Our calendar this weekend is a busy mix of events, from the literary and theatrical to outdoor festivals and dog shows to Davidson College homecoming. The Carolina Renaissance Festival opens the gates at the festival grounds off Poplar Tent Road while the Amazing Maize Maze continues its run at Rural Hill in Huntersville. ReadDavidson hosts a discussion Thursday of this year’s townwide read, “State of Wonder” by Ann Patchett. There’s a wiener dog race in Mooresville and The All American Dog Show in Cornelius, both on Saturday. Final performances of “The Smell of the Kill” are offered at Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius, and “Baby: The Musical” debuts at Davidson Community Players Armour Street Theater.

Davidson College Homecoming takes place on Friday and Saturday with a football game, lectures and other activities. And Davidson Lands Conservancy hosts a stargazing party Friday at Fisher Farm. The Aloha Cup paddleboard races this weekend benefit Our Towns Habitat for Humanity.  Davidson Farmer’s Market returns Saturday in downtown Davidson, this week followed by a dedication ceremony for the new market-themed mural on the side of Summit Coffee.

ON THE STAGE

“Baby: The Musical,” Armour Street Theater, 307 Armour St., Davidson – Davidson Community Players presents “Baby: The Musical” Oct. 4-21. Shows Thursdays to Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. “Baby” tells of three couples on a college campus as they deal with painful, rewarding and agonizingly funny consequences of this universal experience. There are the college students, at the beginning of adulthood; 30-somethings having trouble conceiving but determined to try; and middle-aged parents, looking forward to seeing their last child graduate from college when a night of unexpected passion lands them back where they started. Tickets and info at DavidsonCommunityPlayers.org ^[2]

“The Smell of the Kill,” Warehouse Performing Arts Center, 9216-A Westmoreland Road, Cornelius – Anne Lambert and Charlotte’s Off-Broadway and The Warehouse Performing Arts Center present “The Smell of the Kill” by Michele Lowe. Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. Final weekend. Tickets: $20; Seniors/students/groups $15, cash or check only. For reservations, call 704-619-0429 or email tickets@warehousepac.com. ^[4] See Connie Fisher’s review, “An amazing taunt for ‘Smell of the Kill.’ ^[5]

THURSDAY, OCT. 4

Hip-Hop Artist-Scholar Guest Series, 9:40 a.m. & 7 p.m., Davidson College – A discussion titled “Bad-Ass B-Girls and the Aesthetics of Gender Performance in Global Hip Hop Culture” by Imani Kai Johnson of University of California Riverside. Free and open to the public. Info: 704-894-2504

2012 Business & Community Expo, 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Charles Mack Citizen Center, 215 N. Main St., Mooresville – 100 local businesses and organizations on hand to answer your questions while spotlighting their products and services. No admission charge. Info: 704-664-3898 or visit http://www.mooresvillenc.org ^[6]

Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce After-Hours Mixer, 5:30-7:30 p.m., A-1 Vacuum Solutions, 9715-E Sam Furr Rd., Huntersville – Live music. Sample local wines, food & beverages. Hosted by A-1 Vacuum Solutions.

PFLAG meeting, 7-9 p.m., Davidson College Presbyterian Church, Main Street and Concord Road, Davidson – PFLAG (Parents, Friends, and Families of Lesbians and Gays) of Davidson and Cornelius meets on the first Thursday of each month in the lounge at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. All are invited to attend this group which offers information and support in a non-judgmental atmosphere.

Candidate forum, 7-9 p.m., CPCC Merancas Campus (North Campus), 11930 Verhoeff Drive, Huntersville – Lake Norman Chamber Election 2012 forum with candidates for NC House District 92 and Mecklenburg County Commission District 1. Also, information about the Huntersville bond package. Moderated by Callan Bryan, the chamber’s public policy chairman. Info on the LakeNormanChamber.org ^[7] website. ^[8]

ReadDavidson discusses “State of Wonder,” 7-8:30 p.m., Davidson Public Library, 119 S. Main St., Davidson – Book discussion on the novel “State of Wonder” facilitated by Davidson professors Dr. Ann Fox and Dr. David Wessner.

