Click for more information about Saturday’s barbecue fest and fund raiser for Ada Jenkins Center.

October may just be about the best month on the calendar. That’s only our opinion, and it’s probably heavily swayed by the fact that we have a most excellent selection of events listed for you this weekend. Can you believe the Carolina Renaissance Festival is back already? Or that we are painting the town pink on Saturday for the Charlotte Komen Race for the Cure? You’ll find yourself in a feudal fight of rock, paper and scissors trying to decide if it will be Lake Norman Folk Art Festival, LangTree Lake Norman’s inaugural art fair or the Amazing Maize Maze at Rural Hill. The weekend also brings fishing and tennis tournaments, fundraisers like “A Jam for Cam” at Harvey’s Cornelius, a Cookies for Kids Cancer soccer match and bake sale, and The Ada Jenkins Center 6th-annual “Fire” barbecue fest. We have films and theater productions, a dog show and a march for the elephants. Have we left out anything? Definitely. Read on to find out about more events and details about these. Read the full story

Pianist Blair McMillen plays Sunday.

A new music season is getting into full swing at Davidson College, with concerts this week and next on college stages. The Davidson College Symphony Orchestra opens its season Wednesday night with a free concert titled “Pyromania.” And The 2014-15 Concert Series kicks off Sunday with a performance by accomplished pianist Blair McMillen. Read the full story

The Amazing Maize Maze awaits at Historic Rural Hill in Huntersville, this year with a baseball theme. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

It’s officially fall y’all, and you’ll have an array of seasonal events to consider this weekend – in between your fall-decor sprucin’, apple pickin’ and pumpkin-spice-latte sippin’ activities. Get out and enjoy the brisk air at the South End 5k Shuffle On or at the Jetton Village Lung Strong 5K and 15K. Discover Sailing at The Lake Norman Yacht Club, or shop at one of the three local farmer’s markets, or the Davidson Garden Club’s annual sale. Rural Hill offers the Amazing Maize Maze, a cornfield challenge for navigators.  Read the full story

Before we say goodbye to September, the month is wrapping up with myriad events. There are town meetings, library events and a teen council meeting. As we draw closer to the weekend, we have a wellness fair, a grand opening of South Main Sweet Shop, a disco costume party at LangTree Lake Norman, a charity event at The Hope House, “Fuddy Meers” at The Warehouse and live music galore! Davidson College will host Keigwin + Company as part of its Smith Artist Series, and our local Jewish readers observing Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) can find out details about where holiday observation will take place. Read on for more events and details about these. Read the full story

Connie Fisher of Davidson is among the writers from “The Widow’s Handbook” featured Sunday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Women can learn from one another when it comes to dealing with the loss of a partner. That’s the idea behind “The Widows Handbook,” an anthology of poems and other writings by 87 women who have lost husbands, lovers, and other partners. On Sunday, Sept. 21, at Warehouse Performing Arts Center in Cornelius, several local authors involved in the project will join in reading selections they say will share feelings of loneliness and hope.

The free event, at 2pm at Sunday, is hosted by Charlotte Writers Club – North, and will feature writers Rebecca Schenck of Charlotte, Nancy Womack of Rutherfordton, and Connie Fisher of Davidson. (Fisher also is the theater critic for DavidsonNews.net and CorneliusNews.net.) Read the full story

The Davidson College Symphony (above) and jazz ensemble will play the season’s final Concert on the Green in Davidson Sunday.

There’s a good chance we’ll see many of you out and about this weekend at one of the 36 (yes 36) events we have listed around the region. They include two regattas, three farmer’s markets, two runs, six festivals – including a Cajun Fest, Beerfest, Wake the Lake, Festival in the Park, Taste of Birkdale, Oyster Fest and the Davidson Art Crawl. There’s also plenty of live music, including an Agave Baroque concert at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson, Pepper Choplin in the Cornelius Concert Series at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church and Davidson College’s Symphony Orchestra & Jazz Ensemble on The Green.  On stage, you’ll find “Shakespeare Goes to Woodstock,” “Fuddy Meers” and “The Widows’ Handbook.” And if you’re looking for an outing, head to the Amazing Maize Maze in Huntersville or Yoga on the Green in Davidson.  It’s also Davidson College Homecoming. Read on for details about these and other events.  Read the full story