By BILL KISER
DavidsonNews.net ^[1]

The weekend’s nearly here, folks – time to start thinking about recharging the ol’ batteries.

On Thursday, there’s something for the fashion-minded — Fashion’s Night Out at the Metropolitan in Charlotte — and for those who tend more towards the outdoors — a lecture by fishing guide and author Capt. Gus Gustafson on “The Sights and Sounds of Lake Norman.”

Also Thursday,  Davidson Community Players‘ production of “The Guys” — Anne Nelson’s story about healing after 9/11 in N.Y.C. — opens at the Armour Street Theater. On Friday, “Yogi Bear” will be showing on an inflatable screen in Huntersville’s North Mecklenburg Park; BBQ & Blues is going on that evening at Charlotte’s N.C. Music Factory; and Jason Aldean is performing at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

Saturday, the Kicks from Cats Andrew Lovedale 5K is going on at the Davidson College cross country trail, with former Wildcat and NBA star Stephen Curry on hand to sign autographs for a donation to Access for Success; the Ride and Festival for Hope & Housing fundraiser is at Davidson United Methodist Church and the Habitat Community Fest is at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Cornelius.

Sunday, a Walk for Peace is being held that morning at the Inclusion Community church, “The Guys” continues with two shows at the Armour Street Theater, Gethsemene Baptist Chuch in Davidson is holding a homecoming service, a chamber music performance is scheduled at Davidson College’s Tyler-Tallman Hall, and a 9/11 memorial service will be held at Davidson College’s Alvarez College Union.

For those wanting to get their sports fix, there’s even more going on this weekend.

On Friday and Sunday, Davidson College’s men’s soccer team will host three other teams — Appalachian State, Gardner-Webb and Detroit — in the Davidson adidas Classic tournament; the Wildcats’ women’s tennis team kicks off their fall schedule with the two-day Davidson College Fall Classic I at the Covington Tennis Courts on Friday and Saturday; and Davidson College’s football team hosts Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday night in its home opener.

On the high school level, Cornelius’ Hough High — having just completed its suspended game against Providence on Tuesday — will host Phillip O. Berry Academy on Friday night, while Myers Park visits North Meck High.

Oh yeah, let’s not forget the Amazing Maize Maze, which is open Friday through Sunday at the Rural Hill Farm in Huntersville through Nov. 13.

These events and more below, or in our day-by-day calendar at right. Also, at right on this page, see our movie show times listings for Our Town Cinemas.  This weekend’s offerings include “The Smurfs,” “Apollo 18,” “The Debt,” and newly arrived “Contagion.”

THURSDAY, SEPT. 8

Daughters of the American Revolution, 10 a.m., Energy United Building, 18019 Old Statesville Rd., Cornelius. Regular monthly meeting. The topic for the program this month will be “Soar With Education,” and will feature an overview of the schools sponsored by the DAR. Info: 704-875-6396.

iQmetrix Open House, 5 p.m., iQmetrix, third floor, 445 S. Main St., Davidson. The Davidson office of iQmetrix, the leading provider of retail management solutions for the North American wireless industry, will hold its first public open house. Information: Visit iQmetrix’s Facebook ^[2] page.

Fashion’s Night Out, 6 p.m., Metropolitan, 1224 Metropolitan Ave., Charlotte. For the second year in a row, your favorite local boutiques, salons, and makeup artists are coming together to show off their looks on the runway, and this year over 23 local boutiques will be taking over the streets at the Metropolitan. Tickets: $25 general admission, $40 general seating VIP ticket (includes swag bag), $50 premiere seating VIP ticket (includes swag bag), and $400 for four-person VIP table (includes bottle of champagne and four swag bags). Proceeds to benefit Zero Cancer-Great Prostate Cancer Challenge – Charlotte 2011. Tickets available online at bandtastic.com ^[3]. Details at fashionnightoutcharlotte.com ^[4].

Lake Norman Home Builders Association, 6 p.m., Galway Hooker Restaurant and Irish Pub, 17044 Kenton Dr., Cornelius. The Lake Norman Home Builders Association will host local economist Chuck Graham, principal of Newton Graham Consultants in Charlotte, who will speak on how the recession has affected the local real estate market. Tickets are $25 and include hors d’oeuvres, and can be purchased by calling 704-664-5622 or email swallace@lakenormanhba.com ^[5].

Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists nature series, 7 p.m., Mooresville Public Library, Youth Services Room, 304 S. Main St., Mooresville. Fishing guide and outdoors columnist Capt. Gus Gustafson will discuss “The Sights and Sounds of Lake Norman,” during the Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists’ 2011-2012 season of free nature programs. Information: Visit www.lakenormanwildlife.org ^[6] or call 704-877-4788.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 9

Davidson College Fall Classic I, all day, Covington Tennis Courts, Davidson College, Davidson. The first event of the Wildcats’ women’s tennis team’s fall schedule.

