Outdoor concerts are on the schedule this weekend, with an ’80s Night in the Park at Bailey Road Park Saturday night and a Davidson Concert on the Green Sunday night. Indoors, the North Mecklenburg Community Chorus has “Bella Notte,” three nights of Italian-inspired music. Two days of grueling running – if you can call it that – are ahead during the Warrior Dash at Rural Hill Farm in Huntersville. The weekend also brings lots of other live music, Davidson College graduation events, and a day of sailing for special needs people Saturday at the NC Sailing & Rowing Center. The Davidson-Cornelius Child Development Center 5K and local food picnic is Saturday morning in downtown Davidson, when the Davidson Farmer’s Market also will be open nearby next to Town Hall. Read the full story

Jonathan Dimmock

Organ at Davidson announcement
Organ at Davidson presents international concert organist Jonathan Dimmock as the final artist in its 2011-2012 Sixth series. The program starts at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1, in the Davidson College Presbyterian Church sanctuary. The event is free with donations encouraged. Read the full story

Michael Reno Harrell plays outdoors at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Sunday afternoon.

Lectures, fundraising road races, a dog-lovers’ Bark in the Park at Rural Hill, and an outdoor concert at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church are on the calendar across the area this week. Davidson College’s basketball players and alumni host their annual BUZZKILL fundraising 3-on-3 tourney, plus an evening party and other events, to fight malaria in Africa. On stage, Davidson College theater students continue their one-act play productions this weekend, and Davidson Community Players’ Connie Co. wraps up the run of “A Bear Called Paddington.” Read on for the details, or see our day-by-day calendar at right on this page.

See also the latest movie listings at Our Town Cinemas, on this page at right. On the schedule there: “The Lucky One,” a tale about a soldier returning from Iraq; “The Hunger Games” is still on view, along with “Three Stooges,” “American Reunion” and “Mirror Mirror.” Read the full story

A customized zucchini racer from last year's Zucchini 500 at Stewart-Haas Racing in Kannapolis. This year's event is Saturday, part of the NC Science Festival.

Davidson’s Art on the Green festival is back for another year, running Saturday and Sunday in downtown Davidson. This weekend also brings the season’s first Concert of the Green, a performance by the Davidson College Symphony and Jazz Ensemble on Sunday. The Jazz Ensemble also plays Friday, alongside Latin jazz composer arranger Bernardo Hernandez. The region’s Jewish community gathers at Davidson College Thursday night for Yom HaShoah, a Holocaust Remembrance ceremony. In Huntersville, get on your kilt for the 19th annual Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games. Saturday morning brings Earth Day activities in Cornelius and around Lake Norman, there’s a breakfast at Davidson Presbyterian Church and the Davidson Farmer’s Market is open until noon. Read on for the details, or see our day-by-day calendar at right on this page. Read the full story

Local  churches are offering a variety of events during Holy Week, from prayer vigils to Easter Sunday services. Below is a list of services we have received. Check with other churches in our directory for services elsewhere.

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By BILL KISER
DavidsonNews.net

Easter-related activities fill the schedule this week around the area, from egg-decorating and egg hunts to Easter week and Easter Sunday services.  Our calendar also includes a wide range of activities from bass fishing to theater. Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks speaks at Davidson College Tuesday night. And some of the world’s top professional bass anglers will hit Lake Norman this weekend for the three-day Bassmasters Southern Open, with boats leaving from Blythe Landing. Weigh-ins will be held the first two days at Blythe Landing, the final day at Concord’s Bass Pro Shops. Read the full story