Mathematics Lecture, 8:00 p.m., Hance Auditorium, Davidson College – A mathematics lecture by professor Paul H. Edelman of Vanderbilt University. Edelman will present the annual Bernard Lecture on the subject “Mathematics and the Law: The Apportionment of the House of Representatives.” Info: 704-894-2315

Live music at Summit Coffee, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St., Davidson – Live music with TBA. Free. Information: 704-895-9090 or visit www.summitcoffee.com ^[9].

FRIDAY, OCT. 5

Davidson College Homecoming, Davidson College – Homecoming Weekend 2012 will be held October 5-6 on Davidson’s campus. Plan to join in for fun, family-friendly weekend for all alumni. Info: http://www3.davidson.edu/cms/x21904.xml ^[10]

Jill Lake Pro-Am Tennis Tournament, River Run Country Club, 19125 River Falls Dr., Davidson – Festivities will kick off on Friday, Oct. 5th with a private, meet-the-pros cocktail party hosted by two River Run families. Saturday will provide a full day of round robin format pro-am tennis matches from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday will feature the pro-am finals being played in all divisions and will culminate at 11:00 a.m. with the “Pro-Pro Shoot-Out”, to determine the overall professional winning doubles teams. Admission to the tournament is free.

Blood Drive, 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Pine Lake Prep School, 1639 Mecklenburg Hwy, Mooresville – A Community Blood Center of the Carolinas blood drive. Call 704-972-4700 or go to http://www.carolinadonor.org ^[11] to make an appointment.

Amazing Maize Maze, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., night flashlight maze, 6 p.m., Rural Hill, 4431 Neck Road (off Beatties Ford Road), Huntersville – Amazing Maize Maze, a cornfield maze with an Election 2012 theme. Open Fridays to Sundays through Nov. 4. The Amazing Maize Maze is designed to be navigated in 1-2 hours. Water stations and maze assistance are available throughout. Tickets $10 per person for ages 13+; $7 per person for youth ages 5-12; and ages 4 and under are free. Tickets at the gate or in advance at www.ruralhill.net ^[12]. Open by appointment other days.

Chemistry Lecture, 2:30 p.m., Martin Chemistry Building, Davidson College – A lecture by professor Rose Cory of UNC’s School of Global Public Health titled “Turning on the Lights – Photochemical and Microbial Processing of Newly Exposed Carbon in Arctic Ecosystems.” Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served at 2 p.m. in the lobby. Info: 704-894-2307

Science and Public Policy Lecture, 2:30 p.m., Hance Auditorium, Davidson College – Davidson graduate Dr. Stephanie Courchesne-Schlink of the National Institutes of Health will discuss “Translating Science to Inform Public Policy, or How to Explain the Human Genome to Congress in 60 Brief Seconds.” Free and open to the public. Info: 704-894-2184

Davidson History, 3:00 p.m., Chambers Building, Davidson College – Discussion led by Archivist Jan Blodgett about Davidson alumni involved in World War II and the impact of that conflict on the college. Free and open to the public. Info: 704-894-2545

British Literature Lecture, 4:00 p.m., Chambers Building, Davidson College – Professor Emeritus of English Gill Holland will present “Excerpts of British Literature from the 19th Century.” Free and open to the public. Info: 704-894-2545

History and Civil Rights Lecture, 4:00 p.m., Chambers Building, Davidson College – Discussion by 1964 Davidson graduate Joseph Howell about his book Civil Rights Journey. The book recalls Howell’s life growing up as a white southern male, and his subsequent involvement in the civil rights movement while a student at Davidson. Free and open to the public. Info: 704-894-2545

Davidson field hockey vs. Longwood, 6 p.m., Belk Turf Field, Davidson College – Davidson field hockey vs. Longwood. See more on DavidsonWildcats.com.

Hough football vs. W. Charlotte, 7 p.m., Hough High School, 12420 Bailey Road, Cornelius – Hough football vs. West Charlotte.

Stargazing at Fisher Farm, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Fisher Farm, 21215 Shearer Road, Davidson – People of all ages are invited to a night of stargazing, sponsored by Davidson Lands Conservancy. The Davidson College physics department and Charlotte Astronomy Club are providing equipment and expertise. Or bring your own telescope, as well as a flashlight. Free, but donations to the DLC accepted. Info: davidsonlands.org ^[14] See also our Sept. 24 preview on DavidsonNews.net ^[13].

