Family Fun: November 14-16 Weekend What-To-Dos

Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road, presents a free one-day symposium on the arts in Africa. on Saturday, November 15th, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Symposium speakers include Dr. Herbert M. Cole, professor emeritus in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at the University of California, Santa Barbara; and Drs. Akinwumi Ogundiran, UNC Charlotte; Henry John Drewal, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Cécile Fromont, University of Chicago; Victoria Rovine, UNC Chapel Hill. A masquerade performance by the Oyotunji African Village Yoruba performers will take place at approximately 4:30 p.m., and will be followed by a brief reception. It’s free to attend, but registration is required. Call 704-337-2107 or visit the website to learn how to register online. Box lunches from Panera Bread will be available for $10, cash only.

The Charlotte Symphony Guild’s Musical Petting Zoo offers a chance for children to look at, listen to, and try out orchestra instruments. These FREE events take place at ImaginOn, 300 East 7th Street. The next event:

Saturday, November 15th, 2014, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at ImaginOn, 300 East 7th Street.

Call 704-416-4630 for more information.

Grey Seal Puppets is presenting “The Emperor’s New Clothes” at Sharon Presbyterian Church, 5201 Sharon Road, on Saturday, November 15th, 2014, 3:30 p.m. Admission is FREE but you need to reserve your tickets ahead of time and they are very limited. Reserve them now. The award-winning puppeteer troupe puts a new spin on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, transforming it into a fable. Stay for post-show refreshments afterwards.

Sanctuary at Davidson, an art gallery and shop at 108 South Main Street in Davidson, is presenting the Downtown Davidson Holiday Art Crawl on Saturday, November 15th, 2014, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Come enjoy a beautiful fall evening and the kick off of the Holiday season at the Downtown Davidson Holiday Art Crawl. Join 30 artists as they showcase and sell handmade art and gift items up and down the charming Main Street of Downtown Davidson. A multitude of art mediums represented ranging from fine art and textiles to pottery and baked goods. Crawlers will be treated to local musicians playing live in several Main Street venues and wine/beer tastings as well. For the kids: face painting, free crafts and a cup of delicious hot apple cider.

Bass Pro Shops, at Concord Mills, is hosting Santa’s Wonderland 2014, featuring FREE photos with Santa, crafts, games and activities. The festivities take place November 16th (with a preview event November 15th, 5pm to 8pm) through December 24th, 2014. The free Santa picture is a 4×6 print. Other packages are available for purchase. On Mondays through Thursdays the wait will be shorter. Each day a limited number of Bass Passes will be available. They will be for a specific time. You won’t have to stand in line, but will just return when your time comes. See the schedule for full information on when the crafts, games, activities and Santa visits will take place each day.

Preview event, November 15th, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

•   Magical tree lighting

•   Unveiling of Santa’s Wonderland

•   Carolers

•   Santa will be giving away a $25 Bass Pro Shops gift card to one lucky winner every half-hour! 5:30-7:30pm

•   Picture with Santa 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

•   FREE craft and backpack clip* November 15, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

•   FREE cookies and McSteven’s hot chocolate

Games

•   Laser arcade

•   Slot car racing

•   Remote control trucks

•   Moving trains

•   Soft gun arcade

Crafts

•   Decorate a gingerbread stocking: November 15th

•   Decorate a stuffed reindeer: November 16th to 23rd

•   Color a plaster ornament: November 24th to 30th

•   Decorate a foam bird ornament: December 1st to 7th

•   Decorate a Santa bobber craft: December 8th to 14th

•   Decorate a stick soldier ornament: December 15th to 21st

Cookie decorating: December 22nd to 24th

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.

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 9/13-9/15

What's on your agenda for this weekend? Are you going to Freedom Park to check out the new Play 60 KidZone that opened on Tuesday? It includes an obstacle course, 40 yard dash with automated timing device, Play60 photo booth and a few other amenities. As this week's lunchbox notes have indicated we have had a little difficulty with decision making this week, so we won't get to check out this sure to be favorite spot, for at least a week. :-( With the weather cooling down any park or greenway will be enjoyable this weekend, so get outside, get some fresh air and more importantly get moving!  The great thing about the cooling temps is that you don't have to worry as much about your child passing out from heat exhaustion or having to pump them with water every five minutes to keep them hydrated.......eight minutes should do it.

Or maybe you've got team sports, gymnastics or church youth group activities. Many of us big kids are looking forward to the Mayweather/Alvarez fight, make sure you use the manners your parents worked so hard to instill in you and not show up at a fight party empty handed.

To all of my educators....WHOOOOP WHOOOOOPPP, are you taking advantage of Educator Saturdays at the Discovery Place museums this month? If not, you should, it's free and just for you.

If you are like me, you are looking forward to catching up on Breaking Bad while you and your child are at your parent's house.  I've got see what's going on with Heizenberg and Jesse, my son will be doing some manual labor to help out his grandfather as a result of not so great choices and behaviors at school earlier this week.

Have a great weekend!

Things To Do: Romare Bearden Park Grand Opening

Looking for something to do this holiday weekend in Charlotte? Well the long awaited Romare Bearden Park will open and I am over the moon excited! Located uptown, this park serves as the city's tribute to the world renowned artist Romare Bearden who was born in Charlotte.  In celebration of its grand opening, the park is hosting a weekend full of events including live musical performances, art activities and tours of the Harvey B. Gantt Center and the Mint Museum's current exhibits, just to mention a few. The park is already scheduled to host monthly fitness classes, lunch time concerts, art and photography classes, art shows and a music series.

Bring your family out for fun, culture and the unveiling of Charlotte's newest jewel in her crown.  And if you're there on Saturday from 9:45-12pm come by the Mint Museum's tent and say hi, we'll be there volunteering.