Smarty Scoop on Weekend Activities: May 3-5

Welcome to May and happy Wednesday Smarties! For all of you Moms of Daughters that are heading into middle school, you will want to attend “Right in the Middle”. Our friend Michelle Icard of “Michelle in the Middle” runs this conference and it is a must do for moms and daughters. Other events check out are the SC Strawberry Festival, the Symphony Lollipops and The Asian/Dragon Boat Festival. Have fun, get out and enjoy!

Right in the Middle, Mother-Daughter Conference
Piedmont Natural Gas Headquarters, 4720 Piedmont Row Drive
May 5, 2:00pm-5:00pm
If your daughter is a rising 6th or 7th grader, Right in the Middle, a special mother-daughter mini-conference, is just what you need to help her make the most out of her middle school years. Middle school is a big deal. This is the time in a girl’s life when she begins to form a lasting sense of who she is in the world. Don’t most of us women remember our friendships, social blunders, and heartaches from middle school like it was yesterday? There are forces at work that can fill a middle school girl with doubt, particularly the media and her peers. But moms have more impact than they think in keeping those at bay. Right in the Middle is a golden opportunity for moms to help their daughters keep a strong sense of identity, self-worth, joy, and community through the middle school years. The greatest tool in any transition is having the language to know how to communicate through it and the familiarity to do so. If we aren’t careful as parents, we can begin to feel foreign to our kids in their middle school years. The gift of Right in the Middle is that mothers and daughters will be given a passport for the journey. They’ll learn what to expect, be given a common language, and become sensitive to what the other is thinking and why. Cost is $75-$85 and registration is required.

South Carolina Strawberry Festival
Walter Y. Elisha Park, Fort Mill
May 3-4
The Town of Fort Mill and the SC Strawberry Festival Planning Committee are pleased to announce the 2013 South Carolina Strawberry Festival! This year will mark the fourth year for the Festival. Hosted in the historic Town of Fort Mill, the 2013 South Carolina Strawberry Festival will be a celebration of spring… and all things strawberry! Fun for the whole family with bands, a kid zone, exhibits and much more.

Preschool Pioneers: What Comes From An Egg?
McDowell Nature Preserve
May 3, 9:30am-10:15am, 11:00am-11:45am
Adventurous and curious, preschoolers explore the outdoors with wide-eyed wonder. Each week features a different theme that incorporates age-appropriate games, stories, animal encounters and more. Try one to start or sign up for them all! This is a drop-off class. Registration Required. Cost is $3.

Charlotte Symphony Lollipops: Once Upon A Time
Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts
May 4, 11:00am
The Charlotte Symphony joins students from North Carolina Dance Theatre to present beloved fairytales from throughout the land. Hans Christian Anderson’s The Ugly Duckling, The Frog Prince by the Brothers Grimm, the Russian folktale The Firebird, and other stories will have your family living happily ever after.

Family Day
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
May 4, 12:00pm-4:30pm
Get creative during the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art’s Family Day event May 4 from noon to 4:30 p.m. Art activities will illustrate the methods and materials addressed by “Firebird” artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Projects are designed for children 5 and older and include the creation of fantastical mosaic animal pins, paper books and whimsical make-and-take totem poles. The museum will also provide sketch pads to children who want to draw their own portrait of the “Firebird.”

Baby Shower and Toddler Expo
The Park Expo & Conference Center
May 4-5
This event combines shopping, entertainment, information and celebration all in one spectacular event. This spectacular celebration is filled with excitement featuring guest speaker and fashion show host Rosie Pope Bravo TV star, designer and Mom Prep also performing live Baby First TV Shushybye. Other activities include Toddler Zone, Giant Diaper Party, ton of games, prizes, giveaways and much more! A special thanks to this year sponsors: Enfamil, Babies R US, Beco Carrier and many more!

Big Screen Big Science featuring Wall-E
Discovery Place
May 3, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Enjoy a movie-night experience including a showing of Wall-E and lots of fun live science programming. Cost is $6-$10.

Strange Matter
Discovery Place
LAST CALL for Strange Matter! What’s materials science? You might call it the study of stuff! Just about everything you use every day – the shoes you wear, the dishes you eat from, the bike or skateboard you ride – it’s all made of differentkinds of stuff. Get ready for over a dozen hands-on experiences and exhibits that give you a close encounter with the amazing world of modern materials and materials science. Through May 5.

Bugapalooza 13
Schiele Museum
May 4, 10:00am-4:00pm
View specimens from The Schiele’s own insect collections, meet entomologists from across the state, and visit with live insects. Use a microscope to view insect specimens, have fun making creepy crawly crafts, and see if you’re brave enough to eat a bug! Cost is $3 in addition to museum admission.

Krafty Kids
Reedy Creek Nature Center
May 4, 11:00am-12:00pm
Have fun learning while making nature themed related crafts with your child. Each day will be a new set of crafts based on a different theme. Parent participation is required. Best for ages 2-7. Cost is $2. Must call 704-432-6460 to register.

Natural Dyes
McDowell Nature Preserve
May 4, 10:00am
Prepare to get messy and have fun as you learn to make home-made cloth dyes from natural materials and dye your own bandana to take home. Registration required. Cost is $3.

Asian Festival and Dragon Boat Festival
May 4
Cornelius
Asian Festival:
The festival highlights and celebrates Asian cultures, diversity, ethnicity, roots and history. Authentic food and craft vendors, music, dance, entertainment, and the annual Miss Asia Carolinas Pageant are all key parts of this fun and festive cultural event.

Dragon Boat Festival:
The Charlotte Dragon Boat race is a day of fun. Team paddle in a set distance course in Lake Norman in a 40’ Dragon Boats competing for medals and all in name of community building and fellowship.

HopeFest 2013
Amos’ Southend
May 5, 2:00pm-9:00pm
Hope Music Festival (HopeFest) is a benefit music festival held to raise funds for Camp Grier, a children’s camp nestled in the hills of western North Carolina. This is a family friendly event.
Featuring:
Artimus Pyle Band – The “ultimate tribute” to Van Zant’s Lynyrd Skynyrd
Pam Taylor Band
The Damndest Thing
Stem The Tide
The Vigil

Geocaching
Reedy Creek Nature Center
May 5, 2:00pm
Join us for an introduction to this wonderful pastime that blends nature and technology and is fun for the whole family! No experience needed, but must be able to walk 1-2 miles on uneven terrain.

Charlotte Children’s Choir Youth Chorale Spring Concert
St. John’s Baptist Church
May 5, 4:00pm
The advanced choirs will present a wide variety of musical styles genres, including John Rutter’s Mass of the Children with instrumental accompaniment. Cost is $10-$12.