Live music at Summit Coffee, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St., Davidson – Live music with TBA. Free. Information: 704-895-9090 or visit www.summitcoffee.com ^[9].

SATURDAY, OCT. 6

Jill Lake Pro-Am Tennis Tournament, River Run Country Club, 19125 River Falls Dr., Davidson – Festivities will kick off on Friday, Oct. 5th with a private, meet-the-pros cocktail party hosted by two River Run families. Saturday will provide a full day of round robin format pro-am tennis matches from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday will feature the pro-am finals being played in all divisions and will culminate at 11:00 a.m. with the “Pro-Pro Shoot-Out”, to determine the overall professional winning doubles teams. Admission to the tournament is free.

Davidson College Homecoming, Davidson College – Homecoming Weekend 2012 will be held October 5-6 on Davidson’s campus. Plan to join in for fun, family-friendly weekend for all alumni. Info: http://www3.davidson.edu/cms/x21904.xml ^[10]

Aloha Cup, 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Peninsula Yacht Club, 18501 Harbor Light Blvd, Cornelius – Stand up paddleboard races to benefit Our Towns Habitat for Humanity. Registration is $20. Register at www.standuplkn.com ^[15].

Davidson Farmer’s Market, 8:00 a.m.-noon, downtown Davidson, off Main Street next to Town Hall – The weekly Davidson Farmer’s Market. Local farmers and vendors selling meats, produce, dairy products, baked goods, and other items. Runs every Saturday through October. Information: Visit www.davidsonfarmersmarket.org ^[16]. DavidsonNews.net and CorneliusNews.net are pleased to be media partners of the Davidson Farmer’s Market.

Know Your Farms Stand at Kenton Place, 8am-12pm, Kenton Place shopping center near the ice cream shop at the corner of Catawba Ave and Hwy 73. Know Your Farms is excited to announce the four-week trial of the Huntersville-Cornelius Know Your Farms Stand. This outside location will offer the same high quality local foods KYF offers in the CSA and 7th Street Farm Stand. There will also be some local farms there with us. For more info visit facebook.com/knowyourfarms ^[17].

Multicultural Affairs, 9:00 a.m., Alvarez College Union Smith 900 Room, Davidson College – Talk given by Davidson’s Director of Multicultural Affairs Tae-Sun Kim and Associate Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Sarbeth Fleming. They will speak about demographic changes at Davidson and current initiatives to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse community. Free and open to the public. Info: 704-894-2545

Mooresville Wiener Dog Race, 9:30 a.m., parking lot at East Center Ave. and North Church Street, off Main Street in downtown Mooresville – Annual Mooresville Wiener Race, a fundraising competition with races, best-dressed and cutest dog contests. Benefits local nonprofit animal advocate group Friends of the Animals. Registration for all racing dogs will be $25, along with proof of all required vaccinations. Registration forms may be downloaded from the website www.mooresvillewienerrace.com ^[18] and must be submitted no later than Sept. 31.

Campus Diversity Lecture, 10:00 a.m., Alvarez College Union Smith 900 Room, Davidson College – Discussion titled “Faculty of Color Speak on Curricular Diversity, Campus Climate and Tenure.” The presentation by Associate Professor of Anthropology Helen Cho and Assistant Professor of Education Hilton Kelly will focus on the role that faculty of color play in supporting the college’s diversity initiatives. Free and open to the public. Info: 704-894-2545

Girl Scout Informational Event, 10:00 a.m., Birkdale Village – Recruitment night/informational session for new Girl Scout participants and volunteers. Info: http://www.hngirlscouts.org/girls ^[19]

Face Jug pottery workshop, 10 a.m. to noon, Community Arts Project, Cornelius Arts Center, 19725 Oak St., Cornelius – North Carolina-Style Face Jug Workshop, with instructor Loretta Banner. Face jugs originated in North and South Carolina and were thought to have first been made by slaves to be placed on grave sites. Later they were adapted to store whiskey. In this fun workshop, students will be adding a face to a pre-thrown jug and then glazing it on the second week. This is a two-day workshop. All supplies included. Saturdays, Sept. 22 and Oct. 6. Ages 10-adult. For more about classes at CAP and the Cornelius Arts Center, or to register for this class, visit http://cornelius.org/parc ^[20]. Or call 704-892-6031, ext. 160.

