The Charlotte events calendar features free and cheap things to do every day. Think there's nothing to do? Look at this list of Charlotte events to get some ideas. You'll find festivals, free food, music, kids' activities and much more.
Click each title to see more information about the event or deal. You can also view the whole month (click "By Month") or see a specific date (click By Day).
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Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Charlotte on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and we are not always notified. It's also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
You might also be interested in one of these more specific calendars:
Today: Monday, October 26, 2026
Tomorrow: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students: buy one ticket get one free at Independent Picture House on Wednesdays | All Day | Discounted | Independent Picture House |
| AMC theatre Sensory-Friendly Movie for Mature Audiences (price and time can vary by theater) | All Day | AMC Theatres, participating locations | |
| KFC: 13 days of scary good deals | All Day | Discounted | KFC, participating locations |
| Kids eat free at IKEA Swedish Restaurant, with adult entrée purchase | All Day | FREE | IKEA |
| Registration opens for Nov. 7 North Charlotte TreeAdoption | 10:00 am | FREE | Virtual |
| Children's Theatre of Charlotte: Life Skills Through Theatre Skills | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Mallard Creek Recreation Center |
| Short Pour Wednesdays: $3 12 oz pours of select beers | 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm | Discounted | Pilot Brewing |
| Disc Golf League | 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts |
| Trunk or Treat at Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics (HFFA) | 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics (HFFA) |
| Free Wednesday Evening at Mint Museum Randolph | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Mint Museum Randolph |
| Wednesday Night Live: Free Museum Admission | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | |
| Fall Festival, with trunk or treat, free hot dogs, bounce houses, more... | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Independence Hill Baptist Church, Huntersville |
| Fall Fest at Knights View Recreation Center | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Knights View Recreation Center |
| Uptown Book Fair | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Victoria Yards |
| Gaston Draws: The Figure Series (Portrait session; registration required) | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Anne Biggers Furr Learning Station, Dallas |
| Open Mic Night | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Muddy River Distillery, Mount Holly |
| Stitch N' Bitch | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Petty Thieves Brewing Co. |
| Free wine tasting at 115 Craft | 6:00 pm | FREE | 115 Craft, McAdenville |
| Trunk or Treat at Shady Brook Baptist Church | 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | Shady Brook Baptist Church |
| Artist Trading Cards Events -- swap cards and craft new ones | 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Charlotte Studio Artists |
| Bike Night | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Cabarrus Brewing Company |
| Brewhouse Yoga (includes a free beer taster) | 6:30 pm | $6.00 | Sugar Creek Brewing |
| Nobuntu at the Gantt | 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture |
| Left Right Center Game Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Eleven Lakes Brewing, Cornelius |
| Open House at MakerSpace CLT | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Makerspace Charlotte |
| Open Mic at Summit Coffee Basecamp | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Summit Coffee, Basecamp, Davidson |
| Hella Spell Party Night | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Gilde Brewery |
| Open Mic | 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm | FREE | Starlight on 22nd |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 7:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
| The Happening -- Collaborative arts/music/dance event | 8:00 pm | FREE | Jackalope Jack’s |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 9:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
Thursday, October 29, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| KFC: 13 days of scary good deals | All Day | Discounted | KFC, participating locations |
| 1/2 off chips & queso and $10 flights | Discounted | Lenny Boy Brewing Co. | |
| Children's Theatre of Charlotte: Life Skills Through Theatre Skills | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Waymer Park, Huntersville |
| ImaginOn Fall Festival: Trick or treat, storytime, more | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | ImaginOn |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: Senior Dance Class | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Sugaw Creek Recreation Center |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: African Drumming | 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm | FREE | West Charlotte Recreation Center |
| Hope Street Food Pantry Food Distribution | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Hope Street Food Pantry |
| Inner Peaks NoDa Presents Inner Freaks | 5:00 pm to 11:59 pm | $5.00-10.00 | Inner Peaks NoDa |
| Night Market at Pascuales' Farm, including vendors, farm tours, scavenger hunt, more | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Pascuales’ Farm |
| Día de los Muertos: Noche de Recuerdo | Night of Remembering | 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | South Boulevard Library |
| Trunk or Treat at Gaston County Animal Care -- pet-friendly event | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement, Gastonia |
| Halloween Event at Naomi Drenan Recreation Center | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Naomi Drenan Recreation Center |
