickets ^[8].

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 10

Hough soccer vs. Mallard Creek in 4A soccer tourney, 7 p.m., Hough High School, Bailey Road, Cornelius – Hough High plays Mallard Creek in a 3rd round game in the NCHSAA boys division 4A soccer tournament. Details in our Nov. 6 news item. ^[9]

Lake Norman Transportation Commission, 6:30 p.m., Mooresville Town Hall, 413 N. Main St., Mooresville – Lake Norman Transportation Commission monthly meeting. Agenda includes discussion of I-77 HOT (high occupancy toll) lanes. More info: LakeNormanTrans.org. ^[10]

Lecture: Humanitarianism on Trial, 7 p.m., Davidson College Alvarez College Union 900 Room – Vann Center for Ethics presents a lecture by Davidson political science Professor Ken Menkhaus on “Humanitarianism on Trial: The Collision of State-building, Counter-terrorism and Humanitarian Operations from Afghanistan to Somalia.” Dr. Menkhaus is a renowned expert on Somalia and east Africa. Free. Details on the college website. ^[11]

THURSDAY, NOV. 11

Veteran’s Day holiday – Public schools and some offices will be closed today.

Veteran’s Day Ceremony, 11 a.m., Davidson Village Green, Main Street and Concord Road – Davidson Veteran’s Day Ceremony. Town, veterans and others will gather to honor veterans. Info: Parks & Rec, 704-892-3349

County commission public input meeting, 7-9 p.m., Queens University Sports Complex, Marion Diehl Park, 2229 Tyvola Road, Charlotte – Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners hosts a public input meeting as it revisits its goals and develops a new 10-year-plan. How do you want your tax dollars spent? What should the board’s top priorities be? RSVP 704-336-2020.

FRIDAY, NOV. 12

Homecoming Weekend at Davidson – It’s homecoming weekend at the college, with a variety of public events, sports (including Saturday’s home football game vs. San Diego). Details on the college website. ^[12]

Lecture: Culture & Memory, 3 p.m., Davidson College, Davidson College Chambers Building Hance Auditorium (4th floor) – Phia Salter (Davidson ’05) and Assistant Professor of Psychology and Africana Studies at Texas A&M, will lecture on “Remember Martin, but Don’t Forget Malcolm: Representations of Black History Month as Collective Memory.” This talk is specifically targeted for a general audience. Free. Info: Vicki Heitman 704-894-2385.

Free opera workshop, 7:30 p.m., Davidson College Sloan Music Center, Tyler-Tallman Hall – The Davidson Opera Theater Workshop will present an evening of delightful opera scenes from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Die Zauberflöte, Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri, and Puccini’s La bohème. Staging by guest director Linda Suda, accompaniment by Michael Rowland. Free. Details on the college website. ^[13]

SATURDAY, NOV. 13

Homecoming Weekend at Davidson – It’s homecoming weekend at the college, with a variety of public events, sports (including Saturday’s home football game vs. San Diego). Details on the college website. ^[12]

Rural Hill Sheep Dog Trials, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Rural Hill, Neck Road, Huntersville – 15th annual Rural Hill Sheep Dog Trials. (Continues Sunday) More than 100 sheep dogs and their owners compete for prizes. Admission is $10 per person ages 13+, $7 for children ages 5-12, and children 4 and under are admitted free. Non-competing dogs welcome (must be leashed). More info: www.ruralhill.net. ^[14]

Pine Lake Prep open house, 9-11 a.m., Pine Lake Preparatory, 104 Yellow Wood Circle, off N.C. 115, Mooresville – Invitational Open House for prospective students and families. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Joanne Tabor at jtabor@pinelakeprep.org ^[15]. www.pinelakeprep.org ^[16]

Carolina Renaissance Festival and Artisan Marketplace runs Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., through Nov. 21, rain or shine. The 22-acre village features artists, craftspeople, musicians, performance troupes and food vendors, as well as kids’ games and rides. Advance tickets available $18 for adults, $7 for kids ages 5-12; kids under 5 free. Also at the gate for $1 more. Print your own tickets online at RenFestInfo.com. Free parking. Information online at RenFestInfo.com, or by calling 704-896-5544, or toll-free 877-896-5544.

Davidson homecoming football, 1 p.m., Davidson College Richardson Stadium – Davidson football vs. San Diego in this year’s homecoming game. Fan Zone and tailgating area opens 3 hours before game time next to the stadium.

Free opera workshop performance, 7:30 p.m., Davidson College Sloan Music Center, Tyler-Tallman Hall – (Also Saturday) The Davidson Opera Theater Workshop will present an evening of delightful opera scenes from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Die Zauberflöte, Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri, and Puccini’s La bohème. Staging by guest director Linda Suda, accompaniment by Michael Rowland. Free. Details on the college website. ^[13]

SUNDAY, NOV. 14

Homecoming Weekend at Davidson – It’s homecoming weekend at the college, with a variety of public events. Details on the college website. ^[12]

Rural Hill Sheep Dog Trials, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Rural Hill, Neck Road, Huntersville – 15th annual Rural Hill Sheep Dog Trials. (Also Saturday) More than 100 sheep dogs and their owners compete for prizes. Admission is $10 per person ages 13+, $7 for children ages 5-12, and children 4 and under are admitted free. Non-competing dogs welcome (must be leashed). More info: www.ruralhill.net. ^[14]

Bike Demo Day at Fisher Farm, 10 a.m., Fisher Farm Park, off Shearer Road, Davidson – Third Annual Fall Bike Demo Day, sponsored by The Cycle Path bike shop in Cornelius. Ride new bicycle offerings from top manufacturers. Bring a helmet, shoes and your choice of pedals. Hot dogs and soda served. 704-896-3341 info.

Carolina Renaissance Festival, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., east of Davidson, off Highway 73 on Poplar Tent Road (between I-77 and I-85), Huntersville – 17th annual Carolina Renaissance Festival and Artisan Marketplace runs Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., through Nov. 21, rain or shine. The 22-acre village features artists, craftspeople, musicians, performance troupes and food vendors, as well as kids’ games and rides. Advance tickets available $18 for adults, $7 for kids ages 5-12; kids under 5 free. Also at the gate for $1 more. Print your own tickets online at RenFestInfo.com. Free parking. Information online at RenFestInfo.com, or by calling 704-896-5544, or toll-free 877-896-5544.

End of life planning seminar, 5-7 p.m., Jetton Hall, Davidson College Presbyterian Church, Main Street and Concord Road – Free seminar on health care services and options available for late in life. Today’s topic: funerals, memorial services, bereavement support. (See also Nov. 7, topic: Hospice.) Reservations required. Call the church office at 704-892-5641.