Family Fun: October 4-5 Weekend What-To-Dos

Take advantage of ‘festival season’ this weekend by partaking in one or several of the local happenings in Charlotte. 

Hola Festival

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month and on Saturday, October 4, the Hola Festival takes place from 12 pm – 7 pm in uptown Charlotte on Tryon St. between 5^th and 8^th streets. There will also be activities going on at Levine Museum of the New South, ImaginOn, 7th St. Public Market, and Discovery Place. This is a free event.

Highlights:

•   2 stages that will have continuous entertainment! One featuring cultural performances, and one featuring live Latin music throughout the day

•   The Latin American Cultural Village highlighting 10 Latin countries

•   The Cultural Passport

•   Salsa Dancing

•   Authentic Latin Food and Beverage

•   Cultural Dance Performances

•   Zumba Demos and Instruction

•   Live Latin Musical Performances and Singers

Ongoing cultural activities at Levine Museum of the New South, ImaginOn, 7th St. Public Market, and Discovery Place

Charlotte Book Fair

The 3rd Annual Charlotte Book Fair highlights the joy of reading, and features authors, storytellers, musicians, workshops and vendors. It takes place Saturday, October 4th, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Little Rock Cultural Center, 401 North Myers Street. It’s free, but donations are welcome.

There will be four main areas: the Main Floor, The Outdoor Pavilion, the Children’s Village and the Studio Theater. Authors will present on the Main floor, while the studio theater hosts a mini-film festival, On Q Productions and Oneaka Dance Company. Entertainment will be provided by On Q Productions, Oneaka Dance Company, The McCrorey African Drummers, Buffalo Soldier Henry Legendre, poets Voz ES, Afropunk rockers Harry Hunter, and more.

Charlotte Classic Jazz Festival

Blumenthal Performing Arts and Jazz Arts Initiative present CharlotteClassic Jazz Festival, a free jazz festival for the whole family on Saturday, October 4th, 2014. After the festival, there will be a jazz concert at Knight Theater at 7:00 p.m., and this is a ticketed event, costing $5. The festival, however, is free, and takes place in Knight Theater from 11:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Jazz 4 Tots: Intro to Jazz for the little ones

12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Kids’ Jazz Playhouse

12:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Loonis McGlohon Young Jazz Artist Competition

5:30 PM – 6:45 PM
Keynote Conversation: Jazz Legends in the Carolinas

6:15 PM – 6:45 PM
CLT Classic Jazz Fest Secondline Jazz Parade
(From Trade and Tryon to the Knight Theater)

7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
MUSIC: World-class live jazz performances from the region’s top artists
Tickets are $5 for this concert in the Knight Theater.

Plaza Midwood Art Crawl

The Plaza Midwood Merchants are presenting the Plaza Midwood Art Crawl Saturday, October 4th, 2014, from 4pm to 9pm. Artists will be showcasing their talents through live performance from aerial silks performers to cartoonists and fairy sculptors, in venues ranging from a hair salon to a dog salon. Works of Art on display will include paintings, pottery, glass art, stained glass, quilting, handmade jewelry and mixed media, and much more. This will take place in the Plaza Midwood business district, mostly on and between Central Avenue and Commonwealth.

Service Project Announcement Coming Soon!

At the beginning of 2013 I made the decision that my son and I would do a monthly service project.  Each month this year we gave time, and in some cases, money to help different groups of people/organizations. In 2014 we will be doing the same, but on a larger scale.  Stay tuned for a post within the week about January's service project, of which we are really excited!  This year we are looking to get more people involved and hope that you will join us.  There will be plenty of ways for you and your family to be part of the solution to some of the challenges within the community.

Stay tuned……..

Sensory Friendly Movie Experience

Shout out to AMC Theaters for teaming up with the Autism Society to offer Sensory Friendly Films for families with members living with autism spectrum disorder!  Each month select AMC Theaters will offer a current family friendly movie in an auditorium that will have the lights up, the sound turned down and audience members are invited to get up, dance, walk, shout or sing. This offering  grew out of a request from a parent of an autistic child in Maryland, more than 300 children and parents attended the first screening! Click on the link above to see if any of your local AMC Theaters participate.

Weekend Agenda 9/21-9/23

Did you know the World's Fair is coming to Charlotte this Sunday?  The Mint Museum Uptown is hosting Sunday Fun Day (which is one of our favorite hangout spots in town) is debuting their new exhibit 'Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at The World's Fairs 1851-1939':

This groundbreaking international exhibition presents outstanding examples of glass, furniture, jewelry, ceramics, precious metalwork, and textiles displayed at the world’s fairs between The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in London in 1851 and the New York World’s Fair in 1939. Many of these objects have never before left their respective institutions or countries.

The museum is debuting this exhibit in a big way, there will be a Ferris Wheel in uptown Charlotte as part of the opening events his Sunday! If you come out look for us between 1-3pm, we'll be there volunteering.

If you're in the Kannapolis area Saturday evening you should check out Stories Under the Stars, for an interactive program that brings words to life.  

What better way to kick of autumn than with a corn maze?!  Rural Hill's seven acre Amazing Maize Maze is now open through November 3.

Big shout out to all of the ladies that will be participating in the Ramblin' Rose Tri this Sunday! I did it last year and crossing that finish line is such an incredible feeling.

What is on your weekend agenda? Don't forget to check out the calendar for upcoming activities and events. 

Weekend Agenda 9/6-9/8

This weekend there are TONS of things to do in Charlotte!  The Yiasou Greek Festival, free admission to local museums, Panthers first regular season home game, Educator Saturdays at Discovery Place museums, free crafts for kids and of course the new love of my life, the new Romare Bearden Park.  Check out the calendar for more details.  What is on your weekend agenda?

Calendar of Events/Activities

In an effort to share many of the family friendly activities in the area, I have added a calendar.  As I find out about fun and cool happenings I will update the calendar accordingly.  If you are like us, your life is filled with birthday parties, sports practices and games, etc. and you seem to hear about things after they have already happened but 'would have loved to attend/participate if you knew in advance'.  Hopefully this will help.  

If you know of any activities/events that you think should be shared, please send details to 13days4love@gmail.com with the subject line, 'Calendar Suggestions'.