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2009 CIAO, ITALIA! Festival

Visit uptown Charlotte Saturday, October 10 for lots of fun at the 2009 CIAO, ITALIA! Festival brought to you by the Christopher Columbus Italian Club of Charlotte. The festival will take place from 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. at the Wachovia Plaza Atrium in uptown. Admission if $3 for adults and children 12 and under are free.

The event features non-stop entertainment including performances by the Opera Carolina Chorus, the Northwest School of the Arts Chamber Group, Italian singing sensation Franco Corso from San Remo, Italy, Italian dancers and the always entertaining international pizza toss champions as seen on The Food Network! Cultural artifacts are on display for you to browse through and the Church of Latter Day Saints will be on hand to do Italian ancestry searches! Festival-goers will enjoy a chef's corner were you'll experience the wonderful art of making mozzarella! There will be book signings by several local Italian authors, wine tastings and a variety of children's activities. There will also be Vespa scooters on display! You can find Italian T-shirts and souvenirs for sale in our "Bottega". Don't forget to buy raffle tickets to win many great prizes and a chance at our Grand Prize of $1,000!

And what would an Italian festival be without food? The Club's famous sausage and pepper sandwiches top the menu, along with eggplant parmigiana sandwiches, pasta, pizza, Italian ice and an array of mouthwatering Italian pastries and cookies. Italian wine and beer, soft drinks, cappuccino and espresso are also available.

For more information, visit http://www.italian-club-charlotte.org/index_files/Page451.htm

Renaissance Festival

The Annual Carolina Renaissance Festival begins Saturday, October 10 and runs weekends through Sunday, November 22. Hours are Saturdays and Sunday from 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 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. Tickets are $19 for adults and $8 for children 5-12. Children under 5 are free. You can purchase discount tickets at Harris Teeter and parking is free courtesy of Harris Teeter. There are many special events scheduled for the festival so check out the website for specifics on special things going on. For more information, visit http://royalfaires.com/carolina/

A Christmas Carol Train Tour in Spencer, NC

Visit the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC October 9-10 for Disney's A Christmas Carol Train Tour. Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime attraction for guests of all ages. You can go behind the scenes and look at the magic and cutting edge technology of the upcoming movie "Disney's A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carrey. This event is totally free.

  • See a sneak peek of the film in the 3D theatre
  • Get a behind the scenes look at the making of the movie
  • See Charles Dickens artifacts
  • Morph your face into characters from the movie

Visit www.christmascaroltraintour.com for more information.

Ritz-Carlton opens in Charlotte

Despite the tough economic times we are facing, the Carolinas first Ritz-Carlton opened this week in Center City Charlotte. Will the hotel be as successful as it would had it opened a few years ago? Maybe not. But the 146 room hotel will probably get by. Rooms start at around $249 a night, which is reasonable if it means you can do business in the city without rental car and taxi expenses. Sure, there are plenty of hotels in Center City Charlotte but the Ritz has the name that a lot of travelers are looking for. The hotel is hoping for a 75 percent occupancy rate in October. Hopefully, they will get that!

Disney on Ice at Time Warner Cable Arena

Don't miss Disney on Ice October 8-11 at Time Warner Cable Arena.

It's one colossal party on ice, with everyone's favorite Disney friends! Fans will enjoy a winter wonderland with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, a Halloween haunt with the Disney Villains, a Very Merry Unbirthday Party, a Royal Ball with the Disney Princesses and more in a magical medley of holidays, celebrations and festivals from around the globe. Disney On Ice presents Celebrations! introduces Tiana and Prince Naveen from Disney's The Princess and the Frog. Charlotte audiences will see Tiana, this newest Disney Princess, before the movie is even released!

Thursday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, October 9 at 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 10 at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 11 at noon and 4:00 p.m.

For more information, visit www.timewarnercablearena.com