From jazz in the park to a fiery chili cook-off to a scavenger hunt and movie screenings, there is no shortage of things to do around town over the next few days. Here are the highlights:

Arts & crafts festival

Qatar Museums will hold its annual Makers Event festival, a three-day long series of family and children workshops, this weekend from Feb. 19 to 21. Children ages 3 to 11 years old and their parents are invited to partake in the numerous events on offer across Doha.

To start the weekend, the Qatar National Library will host a “monster-making” workshop on Thursday, Feb 19. The event will be held from 4 to 6pm at the Aaqool Atrium at the Education City Recreation Center.

Children in attendance will learn basic puppet-making principles using simple materials and geometrical shapes.

Other venues like the Qatar Scientific Club, the MIA Atrium and Katara will feature interactive exhibitions, workshops on creating “scribbling” machines and geometric pop-up books, as well as story time sessions. See the full schedule here.

Events are free and open to the public, and no prior registration is required.

Chili cook off

The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and Middle East Business Solutions (MEBS) are hosting their first annual chili cook-off this Saturday, Feb. 21, from 11am to 5pm at the Marriott Doha Hotel on Ras Abu Aboud St.

The event is part of USA week Qatar.

Teams will compete for the title of best chili based on their dish’s spiciness, flavor and originality in a blind taste test by attendees.

Harley Davidson and the Qatar chapter of the Harley Owners Group will also showcase some of their bikes at the event, and two live bands – the US Military Band, and the Hayley Walmsley band with Doha Jazz – will entertain the crowd. Various American food outlets will also have booths at the venue.

The event is open to the public, and costs QR20 for adults (children can enter for free).

Jazz at Lincoln Center outdoors

For a night of music under the stars, head over to the Museum of Islamic Art Park tonight, Feb. 18, from 7 to 8pm to watch acclaimed local music group Jazz at the Lincoln Center (JALC), in collaboration with Jazz at St. Regis.

The event is free and open to the public, and will feature award-winning jazz artists from around the world.

Attendees are invited to arrive at the stage near the MIA Park Cafe at 6:30pm, and are encouraged to bring blankets, rugs and picnic baskets. There will also be live barbecue for purchase at the event.

Healthy roadshow

Sahtak Awalan, a joint health initiative by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar and the Supreme Council of Health, will kick off its Yalla Natural Roadshow this weekend on the Corniche.

The campaign will run from 4pm onwards every Thursday and Friday from Feb. 19 until March 27, and feature a range of activities hosted inside a colorful trailer parked at various popular venues in Doha.

Residents are encourage to check out the trailer which will feature, among other activities, cooking demonstrations, nutrition and fitness experts and gardening sessions.

Hacking IKEA furniture into art

Aisha Al Sowaidi, a recent master’s graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar and Paolo Cardini, a MFA professor, will open Deglobalizer, a month-long exhibition held at the Katara Art Center tomorrow, Feb. 19, at 6:30pm.

The exhibition features various designs made by deconstructing or “hacking” standard IKEA furniture into new pieces with a cultural, organic flair, and addresses the role of design and the convergence of global and local elements in Qatar.

QAWS scavenger hunt

The Qatar Animal Welfare Society will host a scavenger hunt this weekend, Feb. 20, for residents of all ages.

Registration for teams will begin at 9:30 am at the Garvey’s European Family Club on the day of the event, and costs QR150/team.

Teams should head to the starting point at 10:30am, where they will receive their treasure lists and begin the race. Each team is expected to have one car. The event will end at the QAWS shelter, where attendees can participate in the ongoing open day featuring book sales, bake sales and QAWS merchandise.

DFI screenings

The Doha Film Institute will screen three movies this weekend at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium. The films – Chronicle of a Disappearance, Divine Intervention, and The Time that Remains – all deal with the Palestinian issue through different lenses and showcase contemporary takes on identity, family, and history.

The first two films will screen at 4 and 7pm on Friday, Feb. 20, and the latter will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 7pm. Tickets to the screenings cost QR35/person, and can be bought online here or from 2 to 8pm on Feb. 20 and noon to 8pm on Feb. 21 at the DFI Ticket Outlet at the MIA.

Bonus:

• Three-on-three basketball tournament: The second leg of the Qatar Basketball Federation’s two-weekend 3×3 winter tournament will kick off this Friday, Feb. 20, at Al Anna Sealine. Residents can watch Qatar’s many non-professional players compete for cash prizes of QR25,000, QR15,000 and QR10,000, and showcase some impressive basketball skills. The event is free and open to the public.
• Handmade market: The next QatArt Handmade Market will be held at Katara Cultural Village on Feb. 20 from 3pm to 10pm outside Building 19. Residents are welcome to shop at the event, which will feature jewelry, accessories, paintings, illustrations, graphic design, craft kits, bags, clothes, home decors and accessories, photography, handcrafted cards and boxes to party supplies and homemade food. More information can be found on the market’s Facebook page here.

What are your plans this weekend? Thoughts?