Two students from Woodlawn School have advanced to the national level of the annual History Day competition.

Stephan Snyder, an 8th grader, qualified by winning the state competition in the documentary class for his film, “Elevators: Giving Rise to the Modern City.” Stephan, the son of Greg Snyder and Motria Procyk of Davidson, said he got the idea for making a movie about elevators after family trips to San Francisco and New York City. He’s not sure when the “aha” moment occurred, but said it was during those visits to great American cities that he realized the importance of elevation to urban development. Read the full story

It’s graduation weekend on the Davidson College campus, where the Class of 2010 prepares to say farewell to college and our town. There’s also plenty of music, both on and off campus, an appearance by former Davidson President Bobby Vagt, a Davidson Farmers Market, and a walk to raise money for the American Heart Association. And Saturday brings the annual Dragon Boat and Asian Festival at Ramsey Creek Park.

Read on for news about those and other events ahead. See our day-by-day listings of events in and around Davidson at right. Read the full story

After a flurry of events in and around Davidson over the past few weeks, our calendar is becoming lighter. Summer on the way? There’s still plenty to do this week, from lectures and theater to movies and meetings. “Iron Man 2″ opens in theaters later this week and Our Town Cinemas in Sadler Square is hosting a special midnight screening on Thursday. A production of Athol Fugard’s “Road to Mecca” continues at Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius. And Christa Faut Gallery in Cornelius will have an opening reception Saturday of a new exhibit of paintings by John Borden Evans. On Sunday, St. Alban’s Church kicks off a new “Spirituality in the Arts” performance series with a concert by the Bechtler Ensemble, a piano-cello duo.

Details about those events and more below. For a day-by-day listing of what’s going on in and around Davidson, see our clickable calendar art right. Read the full story

SOURCE: Our Town Cinemas

Winston-Salem landmarks came in handy when the Rev. John Jackman was directing his latest film, “Wesley.”

“We found, in a five-mile radius, settings we could use for 18th-century London, that worked for Oxford, Savannah, the Savannah River, the English countryside,” he said. “I’m not sure where else I could have pulled this off.”

The Rev. Jackman will be here Friday when “Wesley” opens an exclusive run at Davidson’s Our Town Cinemas.

Next week: special showings of “Casablanca” and “Wizard of Oz.”

Read the full story

Our weekend in and around Davidson is filled with art, theater, fun and fund-raisers. On Thursday night, Davidson College Symphony Orchestra plays Beethoven’s Fifth in another Concert for a Cause. A youth theater production of “Charlotte’s Web” opens at Armour Street Theater on Saturday. Ada Jenkins Center holds its “Fire” 5k/Fun Run and Barbecue Festival on Saturday, while Our Towns Habitat for Humanity hosts its 3rd Annual Car Show on Sunday.

April is for Arts in north Mecklenburg kicks off with a Gallery Crawl in Davidson and Cornelius on Friday evening. Our Town Cinemas will be showing a series of art films in cooperation with the Charlotte Film Festival beginning Friday. And it’s time for the 17th Annual Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games Friday through Sunday at Rural Hill Farm in Huntersville.

If a cappella music is your thing, Davidson College’s all-male Davidson Generals will sing their “Big Show” Friday at Duke Family Performance Hall. Read the full story

Our Town Cinemas off Griffith Street in Sadler Square shopping center, will show a series of art films April 16-22 in cooperation with the Charlotte Film Festival and coinciding with April Is for Arts in Davidson and north Mecklenburg. Three independent films are on the “Taste of the Charlotte Film Festival” menu – along with Our Town Cinemas’ usual film, dinner and bar fare.

Showings of “Warrior Champions,” “Good Night Irene,” and “Trust Us, This is All Made Up” will begin Friday, April 16, the same Read the full story