Amazing Maize Maze, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Rural Hill Farm, Neck Road, Huntersville. The Amazing Maize Maze is an outdoor challenge in a 7-acre cornfield. Find your way out by following clues and assembling pieces of a map puzzle. Open Fridays to Sundays through Nov. 13. Friday night flashlight mazes Sept. 30 to Nov. 4 (till 8:30 p.m.). Food and drink available. $10 for ages 13 and up, $7 for kids 5-12. Info: www.ruralhill.net ^[7].

BBQ & Blues, 5-11 p.m., N.C. Music Factory, 935 N. Graham St., Charlotte. National and regional BBQ teams will be competing for prize money and supreme bragging rights. There will be great food, pig races, a cornhole tournament, a queen city car wars preview, and live music. Tickets only required for reserved pavilion seating: $20 for one day and $30 for two days. Info: www.charlottebbqandblues.com ^[8].

Gardner-Webb vs. Appalachian State, 5 p.m., Richardson Stadium, Davidson College, Davidson. First-round game in the Davidson adidas Classic men’s soccer tournament. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, and are good for both games that day. Information-tickets: Call 704-894-2375 or visit www.davidsonwildcats.com ^[9].

RockBus Concert: Jason Aldean, 5 p.m., Prohibition, 200 N. Tryon St., Charlotte. Cost is $20 for bus ride only or $56 for lawn seat and bus ride, and includes transportation to and from Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, a few cold ones on the way to Verizon, and free cover into Prohibition after the show. Check-in at Prohibition at 5-5:45 p.m. Details and tickets at www.rockhouseevents.com ^[10].

Movies In The Park: Yogi Bear, 6 p.m. Sept. 9, North Mecklenburg Park, 16131 Old Statesville Rd., Huntersville. Bring the family to the outdoor showing of Yogi Bear on a giant inflatable screen. Information: Call 704-766-2220.

Hough High vs. Philip O. Berry, 7 p.m., W.A. Hough High School, Bailey Road, Cornelius. Hough football vs. Philip O. Berry Academy.

Myers Park at North Meck, 7 p.m., North Mecklenburg High School, N.C. 115, Huntersville – Myers Park visits North Meck in a high school football game.

Detroit vs. Davidson, 7 p.m., Richardson Stadium, Davidson College, Davidson. The day’s second game in the Davidson adidas Classic men’s soccer tournament. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, and are good for both games that day. Information-tickets: Call 704-894-2375 or visit www.davidsonwildcats.com ^[9].

The Guys, 8 p.m., Armour Street Theater, 307 Armour St., Davidson. Davidson Community Players presents “The Guys,” Anne Nelson’s story about healing after 9/11 in NY. Starring Marla Brown and Lou Dalessandro. Runs Sept. 9-17. Tickets $10, with a portion going to support Davidson Volunteer Fire Department training. Appropriate for ages 10 and above. 704-892-7953 or www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org ^[11].

SATURDAY, SEPT. 10

Davidson College Fall Classic I, all day, Covington Tennis Courts, Davidson College, Davidson. The first event of the Wildcats’ women’s tennis team’s fall schedule.

Habitat Community Fest, 7:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 20310 N. Main St., Cornelius. The second-annual Community Fest. Events include: Community Yard Sale, Farmer’s Market, Community Business Expo, Zumba-Thon. Info at OurTownsHabitat.org ^[12] or 704-896-8957

Kicks from Cats Andrew Lovedale 5K, 7:30 a.m., Davidson College cross country trail, Davidson. Inaugural event to benefit the Access to Success program, founded by former Davidson College basketball player Andrew Lovedale, which benefits underprivileged children in his native Nigeria. Former Wildcats player and NBA star Stephen Curry will be on hand to sign autographs between 9:45-10:45 a.m. for a suggested donation of $5. The entry fee is $25 for runners and $15 for walkers before Sept. 9, and $30 and $20 on race day. The student rate is $15 for either the 5K or walk. Races begin at 9 a.m. Details and registration available online at www.a2sfoundation.org ^[13].

Davidson Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., downtown Davidson next to Town Hall. Local farmers and vendors selling meats, produce, dairy products, baked goods, and other items every Saturday through November. For more information: www.davidsonfarmersmarket.org ^[14]. DavidsonNews.net is pleased to be a sponsor of the Davidson Farmers Market..

Ride and Festival for Hope & Housing, 8:30 a.m., Davidson United Methodist Church, 233 S. Main St., Davidson. Fundraising bicycle rides and festival for the www.davidson.edu/tickets ^[15].