Amazing Maize Maze, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., night flashlight maze, 6 p.m., Rural Hill, 4431 Neck Road (off Beatties Ford Road), Huntersville – Amazing Maize Maze, a cornfield maze with an Election 2012 theme. Open Fridays to Sundays through Nov. 4. The Amazing Maize Maze is designed to be navigated in 1-2 hours. Water stations and maze assistance are available throughout. Tickets $10 per person for ages 13+; $7 per person for youth ages 5-12; and ages 4 and under are free. Tickets at the gate or in advance at www.ruralhill.net ^[12]. Open by appointment other days.

Farmer’s Market mural dedication, 12:30 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St., Davidson – Dedication ceremony for the new Davidson Farmer’s Market mural on the side of Summit Coffee, painted by artist David Merck. Read more about the mural project under the “mural” tag on DavidsonNews.net ^[22].

Davidson football vs. Dayton, 1 p.m., Richardson Stadium, Davidson College – Davidson football vs. Dayton. More info: www.davidsonwildcats.com ^[23]

Phi’s for G.I.’s party and fundraiser, 4:30 p.m., Davidson College Phi Delta Theta House, Patterson Court, Davidson – Phi Delta Theta fraternity hosts a “Phi’s for G.I.’s” fundraiser on the lawn, with music by Stony Creek Boys, a mechanical bull, bounce house, dunk tank, food and drinks, prizes. Proceeds benefit Support US Armed Forces, a Raleigh-based group that helps soldiers, veterans and their families. The party follows the Davidson vs. Dayton football game at Richardson Stadium, which is Homecoming and Military Appreciation Day. To make a donation or become a sponsor, contact chapter President Sherrod Davis, ShDavis@Davidson.edu ^[24] or 443-602-2632

All American Dog Show, 5-8 p.m., Bailey Road Park, Cornelius – 12th annual All American Dog Show, with competitions and contests for your furry friends, food and facepainting. More information on the Cornelius PARC website ^[25]. For information on sponsorship, vendor and volunteer opportunities, contact Mindi Stoner at mstoner@cornelius.org ^[26] or 704-892-6031 Ext. 192

Cruise for Change, 6:30-10 p.m., leaving from Queen’s Landing, 1459 River Hwy., Mooresville – Annual Cruise for Change on Lake Norman, a fund-raiser for United Family Services. $60 per person, includes cruise ticket, food, open bar, dancing and silent auction. 704-367-2799, www.unitedfamilyservices.org ^[27]. Read more about the cause and the cruise in our Sept. 28 feature, “United Family Services tries to shed light on domestic violence.” ^[28]

Live music at Summit Coffee, 8-11 p.m., Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St., Davidson – Live music with TBA. Free. Information: 704-895-9090 or visit www.summitcoffee.com ^[9].

SUNDAY, OCT. 7

Amazing Maize Maze, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Rural Hill, 4431 Neck Road (off Beatties Ford Road), Huntersville – Amazing Maize Maze, a cornfield maze with an Election 2012 theme. Open Fridays to Sundays through Nov. 4. The Amazing Maize Maze is designed to be navigated in 1-2 hours. Water stations and maze assistance are available throughout. Tickets $10 per person for ages 13+; $7 per person for youth ages 5-12; and ages 4 and under are free. Tickets at the gate or in advance at www.ruralhill.net ^[12]. Open by appointment other days.

Jill Lake Pro-Am Tennis Tournament, River Run Country Club, 19125 River Falls Dr., Davidson – Festivities will kick off on Friday, Oct. 5th with a private, meet-the-pros cocktail party hosted by two River Run families. Saturday will provide a full day of round robin format pro-am tennis matches from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday will feature the pro-am finals being played in all divisions and will culminate at 11:00 a.m. with the “Pro-Pro Shoot-Out”, to determine the overall professional winning doubles teams. Admission to the tournament is free.

HAVE A LISTING?

To have your event listed in our calendars, please send to listings@davidsonnews.net ^[29]. Our events calendars appear on both DavidsonNews.net and CorneliusNews.net.

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