Whether it’s enjoying football matches with a crowd, buying handicrafts or mountain racing at midnight, Qatar has a slew of activities on offer this weekend (during which Ramadan may begin). Here are our picks:

FIFA Fan Zone

Football fans can gather to watch World Cup matches for free at Katara Cultural Village as the Brazil 2014 Fan Zone kicks off on Friday Saturday, June 28. The zone will screen 16 live matches from Saturday until the finals in mid-July on a 10m LED panoramic screen – the biggest of its kind in Qatar.

While the event is free and open to the public, attendees are encouraged to register online here, to stand a chance to win prizes (a trip to the World Cup finals in Rio de Janeiro, two Kia vehicles and brunch and an overnight stay for two at the W Doha hotel).

Attendees under 18 will have to be registered and accompanied by an adult. The fan zone will be open for two hours prior to the start of the first game, and for one hour after the end of the final match.

Other attractions include a kids’ corner featuring face painting, soft play, and a gaming pod, and interactive activities like agility tests, mini beach football, and ‘power’ and ‘precision’ shot games. The zone will also feature Qatar’s biggest football table.

DFI screening of Mutum

In light of the Brazil 2014 World Cup, the Doha Film Institute will screen Mutum, a Brazilian film at 7pm on June 26 and 27 at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium.

The Portuguese film focuses on 10-year-old Thiago as he confronts separation and betrayal within his home in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The screening is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased for QR35/each online here or at the DFI Ticket Outlet across from the MIA Auditorium.

Eid bazaar

This small market opens again on Thursday, June 26 from 3 to 11pm at Al Baker Gardens in Al Hilal. The bazaar will sell clothes, jewelry, bags, shoes and clothes related to Eid.

In addition, kids will be treated to toys, games, face painting and henna. Traditional Indian food will also be on sale. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact 5560 7780.

Midnight races

Runners and mountain bike enthusiasts are invited to take part in the first Midnight Trail Encounter 2014. Held at the Lusail International Circuit Ground on Thursday, June 26, the championship will run from 9pm to 3am. Participants will be tested on their endurance, focus, skill and willpower. Online registration is closed, but participants can register on the day of the race.

Participants can register in one of three categories: Open Men (30 km), Open Women (18 km), or Novice (18 km). The maximum time allotted to complete the race is 3 hours.

For the midnight run, which will take place after the mountain bike race, participants can register for either the 12 or 6 km races. Registration for MTB will be held at 7:30 – 8:30pm, and for the run at 10:30 to 11:30pm.

Families are encouraged to attend and camp out or barbeque at the green field near the circuit. The mountain bike event (MTB XC Night Race) will be held at 9pm.

The event is free of charge, but participants are encouraged to donate any amount, with proceeds going to the Qatar Sand Stormer’s Charity.

Gift giving

The Filipino community in Doha, under the auspices of Unified Triskelion of Qatar (UTQ) and Qatar Cuemasters, will hold its annual gift giving event to help three overseas Filipino workers in need.

The event is organized by the POLO OWWA (the Philippine Overseas Labour Office and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration near the Philippine Embassy in West Bay).

Organizers of the event, which is held every June and December, will also award the workers plane tickets at POLO OWWA premises on June 27 at 5:30 pm. For more information, contact Jomel Bautista on +974 6681 8760 or Sherwin Bundal on +974 66063524.

Bonus:

• Movie night at the Four Seasons: For those looking to escape football, the Four Seasons will host a screening of The Italian Job on Friday, June 27, at its outdoor tent at 7pm. The movie is free, but open only to adults 21 and over. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
• Summer fun for kids: In addition to this long list of ways to keep children entertained at home this summer in Qatar, there are also many options outside the home. For example, there’s an IAID summer workshop that runs from June 28 to Aug. 11. The courses run in 12 one-hour sessions, for a total cost of QR300/child. Workshops include courses on dance, the arts, fitness, painting and drawing classes, personality development sessions and piano and guitar. For more information, or to enquire about course details, email [email protected], or call +974 4432 0974 / 4441 1234 / 6671 0589 for more details.
• W-League Qatar: Watch major local companies put business aside and compete against each other on the turf at the W-League Qatar’s Basketball tournaments this weekend. The inter-company basketball tournament will see Nestle Kitkat and MMG (7am), Diplomatic Club and ISF (8:20 am), QNB and Mowasalat (9:40am), and Mile High and MZP (11 am) compete at the Abdullah Bin Suhaim Hall at the Qatar Sports Club. The tournament is free and open to the public.

What are your weekend plans? Thoughts?