Smarty Scoop on Weekend Activities: 10/8-10/10

Hello Smarties! Finally some Fall weather so that we can really get into the swing of football season, fall festivals, pumpkin patches and the Renaissance Festival. That’s right – the Renaissance Festival is back and better than ever. The Panther’s are also playing at home and I am sure that if you don’t have tickets, you probably won’t have any trouble finding enough for the whole family – cheap!! There are also several great run/walks, plays and a costume swap. Get out and enjoy.

CMG Children’s Consignment Sale
St. Gabriel Catholic Church
October 9, 8:00am-2:00pm
11th Annual CMG Children’s Consignment Sale. Selling kids clothes, toys, games, shoes, outerwear, gear etc. Cash only/no children.

University City United Methodist Church Teen Girl’s and Women’s consignment sale
University City United Methodist Church, 3835 West WT Harris Blvd
October 9, 8:00am-11:00am, 1/2 price sale is 12:30pm-2:00pm
Clothes, accessories, purses, and jewelry

Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze 2010
Rural Hill, Huntersville
October 8-10, Fri., 10:00am-5:00pm; Sat.-Sun., 10:00am-6:30pm
See how fast you can find your way out of the seven-acre corn maze while searching for the 12 map pieces. Music and food will also be available. Visit the website for advance tickets, times and special activities.

2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks
Charlotte Motor Speedway
October 9, 8:30am
Autism Speaks will hold the 8th annual Carolinas Walk Now for Autism Speaks fundraising and awareness event on October 9th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. They are excited to build on the success of last year’s Walk Now for Autism Speaks event by increasing the number of both walkers and donors. Last year, the Carolinas Walk Now for Autism Speaks event attracted more than 7,000 walkers and raised over $507,000. This is not just a walk, but an event for the whole family and a special opportunity for families and the community at large, to get together for a fun day and to support this important cause. Join Autism Speaks and walk the Speedway track, to change the future for children with autism. The Walk is a fun-filled, family friendly event with many free kids activities. Proceeds fund vital autism research. Smarty Mom and autism advocate, Donna Forbes has her own personal page that you can contribute to. Or register today at www.walknowforautismspeaks.orgFor more information, Contact carolinas@autismspeaks.org or 704-561-0003.

Green Halloween Costume Swap
Atherton Mill and Market
October 9, 10:00am
Get your Halloween off to a “Green” start at Charlotte’s Green Halloween Costume Swap. Don’t buy new this year – save some money and help green our community by swapping out your children’s gently used costumes.

Ruthie and the Pink Fairy – kids book signing/story telling with Heidi Eggles
Joseph-Beth Booksellers & Bistro, SouthPark
October 10, 2:00pm
This inspirational story, Ruthie and the Pink Fairy, was written by students of Housing and Interior Design and members of the Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Club at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. The story of hope, bravery and inspiration is the result of the passionate support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® by the students, faculty, and administrators and its mission to put an end to breast cancer forever. During a school project, the students realized that very little has been written for children struggling with the news that their mother has breast cancer, and they decided to write a story to fill that void.

Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3
Time Warner Cable Arena
October 8-10, Fri., 10:30am, 7:00pm; Sat., 11:00am, 2:30pm, 6:30pm; Sun.,
Noon, 4:00pm
Toy Story 3, the record-breaking #1 movie in the world, is so hot it’s cool as everyone’s favorite toys take to the ice in Disney On Ice presents Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 3! An award-winning creative team and a cast of world-class skaters are bringing Woody, the pull-string cowboy; space ranger Buzz Lightyear; Jessie, the yodeling cowgirl; and the rest of the gang to fans and families around the country in this brand-new live ice spectacular produced by Feld Entertainment. Cost is $15-$62.

Carolina Renaissance Festival
Highway 73 at Poplar Tent Road. Exit 25 on I-77 or exits 52 or 55 on I-85.
Weekends, October 9-November 21, Sat.-Sun., 10:00am-5:30pm
The Renaissance Festival is a 16th century European style art and entertainment festival combining outdoor theater, circus entertainment, arts and crafts marketplace, a jousting tournament, a feast fit for royalty, and much much more. The 17th annual season opens this fall for seven festive weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, from October 9th to November 21st, 2010. This is one of the most interactive entertainment shows ever created with wonderful amusements and antics ongoing all around you! You can sit back and watch, or you can become a part of the action, surrounded by over 500 costumed characters roaming the festival village. The village lanes are full of peasants singing sea-faring songs and street entertainers surprising you with tall tales and tricks, each with a role to play. Cost is $7-$19; free under age 5.

Charlotte Buddy Walk 2010
Freedom Park
October 9, 2:00pm
The Buddy Walk is an advocacy event in which everyone in the community is invited to participate. The Buddy Walk was started by the National Down Syndrome Society and has grown from 17 walks in 1995 to over 225 of walks worldwide today. More than 100,000 people participated across the world last year. The goal of the Buddy Walk is to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Your support will help all people and families living with Down syndrome to enjoy a more successful future. $10 adult and $5 child donation suggested.

Disney’s Aladdin
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte
October 9-10, Sat., 3:00pm, 7:30pm; Sun., 2:00pm
Join us for a theatrical magic carpet ride, as we kick off our 63rd season with this exuberant family musical. In the heart of an enchanted city, poor but charming Aladdin meets free-spirited Princess Jasmine, whose royal status places her beyond his reach. His whole life changes with one rub of a lamp, as a fun-loving, fast-talking Genie appears and grants him three wishes. Beloved characters and Academy Award-winning songs like “A Whole New World” and “Friend Like Me” make Disney’s Aladdin an incredible journey of discovery and adventure. Cost is $18-$24.

Hopebuilders 5K and Family Festival
Carolinas Medical Center, 1025 Morehead Medical Drive
October 9, Race begins at 8:00am
A premier fundraising event for Levine Children’s Hospital, the Hopebuilders 5K Run/Walk , presented by Babson Capital, is now in its 15th year and attracts supporters of all kinds. From corporate sponsors to competitive runners, fitness walkers, and family teams—thousands have run or walked in honor or memory of special children in their lives. Thanks to the collective efforts of this community, millions of dollars have been raised to help sick and injured children in the Carolinas. Proceeds from the event will help children from all walks of life who are treated for a range of illnesses and injuries, including AIDS, asthma, birth defects, cancer, cerebral palsy, chemical dependency, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, Down’s syndrome, heart disease, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, sickle cell anemia and more.

Tribute to Novello
ImaginOn
October 9, 11:00am-2:00pm
Celebrating children’s literature with storytelling, crafts, author presentations and appearances by children’s book characters Spot the Dog and Max the Bunny.