From watching one of the most popular movies of all time to cheering on some of the world’s best para-athletes to participating in a dance-off, there is no shortage of things to do around town over the next few days. Here are our picks:

Back to the Future screening

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the sci-fi trilogy Back to the Future, the Doha Film Institute is organizing special screenings of the films today, and also on Nov. 6 and 20. Tonight’s free, open-air screening will be held at 7:30 pm at Aspire Park, and at 8pm on the other two dates.

The film was the highest-grossing feature of 1985, and launched one of the most successful franchises in Universal’s history, including two theatrical sequels, an animated television series, a theme park ride, comic books, video games, and other merchandise.

Fans of the movie can also participate in the “Back to the Future” Instagram competition by recreating their favorite moments from the blockbuster to win prizes.

https://instagram.com/p/9BxBqPhn2q/

For more information, visit DFI’s Facebook page here.

Paralympics world championships

More than 1,000 para-athletes are scheduled to compete this weekend at the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships, the world’s largest single para-sport event.

The championship will be held at the Qatar Sports Club from Oct. 21-31, during which 1,400 sportsmen and women from 100 countries will compete for the top titles.

Tickets for the event are on sale and can be bought online via Q-Tickets.com. Morning sessions are free to attend, while evening sessions start from QR20/person onwards. Children under under 4 and seniors over 60 years old enter for free, but have to provide identification.

Mountain biking race 

The United Filipino Mountain Bikers Qatar is hosting a weekend biking race on Friday, Oct. 23, from 5am onwards at the Al Khor Playground Trail.

Some 220 local and expat racers will be competing, as well as some bikers from the UAE.

Though online registration has now closed, residents can still head over to the event to watch riders compete from 6:30 am onwards across categories and races. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here.

Kids’ library afternoon

The under-construction Qatar National Library will host a specially-themed children’s event in honor of the 2015 Qatar-Turkey Year of Culture on Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Education City Clubhouse.

The free event will take place from 4 to 6pm, and will include educational & entertaining activities like storytelling, crafts, and games.

Dance-off

Seasoned and underground dancers alike are invited to the House of Wow’s 2-on-2 All Styles Dance Battle this weekend, Oct. 22, from 7 to 10 pm at the House of Wow, Villa 12, Al Idreesi St, Madinat Khalifa South.

Dancers from all disciplines – electro, latin, breakdance, dubstep and more – are invited to the free-for-all event.

Winners will go home with Smart Ultra 6 phones courtesy of Vodafone. For more information, visit the House of Wow’s Facebook page here.

Art shows

Head over to the Arab Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf) or the Al Riwaq Museum to catch some of the newest exhibitions in town.

Belgian artist Luc Tuymans has launched his first solo exhibition in the region at the Al Riwaq space near the Museum of Islamic Art. Dubbed Intolerance, the works draw inspiration from the Holocaust, religion, Disneyland and American politics, in a minimalist take on traditional painting.

Meanwhile, Mathaf is presenting solo exhibitions showcasing five artists from the region including Qatar’s Faraj Daham, Lebanese artist Saloua Raouda Choucair, Egypt’s Inji Efflatoun, Farid Belkahia of Morocco and Abdulhalim Al-Radwi from Saudi Arabia. The show runs until February.

Both exhibitions are free and open to the public. Mathaf is open from 3pm to 8pm on Friday and 11am to 6pm on Saturday, while Al Riwaq is open from 2pm to 8pm on Friday and noon to 8pm on Saturday.

Bonus:

• Arts and crafts workshop: FNAC at Lagoona Mall is hosting a series of creative workshops this fall. This week’s workshop will focus on making paper fall leaves, and will be held this Saturday, Oct. 23, from 4pm onwards. The session is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page here.
• Free medical checkup: The Naseem Al Rabeeh Medical Centre and the Philippine Embassy in Qatar are co-hosting a free medical checkup for the public from 8am to noon on Friday, Oct. 23, at the medical center. Participants will be tested on hypertension, diabetes, BMI and will be provided with medical cards and registrations from the medical center. For more information, call Farrahnel Reyes on 3301 4667 or Rechard Lapada on 7440 4345.

What are your weekend plans? Thoughts?