By BILL KISER
DavidsonNews.net

The new year is upon us – made your plans yet? Our calendar has plenty of area events to ring out 2011 and ring in 2012. They range from the large – First Night Charlotte in downtown Charlotte Saturday – to the small – a free timed 5K run in downtown Davidson New Year’s day – to the wild – the 4th annual Polar Bear Plunge swim at The Point on Lake Norman.

At First Night Charlotte, activities begin at noon Saturday with First Night Kids, then the adults take over downtown beginning at 8 p.m.  Meanwhile, several area restaurants — Davidson’s Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse and Jeffrey’s Restaurant in Mooresville, among others — have special New Year’s Eve dinners planned; and nightclubs — among them Skybar and Unleashed in Mooresville, Davidson’s Brickhouse Tavern, and Cornelius’ Dirty Martini, Rusty Rudder, Galway Hooker Irish Pub and Prosciutto’s Pizzeria & Pub — will celebrate the coming New Year. Read the full story

By BILL KISER
DavidsonNews.net

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 Read the full story

Jeff McGonnell

By KARYN JESTER
DavidsonNews.net

Don’t be alarmed if you see Davidson resident Jeff McGonnell running nonstop circles around the Green on Friday and Saturday, June 4-5. He hasn’t lost his mind. He’ll be running for 24 hours to raise funds and awareness for the Batten Disease Support and Research Association.

The event, sponsored by the Town of Davidson and BirdNest Music, is called “24 hour Loopy for a Cause.”

McGonnell will be running a pre-determined loop on the Green, seven loops being equal to one mile. He hopes to run around 100 miles in the 24 hours. Read the full story

By KARYN JESTER
DavidsonNews.net

The week ahead in and around Davidson includes a variety of public meetings, a visit to Davidson College by U.S. Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin, and a screening of the documentary “Play Again” at Community School of Davidson on Wednesday. Elected officials from Cornelius, Huntersville, Mooresville and Davidson will have a four-town dinner on Thursday. And Davidson Town Day is on Saturday along with the Annual Town Day Book Sale and a 5K race to raise money for Davidson-Cornelius Child Development Center.

These events and more below, or in our day-by-day calendar at right. At right on this page, see our movie show times listings for Our Town Cinemas where “Thor” opens on Friday, joining “Fast Five,” “Water for Elephants,” “Rio,” and “Atlas Shrugged: Part I.” Read the full story

Booth space available for businesses and nonprofits

Davidson Town Day, the town’s free annual festival of fun, food and music on the Village Green, is scheduled Saturday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the Village Green, Main Street and Concord Road. The day also includes the annual Davidson-Cornelius Day Care 5k road race and 1 mile fun run.

Read the full story

Town Day is coming on Saturday, May 1, and with the annual Davidson – Cornelius Day Care Town Day 5K and Family Fun Run. The race through Davidson streets is a fund-raiser for the center, which has been providing quality, affordable day care for 40 years. Read the full story