From checking out Qatar’s new summer festival to enjoying a Doha Film Institute movie screening to splashing around at the Aspire Zone, there’s a lot happening around town this weekend.

Here are our picks:

Qatar summer festival

A monthlong celebration with fun activities for children and families around town just began on Aug. 1.

As part of the summer festival, an Entertainment City is open daily from 1pm to 11pm at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (on Fridays, open until midnight).

https://twitter.com/qsummerfestival/status/760144642885226497

The DECC will have some 100 activities, including bumper cars, slides, go karting, a reading maze and real-life Angry Birds and Candy Crush games. Entrance to the venue costs QR15 per person and game tickets start at QR5.

Meanwhile, the Pearl-Qatar will host entertainment activities every weekend, including musical acts and parades at Porto Arabia and Medina Centrale from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.

For more information about the summer festival, see here.

Pottery workshops

Learn how to transform a lump of clay into a pottery piece at a workshop hosted by Entalek.

During the session, which will be held at Katara’s building No. 10, people will be taught basic clay techniques, how to use the wheel, hand-building, forming, surface treatment and more.

The workshop will be on Thursday, Aug. 4 from 7pm to 9pm and tickets cost QR200 for adults and QR100 for children below 12.

For more information, call 33322078 or book your tickets online at Entalek’s website.

Pearl bowling championship

Compete to be the first Megapolis Bowling Champion today, Aug. 3 at Medina Centrale’s entertainment center in The Pearl-Qatar.

The one-day event will be held at 4pm and is open to participants via registration. This is on a first come, first serve basis and costs QR100/person. It closes at 3pm today.

Participants can register at any of the following locations: Diner Station, Fruitella, Earl of Sandwich, Camille’s Ice Cream, The Station Sushi, La Casa Twenty Eight, Debs W Remman, Remman Cafe, Orient Pearl restaurant, Damasca One in Souq Waqif and Mokarabia Coffee Shops in Medina Centrale and Ezdan Tower.

The first-place winner will win a travel package to Dubai, including two return tickets and hotel accommodation.

A Mega Card with QR1,000 credit will be given to the second place winner, to be used at any Megapolis outlets. Finally, a dinner for two will be hosted at a restaurant for the third place winner. tMore information here.

DFI movie screening

Join Doha Film Institute for a free screening of Going to Heaven, a film about 11-year-old Sultan’s journey from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah to find his grandmother.

The filmmaker, Saeed Salmeen, will also attend the screening and be available for a Q&A session after the film.

Tickets cost QR35 per person, and QR25 for students, pre-arranged groups of 10 and more people, and those with Qatar Museum’s Culture Pass.

Tickets can be purchased online and at DFI’s ticket outlet across from the MIA Auditorium on Thursday and Friday, from noon to 8pm. Discounted tickets have to be purchased from the ticket outlet.

Aspire’s Splash and Dash

Every Sunday and Wednesday of August, visit Aspire Dome’s athletics track and swimming pool to cool down or go for a run – or both.

The track and pool are open to 50 participants per session and registration is required onsite pre-session. Registration costs QR10/person and is open from 6pm to 7:45pm. The facilities are available from 7pm to 9pm.

The sessions are open to people ages nine years old and above, and swimming skills are mandatory to be able to register. More information here.

Bonus:

• Blood donor drive: Filipino group IBzQ is hosting a blood donation on Friday, Aug. 5 from 8am to noon at the HMC Blood Donor Center in Al Sadd. This is in honor of their late president Glenn Bern Palabrica. All are urged to donate.

What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?