Smarty Scoop on Weekend Activities: April 20-22

Happy Wednesday Smarties. Let’s get ready to celebrate Earth Day with events in the North, South, East and West. There are wonderful performances, the Loch Norman Games and events celebrating the NC Science Festival. Wrap up your weekend at the Whitewater Center and cheer on your favorite duck at the Hope Floats Duck Race – remember to adopt TODAY! Get out and enjoy!

Spring Fling
Morrison in SouthPark
April 19, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Bring the kids to celebrate Spring with train rides, balloon artist, face painting and Kids Eat Free at Earth Fare (up to 6 kids with adult meal purchase of $5).

KinderMourn’s Hope Floats Duck Race
U.S. National Whitewater Center
April 22, 2:00pm-5:00pm
For 34 years, KinderMourn has provided counseling services for parents who have experienced the death of a child and children grieving the death of a loved one. The mission has remained strong and the heart of KinderMourn still beats for one purpose…to provide a safe haven for those who have suffered an unimaginable loss. KinderMourn’s Hope Floats Duck Race is more than “just another fundraiser.” Out of the 15,000 ducks that will splash into the Whitewater Center’s churning rapids, thousands will race in memory of a loved one. These yellow ducks remind grieving children, bereaved parents and all of us that hope does float. Adopt your ducks today! Go to www.kindermourn.org. Once there, click on the yellow duck. You have the option of adopting through “fast adoption” or selecting your favorite team to give credit to a specific team.

JWV Artists is hosting a Spring Art Show on April 18-21. Address is 3330 Cambria Road, Charlotte NC 28210 (Mountainbrook Neighborhood). Come as you are from 10a-2p or for evening/weekend appointment times, email Judith at judith@jwvartists.com.

Food Lion AutoFair
Charlotte Motor Speedway
April 19-22, Thurs.-Sat., 8:00am-6:00pm; Sun., 8:00am-4:00pm
The Food Lion AutoFair is the nation’s largest automotive extravaganza. Attracting more than 100,000 visitors, the event includes a car show featuring various makes and models from more than 50 car clubs; more than 10,000 vendor spaces, and a collector car auction. The Food Lion AutoFair also features the Powerade Play Zone with bounce houses, a LEGO build area, face painters and other fun activities for the whole family. Cost is $10, children under 12, free.

Busytown
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Imaginon
April 20-22, Fri., 7:30pm; Sat., 11:00am, 3:00pm; Sun., 2:00pm
Welcome to the bustling world of Busytown, which is always buzzing with activity. As Huckle Cat takes us on a tour of his neighborhood, we learn just how many people it takes to keep a city running smoothly. From farmers and grocers to doctors and nurses, from postmen and bankers to firemen and lumberjacks, everyone in the community works and plays together. This comical, colorful production brings Richard Scarry’s beloved characters, including Farmer Pig, Dr. Lion and Lowly Worm, to singing, dancing life on stage. Ages 3+.Cost is $18-$24.

Salt and Pepper
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, ImaginOn
April 20-22, Fri., 7:30pm; Sat., 1:00pm, 3:00pm; Sun., 2:00pm
Salt’s family has a secret. His grandfather can’t read or write, and the Old Man’s shame and silence make life hard on the two grandsons he is raising on his own – so hard that Salt’s brother Andy leaves to join the Marine Corps. When Salt meets Pepper, the daughter of a migrant farmworker, her love of books sparks his own interest in the world of words. Together, Salt and Pepper discover a mysterious box of postcards that reveal the truth about his family’s past and leads them to a more hopeful future. A regional premiere, this thoughtful drama explores the burden of illiteracy, and the bonds of family and friendship. Ages 8+. Cost is $14-$18.

Rural Hill Scottish Festival & Loch Norman Highland Games
Rural Hill,Huntersville
April 20-22
Fun for the entire family, the weekend offers professional Scottish heavy athletic competition, amateur athletics, piping and drumming, highland dancing, Scottish country dancing, harp and fiddle competitions, children’s activities, demonstrations and Rural Hill’s famous historic encampment, and the Celtic Rock Stage including the Saturday evening concert.

A Bear Called Paddington
The Armour Street Theatre, Davidson
April 21-22, Sat., 1:00pm, 4:00pm; Sun., 1:00pm 4:00pm
These heart-warming stories of the little bear found in Padding Station by the Brown family have long been favorites with children and families. A collection of these stories has been magically woven together in a production to delight the very young and the grown-ups who love them. Cost is $10.

Earth Day Celebration
Anne Spring Close Greenway
April 21, 10:00am-2:00pm
Come join us on the Anne Springs Close Greenway for our18th annual Earth Day celebration! This event is free to the community. Event activities can be accessed from both the Nature Center and Dairy Barn entrances. Come learn, play and celebrate with us. A petting zoo, guided hikes, art contest, lead-line horse rides, wagon rides, live music, and Border Collie herding and horse-riding demonstrations are just a few of the things to enjoy.

Take Root with Nature at Earth Day Play Date
Charlotte Nature Museum
April 21, 10:00am-1:00pm
Bring your little sprouts to Charlotte Nature Museum’s special Earth Day Creature Feature event: Earth Day Play Date. This special celebration of the planet will offer a fresh chance to fine-tune your senses and enjoy the natural world. Activities will be blooming inside and out. There will be plenty of room for small visitors to roam, weed-out energy and let imaginations wander. Did you know that a whole community of insects, crustaceans and other amazing finds dwell under rocks and in the water, just outside your door? Join local animal and plant experts in the field to explore the sights and sounds of the greenway and Little Sugar Creek, just outside the Museum’s back door. Mother Nature has the dirt on the best-kept secrets in recreation – explore the Paw Paw Nature Trail and discover fort and fairy house building with the Museum Naturalists while learning more about designing outside spaces using natural materials. Cost is free, with paid museum admission.

Matthews Earth Day Celebration
Stumptown Park
April 21, 10:00am-1:00pm
Llive music, educational and interactive environmental information and activities, free crafts for children, food concessions and much more. You can also learn how your backyard can become a certified wildlife habitat. Rain barrels and compost bins will be available for purchase. You can bring your old medications to be disposed of properly, by the Matthews Police Department, as well as items that you would like to be shredded. Goodwill will be on hand to collect clothing, electronic and more. The American Legion Post will also collect the tabs from your soda cans.

From the Inside Out – A North Carolina Science Festival event
Discovery Place
April 21, 1:00pm
Have you ever wondered why a frog tongue shoots out or how their internal structure compares to humans? Gain a better understanding of body systems through dissection. Stop by the Explore More Life lab for a demonstration. Specimens include sharks, frogs and fetal pigs and are subject to change.

Science and Superheroes
Discovery Place
April 21, 4:00pm-5:00pm
The “Science and Superheroes” contest challenged students in grades K-8 to invent their own fantastic characters by giving these superheroes STEM-based powers for the betterment of mankind. Winners will be recognized April 21 at Discovery Place.

Inventors’ Bootcamp
Discovery Place
April 22, Noon-5:00pm
Do you have an idea for the next big thing? Get your creative juices flowing as you join Edison Nation and Discovery Place for an afternoon of innovation and invention. Learn from experts about the process of bringing a new idea to market and let your imagination run wild as you build new ideas from old parts. Adults and kids can tinker, try and test ingenuity. Cost is free with Museum admission.