Jewel-tone colors of stained glass are the inspiration for this year’s Flower Carpet event at Biltmore, set for Aug. 20 through Sept. 12, on the South Terrace of Biltmore House. Biltmore’s third annual Flower Carpet – made up of more than 100,000 plants – takes its shape and color from a set of 1880s stained glass windows created by innovative artist and interior designer John La Farge. These windows, part of George Vanderbilt’s vast art collection, are now on display at Biltmore’s new Antler Hill Village. Unlike traditional stained glass artists whose works were flat and conservative, La Farge incorporated

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Sara Lee North America Retail announces its Hillshire Farm brand will sponsor the Best Soul Food Place during the Eighth Annual Hoodie Awards hosted by nationally syndicated radio personality Steve Harvey in Las Vegas on August 28, 2010. Charlotte’s own “Sadie’s Soulful Southern Experience” on North Sharon Amity Road is a finalist and will contend for the Hillshire Farm Best Soul Food Place category, along with bragging rights and national recognition. Sadie’s owner Tamara Thompson has been notified and is thrilled about the opportunity to let everyone know about Charlotte’s best soul food. Additionally, Hillshire Farm is the title sponsor

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Davidson College invites the public to an art opening and reception on Thursday evening, August 26. Visiting Assistant Professor of Art Nathaniel Rogers will give a gallery talk at a reception for the college’s annual Faculty Art Exhibition. That exhibition will be in the Van Every Gallery, and will include works by Rogers, sculptor Cort Savage, and printmaker Rebekah Tolley. There is no charge to attend the reception, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Belk Visual Arts Center. Nathaniel Rogers’ talk will begin at 7:30 p.m. Also on exhibit in the adjoining Smith Gallery will be “Ewan Gibbs: America.”

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Crosland LLC, one of the Southeast’s leading diversified real estate firms, announces six new retailers set to open at the upscale shopping center plazas Blakeney and Blakeney Crossing. Jos. A. Bank, TCBY, Le Cookery and PJ’s Designs will join the mix of Blakeney restaurants and retailers later this year. Celebrating its grand opening, bevello, a woman’s clothing boutique, opened its doors at Blakeney in early July. Also joining Blakeney Crossing will be City Cigar Co. and Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza this fall. Blakeney Jos. A. Bank (3,765 sf), a retailer of fine apparel for men, is expected to

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CMS bus drivers will practice their routes for five days each morning and afternoon before the first day of school, Aug. 25. More than 1,096 school buses will conduct dry runs over the five-day period, starting Aug. 16. Drivers will practice driving their routes and picking up students. The buses will be on the roads from approximately 6 to 9 a.m. and 1:15 to 5 p.m. “Our students’ safety to and from school is our number-one priority,” said Carol Stamper, executive director of transportation. “We will have a portion of the 1,096 buses on the roads each day, so please

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The public is invited to take a “Cruise for Change” on Lake Norman on Saturday, Sept. 25, to benefit United Family Services of Lake Norman. The event will include a cruise on the lake, music, a silent auction, drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres. It begins at 6:30 p.m. at Queens Landing, and will conclude at 10 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person, available at the United Family Services web site, www.unitedfamilyservices.org. Kathryn Firmin-Sellers, director of the Lake Norman office of United Family Services, estimates from demographic projections that as many as 5,000 Lake Norman area residents are being abused, and

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Metro Fitness Club, offering Charlotte a new level of personalized and efficient fitness experience in an upscale setting, will open its doors mid-September, at Tranquil Court, 2820 Selwyn Avenue, Suite 200. The club specializes in custom designed, results-driven personal and small group training programs. The 8,200 square foot facility will cater to all fitness levels, offer state-of-the-art equipment and provide more than 40 weekly classes where members receive innovative, personalized training led by professionally trained staff determined to support members in achieving their fitness goals. Metro Fitness Small Group Training will provide individualized instruction and coaching for groups at a

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Union Presbyterian Seminary will open its doors, at no cost to the public, to present lectures with Eugene H. Peterson and Taylor Branch as resources to local congregations and the wider seminary community. Union Presbyterian Seminary, Charlotte campus, will present pastor, scholar, author, and poet Eugene H. Peterson. Best known for his contemporary translation of the bible, The Message, Petersen will give a lecture on October 9th as part of their Faith Seeking Understanding Event. In addition, Union will present Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian Taylor Branch, at the Richmond campus on October 26th as part of the Great

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Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association reports on the residential real estate market in this region based on Carolina Multiple Listing Services, Inc. (CMLS). The number of closings for July 2010 (1,968) decreased 11.5 percent compared to closings in July 2009 when closings totaled 2,223. The average sales price for July 2010 ($217,320) was up slightly (2 percent) over July 2009’s average sales price ($212,977), and was up less than one percent over the June 2010 average sales price of $215,559. The average listing price of homes sold in July 2010 ($247,660) was up 2.7 percent over last month’s average listing price

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24 Hours of Booty, Inc., which runs the Official 24-Hour Cycling Event of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the only national 24-hour road cycling charity event in the country, today announced that over $1,080,000 has been raised to date for the Ninth Annual 24 Hours of Booty that took place in Charlotte on July 30-31. “While it wasn’t the first year we broke the million-dollar mark, it was the first time we did so prior to the event. We couldn’t have achieved this milestone without the tremendous support from everyone involved, including Queens University of Charlotte for serving as the

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