Arts & Entertainment 

1. Movies on the Green: The outdoor summer movie program will continue well into the fall on The Green, located at 435 S. Tryon St. Bring something comfortable to place under you (blanket, folding chair, etc.) and catch a flick under the stars. The series runs on the last Thursday of each month through October, with seating and prize registration commencing at 6:30 p.m. and the film beginning when it gets dark. Admission is free; light refreshments will be available for purchase at the site. 704-332-2227.

2. Get To Know The Show: Love the theater and interested in seeing what goes into creating a great play? Well, you should probably check out a "Get To Know The Show" production, which allows audiences to see "workshop" versions of plays for free. There are a few coming this fall for Saffire the Uppity Blues Women (Sept. 4 at the Duke Energy Theatre and Sept. 12 at the newly opened Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts & Culture) and one for A Chorus Line (Sept. 18 at CPCC). Find out all the details about these events at www.blumenthalcenter.org.

3. Saturday Night Cine Club: Through the rest of the year, the Charlotte Film Society will continue its monthly screenings of foreign and independent films that otherwise are unlikely to ever reach local movie screens. Admission to each film is $5 for the general public and $3 for CFS members. The movies will all screen at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays (with the exception of the final screening, which is on a Sunday) at Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road. The list: Sept. 5, 11:14; Oct. 17, Time Crimes; Nov. 21, The Edge of Heaven; Dec. 6, Come and See. www.charlottefilmsociety.org.

4. Blues, Brews & BBQ: Get your fill of great music, great beer and great barbecue at Charlotte's annual celebration of, well, all that stuff I just mentioned. You can peruse the event, which takes place Sept. 11-12 in Uptown, for free, but the food will cost you. Prices vary, too. For way more information, visit www.findyourcenter.com.

5. Photography at The Light Factory: This fall, The Light Factory is rolling out a fleet of visually stunning exhibitions. One show that really stands out is Group f.64 and the Modernist Vision: Photographs by Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Willard Van Dyke, and Brett Weston. According to the folks at the Factory, "Group f.64 was an informal association of California photographers who promoted straight photography through the use of the large format view camera, contact printing, and using the smallest camera aperture -- which is f/64 -- to create the greatest depth-of-field." (Sept. 17-Jan. 3, 2010. Free. Knight Gallery at The Light Factory, 345 N. College St. 704-333-9755. www.lightfactory.org.) Another show we're digging is The Ties that Bind, which features the works of photographers Preston Gannaway and Dana Romanoff. (Sept. 17-Jan. 3, 2010. Free. Held in Middleton McMillan Gallery at The Light Factory, 345 N. College St. 704-333-9755. www.lightfactory.org).

6. Festival in the Park: In its 45th year, this festival is great for both children and adults. The four-day-long event offers live music, art and more. Sept. 24, 6 p.m.; Sept. 25, 10 a.m.; Sept. 26, 10 a.m.; Sept. 27, 11 a.m. Free. Freedom Park, 1900 East Blvd. 704-338-1060. www.festivalinthepark.org.

7. 2009 International Festival: This festival celebrates cultures of all kinds with displays of information, dancing and entertainment, vendors with arts and crafts, food and more. Don't miss the parade of nations, where you'll get to see some cool costumes. Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free entry. Held in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center at UNC Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd. 704-687-7781. http://ifest.uncc.edu/.

8. Oktoberfest: German fest set under a big tent and features live music (Sept. 25-26: The Sauerkraut Band; Oct. 2-3: Little German Band and Dancers; Oct. 9-10: The Alpen Echos), food and beer. Sept. 25-26, 5 p.m.; Oct. 2-3, 5 p.m.; Oct. 9-10, 5 p.m. $3. Waldhorn Restaurant, 12101 Lancaster Hwy., Pineville. 704-540-7047. http://www.waldhorn.us.

9. 12th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival: The Light Factory is presenting this unique event that takes place concurrently in more than 20 international cities along with ours. A series of short films will be screened at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 23-25, in the Duke Energy Theatre at Spirit Square; the audience will help decide the winner, which will be announced in New York that Sunday, Sept. 27. Admission is $7 for nonmembers, $5 for TLF members. www.lightfactory.org.

