Whether it’s listening to music in the park, cheering on teams at a robot-building competition, watching dozens of movies at an upcoming film festival or shopping for a cause, there are a ton of things to do around town this weekend. Here are our picks:

Jazz at Lincoln Center

Acclaimed local music group Jazz at the Lincoln Center (JALC), in collaboration with Jazz at St. Regis, will hold a community concert at the Museum of Islamic Art park tonight, Oct. 22, from 7 to 8pm.

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.

This weekend, there will also be several other JALC-related events, including Journeys with Jazz featuring Tango Nuevo at the St. Regis from 9pm onwards on Oct. 23.

On Oct. 24, the same venue will feature Brazilian jazz artists in Journeys with Jazz: Brazil Carnival from 9pm onwards. Each costs QR100 per person, and includes a welcome drink.

Families are welcome to experience the music at the free St. Regis Family Afternoon from 3 to 5pm on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the same venue.

Katara used books library

In a bid to promote reading, Katara Cultural Village will launch its used book library on Thursday, inviting residents to come and check out titles for temporary use.

The library will be open every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 4pm to midnight at the Katara Promenade until April 2015.

Books are free to check out, and cover different topics in different languages. Book donations are welcome.

National Robot Olympiad

Over 300 teams of elementary, middle and high school students in Doha will compete in the the National Robot Olympiad on Oct. 24 to 25 at the Ladies Sports Hall at Aspire from 9am onwards.

The event is a culmination of a year-long robotics program in local schools, and will see teams compete in three categories – Open, Regular and Gen II Football. Each team of two to three students is expected to build and program a LEGO Mindstorm robot in a race against time and their peers. For more information and the schedule of events, visit the Olympiad website here.

Diwali food festival

Celebrate the Indian festival of light with a hearty meal at Choices at the Oryx Rotana on Friday, Oct 24. Dinner packages cost between QR200 and QR425/person. For more information, call 4402 3333.

Jazz in the desert

Local band Doha Jazz consisting of Qatar-based professional musicians, will hold a desert concert this Friday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 9pm. Attendees have two options – pick up in Doha (at the Family Food Center on Airport Road) or at Sealine.

The options cost QR320 and QR280, respectively. Children under 12 are QAR150. Those who choose the former are expected to be at FFC at 3pm, while the rest are expected to be at Sealine at 4pm.

BBQ dinner is included in the price. Prior registration is required, and can be done by emailing [email protected] or calling Muhammed on 3393 0385.

Al Jazeera Documentary Festival

The 10th annual Al Jazeera Documentary Festival will take place this weekend, Oct. 23 to 26, from 9am onwards at the Ritz Carlton Doha.

Some 161 films from 60 countries have been chosen to be screened out of 910 submissions. These include 34 long, 51 medium, 45 short, and 31 new horizon films. Screenings are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit the festival’s website here, or see here for a list of scheduled screening times. For a list of screenings in the New Horizon and Main category, see here. 

Charity auction for breast cancer

To mark international cancer awareness month, online fashion group Fashsquad, in conjunction with the Grand Hyatt Doha, is holding an auction today, Oct. 22. The event will take place from 6:30 to 9pm in the hotel’s garden.

Tickets cost QR100/person and include live entertainment, snacks and access to the auction. To book a ticket or reserve a space, email [email protected] or call 4448 1234. To view the lots on auction, visit the event’s Facebook page here. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Qatar Cancer Society.

Bonus:

• Handmade market: Local arts and crafts group QatART is hosting a handmade market this Friday, Oct. 24, from 3 to 10 pm at Building 19 in Katara. Handmade articles like jewelry, accessories, paintings, illustrations, graphic designs, craft kits, bags, clothes, home decor, cards, party supplies, and cake and food boxes will be sold at the event. The market aims to encourage residents to produce handmade crafts, and will include hands-on crafting activities for attendees to participate in. The event is open to the public, and entrance is free of charge.

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  Fall shopping fest: The Cat Assistance Team (CAT) is holding a fall shopping festival this Saturday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 7pm at the Riviera Gardens Clubhouse. The event features over 30 vendors selling clothes, toys, baked goods, home decor, pet toys and accessories, makeup and accessories, and “pre-loved” books and DVDs. CAT will also open a pop-up coffee shop featuring their own merchandise. All proceeds from the shopping fest will go to CAT, one of the five animal shelters in Doha that rescues Qatar’s feline population. For more information, email [email protected] or visit the event Facebook page here.

• WISE Learning Festival: In a joint collaboration with Katara and the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), the Learning Festival 2014 will open this weekend, Oct. 23, under the theme “Creative takes on the use of technology in education.” The experience-based festival includes a photo exhibition, demos, workshops, performances, and pop-up events, and will focus on the use of technology in the classroom from around the world. The festival will be held from 5pm to 10pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and will run until Nov. 8. For more information, visit the website here.
• Social Entrepreneur Talk: Local networking and hot-desking center 7ayak Hub is hosting a talk this Saturday, Oct. 25 from 4 to 6pm by Mark Arnoldy, the CEO of Possible, and one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 social Entrepreneurs. The talk will focus on why creating a “for-impact’” culture is the most valuable decision an entrepreneur can make, and on creating and instilling such a culture in the workplace. The event is open to the public, and costs QR50/each, payable at the door. Interested residents can reserve a seat here.

What are your weekend plans? Thoughts?