Looking for a great way to spend time with your kids that’s fun, affordable, and gets them off their screens? Gardening is an ideal activity. Whether you plant one in your yard, on your deck, or on a kitchen windowsill,…
Events and activities in the Queen City
A guide to the kid-friendly sites to explore in Charlotte
VISIT CHARLOTTE SHOUT! This multi-week festival returns to uptown April 4-20. See more than 200 installations, performances, events, and activations. Nearly all the events are outdoors, free, and open to the public. charlotteshout.com EAT BARBECUE FOR A GOOD CAUSE Head…
Skip the cooking with these Easter brunch options.
Celebrate spring at these area Charlotte-area festivals.
CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DAY IN UPTOWN The Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day and Festival returns to uptown on Saturday, March 15. The festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and extends down Tryon Street from 3rd Street to Levine…
IMPRINT YOUR FAMILY STORY Come to The Gantt Center on Saturday, February 1 for a Family First workshop. Learn about African symbols, including Adinkra and Kente patterns, with artist Ori Jai (aka The Syringa Fairy), then create personalized symbols for…
KICK OFF NEW YEARS DAY WITH A 5K Celebrate the start of 2025 at the Charlotte New Year's Day 5K on January 1 in University City. This family-friendly 5K begins at 10 a.m. and follows along Mallard, Barton, and Toby…
Plan a skiing, snowboarding or snow tubing adventure for the family this winter in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia
SIP HOT COCOA WITH SANTA Stop by Optimist Hall on Saturday, December 7, and see the event space transformed into a Winter Wonderland. From 10 am to noon, Santa Claus will be stationed for photo ops against a backdrop of…
Is there anything better than cozying up in a mountain retreat at the height of the holiday season? At just under three hours from Charlotte, Cataloochee Ranch sits on a picturesque mountaintop along the southeastern border of the Great Smoky…
Concerts, lights, gingerbread displays, and more
Know before you go to the annual holiday race
CELEBRATE DIWALI AT OPTIMIST HALL Come to Botiwalla on Friday, November 1 and celebrate Diwali, a festival of lights that marks India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The family-friendly evening includes food specials like a pani puri…
TREAT YOURSELF TO A FALL PIG PICKIN’ Take the family to Sweet Lew's BBQ on Sunday, October 6, and experience the Carolina BBQ Festival’s inaugural Fall Pig Pickin'. Tickets are $35 and include a whole hog barbecue buffet prepared by…
CELEBRATE LABOR DAY AT THE U.S. WHITEWATER CENTER Celebrate Labor Day at U.S. National Whitewater Center Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1. The weekend lineup includes trail races, yoga, live music, and the Whitewater Center’s newest feature, Wildwoods, an…
Want to savor the last few weeks of summer? Here are six reasons to plan a weekend getaway in Hendersonville, just two hours from Charlotte. You can book a room with a view. Brightwaters Vacation Rentals hosts families in cabins,…
CELEBRATE BUZZ CITY KIDS CLUB DAY Head to Camp Greene Park on Saturday, August 3 for a fun-filled day of activities, games, and skills and drills. Activities cater to ages 7 to 14, and Buzz City Kids Club members can…
Q: I’ve had this gut feeling that my 18-month-old son has autism since his first birthday. He wasn’t a super smile-y baby, rarely makes eye contact, and often fixates on ceiling fans or windshield wipers. My pediatrician says it’s impossible…
Looking to take a breather from your family’s packed summer schedule? When you’re ready to log off, power down, and unplug, take a two and a half hour drive to southern Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains and treat yourself to a…
CELEBRATE AMERICA AT THE BALLPARK See the Charlotte Knights take on the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on July 4 at 6:35 p.m., and stay for a fireworks show at Truist field immediately following the game. Gates open at 5 p.m. Tickets…
Try one of these family hikes that make a great day trip from Charlotte.
The Autumn at Oz Festival has returned to Beech Mountain’s Land of Oz for three weekends in September for more than 30 years. This season marks 85 years since the MGM classic, “The Wizard of Oz,” was released. “It’s a…