| Live music: Elliott Morgan | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Maisie’s Green Brae, Tega Cay |
| Plaza Midwood Chess Club Meetup | 6:00 pm | FREE | Common Market Plaza Midwood |
| Haunted Hallway -- Abandoned School | 6:15 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Ivory Baker Recreation Center |
| Board Game Night | 6:30 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Pet Costume Contest | 7:00 pm | FREE | King Canary Brewing, Mooresville |
| Halloween Movie Nights: Poltergeist | 7:00 pm | $5.00-6.00 | Gem Theatre, Kannapolis |
| Music Bingo | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Middle James Brewing, Pineville |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 7:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
| Crossroads Cinema: Hocus Pocus | 8:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| Karaoke Thursdays | 9:00 pm | FREE | Hattie’s Tap and Tavern |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 9:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
Friday, October 30, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krispy Kreme: Free doughnut if you wear a costume | All Day | FREE | Krispy Kreme — Multiple locations |
| KFC: 13 days of scary good deals | All Day | Discounted | KFC, participating locations |
| Free Weekly Water Playgroup for Babies & Preschoolers at Charlotte Aquatics | 10:00 am to 10:30 am | FREE | Charlotte Aquatics |
| Move Beyond: Learn Contemporary and Cambodian Dance in free classes | 10:00 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Open Door Studios |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 11:00 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Candy Crawl in Downtown Concord | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Concord |
| Live at Hardy Boys: ARSENA | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Hardy Boys Records, Camp North End |
| Tricks 'n' Treats at The Arboretum, including free pumpkins | 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Arboretum Shopping Center |
| Candy Crawl and Monster Market at Urban District Market | 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Urban District Market |
| Freeland Park Trunk or Treat | 4:15 pm to 5:45 pm | FREE | Skyland Restaurant |
| Gastonia Concert Series: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and Trunk or Treat | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | CaroMont Health Park, Gastonia |
| Matthews Beats 'n Bites: Pushh | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| Gatito Night Market: Monster Truck Halloween -- Trick or treat, Bachata, costume contest, more... | 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | 4410 N Tryon Street |
| Food Truck Friday at Resident Culture Brewing | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Resident Culture Brewing Plaza Midwood |
| University City Food Truck Friday | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Armored Cow Brewing |
| Music on the Green at Promenade on Providence | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Promenade on Providence |
| Fall Fest: Neon Nights | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | McGill Family YMCA, Belmont |
| Ray’s Haunted Tour and Haunted Carnival | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | $5.00 | Ray’s Splash Planet |
| All Hallow's Eve Book Bash | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Editions — Coffee and Bookstore (Kannapolis) |
| Haunted at the Mill Halloween Party | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Muddy River Distillery, Mount Holly |
| Live Music Fridays | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Edge City Brewery |
| Friday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Live Music Fridays | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lost Worlds Brewing, Cornelius |
| Friday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten — Ballantyne |
| Movie Night at Rea Farms: Wicked For Good | 6:30 pm | FREE | Rea Farms |
| Movies on the Lawn: Zombies 4 | 6:30 pm | FREE | Johnston YMCA |
| Live music: Davidson Local | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Summit Coffee, Basecamp, Davidson |
| Trunk or Treat at Light of Christ UMC | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Light of Christ Methodist Church |
| Live Music: Soul Creek Revival | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Heist Brewery |
| Halloween Movie Nights: Beetlejuice | 7:00 pm | $5.00-6.00 | Gem Theatre, Kannapolis |
| Orchestra of the Carolinas concert: Float and Fly | 7:00 pm | FREE | Davidson Town Hall |
| Movie Night: Rocky Horror Picture Show | 7:00 pm | FREE | Brewers at 4001 Yancey |
| Friday Live Music | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Confluence, Cramerton |
| Haunted Dallas Ghost Tour | 7:00 pm | $0-15.00 | Gaston County Museum |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 7:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
| Halloween Silent Disco | 7:30 pm to 11:00 pm | $10.00-15.00 | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Lights, Camera, Birkdale: The Nightmare Before Christmas | 7:30 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| Ayrsley Movie on the Lawn: Hocus Pocus | 7:30 pm | FREE | Ayrsley Event Lawn |
| Friday Night Live Music Series | 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm | FREE | The Craic |
| Kreepy Karnevil: A Haunted Circus Experience | 8:00 pm to 11:59 pm | $7.72-13.48 | Bloom Movement Artistry |
| Friday Live Music | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Old Armor Beer Company, Kannapolis |
| Haunted Dallas Ghost Tour | 8:00 pm | $0-15.00 | Gaston County Museum |
| Whitewater Film Series (free admission; $13 for parking) | 8:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Karaoke Idol | 9:00 pm | FREE | Beer Lab by Ghostface Brewing |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 9:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
