From sunset kayak rides to tours of the State Mosque to art exhibitions and auctions in the name of charity, there is no shortage of things to do around town over the next few days. Here are our picks:

Gondola rides

Katara Cultural Village began hosting daily gondola rides this week from 5 to 10pm from its beach. The six available gondolas – traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boats – can each seat up to four people for a 30-minute trip that costs QR300.

Children below 15 years old must be accompanied by an adult, and journeys will be subject to weather conditions.

Bags for a cause

To raise money for Gaza Qatar Charity, a local event planning company is holding a sale of “preloved” designer handbags.

The Dior, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Chanel bags, among others, will be sold at discounted rates, with proceeds going to Qatar Charity.

The sale will take place at Impressions Boutique in Al Waab (next to the Thai Ladies Spa) from 6:30 to 10pm on Sept. 18; from 4 to 10pm on Sept. 19, and from 10am to 10pm on Sept. 20.

The event is organized by Grape Advertising and Media. For more information, visit the Facebook page here.

Waqif exhibition for Gaza

In conjunction with Reach Out to Asia, Souq Waqif boutique hotels will host a two-day charity auction at the Al Jasra Boutique Hotel. Pictures, products and paintings related to the theme “Supporting Life” will be on sale.

Additionally, local Qatari artists will also be present, and attendees stand the chance to win giveaways. All proceeds from the auction will go toward building a school in Gaza. The event will be held from 4 to 10pm on Sept. 17, and from 9am to noon, and 4pm to 10 pm on Sept. 18.

State Mosque tour

Local group See My Culture is holding a tour of the picturesque Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab (State) Mosque this Saturday, Sept. 20, from 4 to 5:30pm.

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees will be shown around the mosque and learn more about how it functions, and questions will be fielded. The event is free and open to the public, but residents are requested to book a seat online here.

The group has also started a Whatsapp group to communicate information to the public. To join, please send a message to 5544 6551.

Sunset kayaking

Local environmental education company Entalek is organizing two kayaking tours this weekend. The sunset kayaking trip will be offered on Sept. 19 and 20, from 4pm onwards at the Al Thakira marina.

The star-lighting trip, which will offer participants a first-hand view of Qatar’s extensive mangrove system in a moonlit setting, will be held from 7pm onwards on Sept 19. Tickets for each trip cost QR200/person, and can be booked online here.

For the star-lighting trip, participants are requested to bring their own food for grilling for a post-paddle BBQ with accompanied African drumming. For more information, call 5543-7349 or 3332-2078, or send an email to [email protected].

Mughal and Savafid Exhibition

The Museum of Islamic Art will open a new exhibition tonight, Sept. 17, featuring collections of miniatures and calligraphy from ancient Safavid and Mughal albums.

The exhibition is open to the public, and more information can be found here.

100 Thoughts exhibition

Tim Makower, founder of Makower Architects, an international firm with offices in London and Doha, and lead architect of the Msheireb Project, has opened a new exhibition at the VCU Qatar Gallery in Education City.

The exhibition will run until Oct. 16, and features Makower’s sketchbooks showcasing his artistic renditions of various local buildings and places. The event is free and open to the public.

Bonus:

• Storytelling for Start-ups: Local hot-desking and entrepreneurship space 7ayak Hub is organizing a workshop on content marketing for start-ups on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 4 to 6 pm at the 7ayak Hub near Immigration Roundabout. The event will focus on ways that startups can market their brand to the general public across various media, and will be hosted by Aziz Louksah, founder of Commverse, a local content marketing agency. The event costs QR50/person, which will be collected at the door. Those interested can register online here.
• Climb Kilimanjaro for charity: The Palestinian Children’s Fund will host a charity climb of Mount Kilimanjaro from Dec. 26, 2014 to Jan. 2, 2015. Those interested in the challenge are requested to sign up by Sept. 24. The trip costs $2,475, and will be held by Wild Guanabana, a regional adventure tour organization. Additionally, each participant will be responsible for raising $14,000 for the Palestinian Children’s Fund by Dec. 24. Funds raised will be used to support the PCRF’s medical missions, treatment programs and humanitarian projects. For more information, visit the website here.
• Eid Bazaar: Local group The Friends is holding an Eid Bazaar this weekend, from 4 to 11pm on Sept 18. The event will be held at Tawar Compound Clubhouse near Landmark, and various South Asian clothes, jewelry, shoes and handbags will be on sale. Henna, Indian food and various items for children will also be available. The event is free and open to the public.

Note: This article has been corrected to reflect that the handbag sale is to raise money for Qatar Charity, not Gaza.