10. The Master of Suspense: Alfred Hitchcock Classics: Here's one fall film series that should go off without a hitch. Or with a Hitch, as the case may be. The Main Library will extend its popular Hitchcock summer film series with seven new titles that will screen at 7 p.m. Mondays at ImaginOn during the months of October and November. And, as always, admission is free. The lineup: Oct. 5, Notorious; Oct. 19, Spellbound; Oct. 26, Shadow of a Doubt; Nov. 2, Psycho; Nov. 9, Strangers on a Train; Nov. 23, The Wrong Man; Nov. 30: Rope. 704-416-0252.

11. 2009 Ciao, Italia! Festival: Presented by the Christopher Columbus Italian Club of Charlotte, Ciao, Italia! celebrates Italy and Italian culture with entertainment, art, wine, cuisine and more. Oct. 10, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $3; free for children 12 and under. Wachovia Atrium, 301 S. Tryon St. 704-614-3822. www.italian-club-charlotte.org.

12. Latin American Festival: In its 11th year, this festival celebrates Latin American culture with arts and crafts, live entertainment, traditional folkloric dancing and authentic cuisine. Oct. 11. 12 p.m.-7 p.m. Free. Symphony Park at Southpark Mall, 4400 Sharon Rd. 704-531-3848. www.festivallatinoamericano.org.

13. Novello Festival of Reading: The Public Library's festival of reading -- Novello -- is back for its 19th year. This time around, the celebration is serving up some cool free events. On Oct. 14 at 7 p.m., they're presenting Carolina Writer's Night, which spotlights authors Dale Neal (Cow Across America), Ed Southern (Sports in the Carolinas: From Death Valley to Tobacco Road) and Charla Muller, whose 365 Nights: A Memoir of Intimacy landed her on The Oprah Winfrey Show. And on Oct. 31 at 9 a.m., Genealogist Margaret M. Hofmann will be on hand to share her secrets on digging up your ancestral roots. And there's lots more Novello goodness where that came from. For a full list of events, visit www.plcmc.org/novello.

14. Herb & Dorothy: Winner of the Audience Award at four separate film festivals across the country, this documentary relates the tale of Herb and Dorothy Vogel, a modest couple who over the course of several decades had managed to accumulate a vast collection of over 4,000 paintings, many by artists who would go on to become famous. The Light Factory will present the film at 7 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, Oct. 21-23, in the Duke Energy Theatre at Spirit Square. Admission is $7 for nonmembers, $5 for TLF members. www.lightfactory.org.

15. The Art of Antoine Williams: Local visual artist Antoine Williams gained a ton of recognition as a member of the God City art collective. But this fall, his stark and iconic art will stand on its own with at least two solo shows -- and you can see both for free. Black on Both Sides will be unveiled Oct. 27 (through Dec. 10) at Clinton Junior College in Rock Hill; and a second one, Game Theory, opens Nov. 13 (and runs until Dec. 4) at NoDa's own Dialect Gallery. For more about Williams' work and upcoming shows, visit rawgoods.org.

16. Charlotte Film Festival: The fourth annual celebration returns for a full week, Sept. 21-27, with screenings at various sites including Park Terrace, Epicentre Theaters and Queens University. Tickets for individual films cost $7 online through Sept. 20, then $8 cash at the door. www.charlottefilmfestival.org.

17. Día de los Muertos: Day of the Dead Festival:Celebrate the Mexican Day of the Dead holiday with cultural displays, Mexican cuisine, dancing, music, and entertainment. Nov. 1. 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Free. Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E. 7th St. 704-531-3848. www.latinamericancoalition.org.

18. ScanFest of the Carolinas: This festival honors the cultures of Scandinavia (including those from the countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), with music, entertainment, dancing, cultural displays, food and more. Nov. 7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free entry. Wachovia Atrium, 301 S. Tryon St. www.scandinavianconnection.org.

19. Life Without: Filmmaker Melissa Mummert teamed up with Dorne Pentes and Ivi Bilich of Wonderworld Film and Video to create a series of short films in which various young people discuss what it's like to grow up with a parent (or parents) in jail. The documentary's world premiere will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in Spirit Square's Duke Energy Theatre. Admission is $7 for nonmembers, $5 for TLF members. www.lightfactory.org.

20. Carolinas Thanksgiving Day Parade: In its 62nd year, this parade features finely decorated floats, as well as a variety of entertainers and participants. Nov. 26. 10 a.m. Free entry. 704-525-0250. www.carolinasthanksgivingparade.org.