From a Broadway show to the last few days of the book fair to a Tunisian cultural festival to the beginning of National Day festivities, there is plenty on offer around town over the next few days. Here are our picks:
Beauty and the Beast
Award-winning Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast will begin its 10-day run in Qatar tomorrow, Dec. 10.
The show will be held at the Qatar National Convention Center theater until Dec. 19.
The production tells the tale of a prince who was turned into a beast by an enchantress because of his selfish ways. He is told that unless he learns to love and be loved in return by the age of 21, he will remain that way forever.
Tickets are still on sale for the production, which is based on the 1991 Academy-Award winning Disney film of the same name.
They can be bought at Virgin Megastores in Villaggio Mall, Landmark Mall and Spinney’s The Pearl, as well as online through Virgin’s website here.
Prices start at QR199 a person, and go up depending on category, from QR349, QR499, QR899, QR1,199 and QR1,499 a person for platinum tickets.
Children under three years old are free.
Darb Al Saai
Qatar National Day celebrations have kicked off early this week with the opening of Darb Al Saai in Al Sadd.
The grounds, which will be open until Dec. 20, include booths and tents for visitors to learn more about Qatar’s past, with farm animals, food and other items on display and for sale.
Darb Al Saai is open to the public from 8am to noon and 4pm to 11pm daily.
Book fair
The 26th Doha International Book Fair at the Qatar National Convention Center concludes on Saturday, Dec. 12.
This year’s edition has 427 exhibitors from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar, the UK, UAE, Turkey, India, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Sudan, Oman, Palestine, Sweden, Algeria, Iran, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Bahrain, Holland, the US and Canada.
We’re hearing there is a decent selection of English-language books, especially for children, at the fair. This year’s guest of honor Turkey has also set up an interesting display of ancient texts, calligraphy and other works.
The book fair is open from 9am until 1pm and 4pm until 10pm daily, except for Friday, when it opens at 4pm. More information can be found on the fair’s website here.
Tunisian Days
Katara Cultural Village in conjunction with the Tunisian Embassy in Doha is hosting a fair to highlight Tunisian culture. The festival is closed today, but resumes from Thursday to Saturday, Dec. 12, at Building 3 in Katara.
مشاهد من فعالية "أيام تونسية" المقامة في #كتارا مبنى 3#كتارا_ملتقى_الثقافات pic.twitter.com/FxEpvQD2pk
— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) December 8, 2015
The event includes Tunisian artists, folkloric performances and traditional fashion shows, as well as a selection of fine arts.
Legos fun
Ezdan Mall is holding a Legos building event for kids (who must be accompanied by their parents) on the basement floor near Vodafone.
Kids are free to “let their imaginations run wild” while playing with the Legos. The area is open from noon to 8pm on weekdays and from 2pm to 10pm on weekends until Jan. 5, 2016.
Bonus:
- Hawiyati Festival: Hyatt Plaza Shopping Mall is hosting an outdoor event, running nightly from 5pm from Dec. 11 to 18, to commemorate Qatari culture. The event will feature traditional art exhibitions, stage shows, kids activities, as well as Areesh and Majlis to show visitors the difference between traditional Hadar and Bedouin lifestyles.
- Purple Island cleanup: The Doha Beach Clean Project is organizing a clean-up of Purple Island in Al Khor on Friday, Dec. 11 from 9am to 11am. The area, which is full of mangroves, is often strewn with trash, and the group is aiming to transform “it back to its beautiful, scenic, natural state.” For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page here.
- Christmas fair: 2nd Chance Rescue is holding a market on Friday, Dec. 11 from 3 to 7pm at the Parkview Pet Center in Madinat Khalifa. Tickets for adults cost QR50/each and kids under 10 years old are QR25/each. The market will feature handmade arts and crafts, a photo opportunity with Santa’s Grotto, bouncy castles, book sales and more. For more information, see the group’s event page here. For our guide to spending Christmas in Qatar, see here.
What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?