Summer Film Series: Henry V, 1:30 p.m., ImaginOn’s Wachovia Playhouse, 300 E. 7th St., Charlotte. The final installment of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library’s Shakespeare at the Movies file series will be this thunderous “revitalization” of Shakespeare’s patriotic play. Performing as Henry V, Kenneth Branagh not only hit the bulls-eye in his debut as film director, but also captured the bravery and ruthlessness of the king who conquered the French on their own soil. Screenings preceded by a brief introduction by Sam Shapiro, the Library’s resident film expert. Admission is free. Information: Visit www.cmlibrary.org ^[16].

Lenoir-Rhyne at Davidson, 7 p.m., Richardson Stadium, Davidson College, Davidson. The Wildcats’ football team, who lost to Georgetown in last week’s opener, host the Bears (1-0), who had one of the top defenses among NCAA Division II teams last season, in their home opener. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for youth. Information-tickets: Call 704-894-2375 or visit www.davidsonwildcats.com ^[9].

Sound of Love festival, 6-10 p.m., outdoors at Kenton Place, 17115 Kenton Drive, Cornelius – Bella Love presents “The Sound of Love,” an arts festival with games, dancing, drinks, local food, live music, live artwork. Performances by Who Rescued Who and Natural Blend. Bring a lawn chair and blanket. www.bellalovecharlotte.com ^[17] DavidsonNews.net and CorneliusNews.net are pleased to co-sponsor this event

SUNDAY, SEPT. 11

Amazing Maize Maze, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Rural Hill farm, Neck Road, Huntersville. The Amazing Maize Maze is an outdoor challenge in a 7-acre cornfield. Find your way out by following clues and assembling pieces of a map puzzle. Open Fridays to Sundays through Nov. 13. Friday night flashlight mazes Sept. 30 to Nov. 4 (till 8:30 p.m.). Food and drink available. $10 for ages 13 and up, $7 for kids 5-12. Info: www.ruralhill.net ^[18].

Walk for Peace, 10:30 a.m., Inclusion Community, 21234 Catawba Ave., Cornelius. You are invited to walk in reflection, lament and hope for peace in remembrance of the 9/11 tragedy. Inclusion Community, a United Methodist community of faith, invites people of all faiths to come together to share, meditate, and participate in being agents for peace in the world. For more information, visit www.inclusioncommunity.org ^[19].

Theater: “The Guys,” 2 and 7 p.m., Armour Street Theater, 307 Armour St., Davidson. Davidson Community Players presents “The Guys,” Anne Nelson’s story about healing after 9/11 in N.Y.C. Starring Marla Brown and Lou Dalessandro. Runs Sept. 9-17. Tickets $10, with a portion going to support Davidson Volunteer Fire Department training. Appropriate for ages 10 and above. 704-892-7953 or www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org ^[20]

Homecoming Service, 3 p.m., Gethsemane Baptist Church, 565 Jetton St., Davidson. Guest minister is Pastor James E. White Jr. of Spartanburg, S.C. For more information, call 704-792-1635 or visit the church’s website at www.gbclakenorman.org ^[21].

An afternoon of chamber music, 3 p.m., Tyler-Tallman Hall of Sloan Music Center, Davidson College, Davidson. Davidson College invites the public to the inaugural Concert Series performance of the year, featuring the trio of Alan Black, principal cellist for the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, violinist Rosemary Furniss, and pianist Dana Protopopescu. Their program will feature works by Chopin and Schubert. General admission is $12, or $5 for 18 and under. For reservations and information call the College Union ticket office at 704-894-2135 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, or visit www.davidson.edu/tickets ^[15].

Davidson Historical Society, 4 p.m. Davidson Village Green, Main Street and Concord Road, Davidson. The Davidson Historical Society will host Davidson Express, a local five-piece band playing a mixture of traditional bluegrass standards and local folk originals. Musical interpretation will be provided by Tom Hanchett, a historian with the Levine Museum of the South. Come and bring your camp chairs to enjoy an afternoon of live music and learn about local music traditions. See our preview article ^[22]

Detroit vs. Appalachian State, 5 p.m., Richardson Stadium, Davidson College, Davidson. First-round game in the Davidson adidas Classic tournament. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, and are good for both games that day. Information-tickets: Call 704-894-2375 or visit www.davidsonwildcats.com ^[9].

Gardner-Webb vs. Davidson, 7 p.m., Richardson Stadium, Davidson College, Davidson. First-round game in the Davidson adidas Classic tournament. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, and are good for both games that day. Information-tickets: Call 704-894-2375 or visit www.davidsonwildcats.com ^[9].

Remembering 9/11, 9 p.m., Davidson College, Alvarez College Union Brown Atrium. “Memory and Hope: A Commemoration of 9/11.” A campus observance of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Organized by Davidson College Student Government Association and campus chaplain’s office. Open to the public.

HAVE LISTINGS?

Send events listings to listings@davidsonnews.net ^[23]. Our calendars and events columns appear on both www.corneliusnews.net ^[24] and www.davidsonnews.net ^[25].