Charlotte StrEATs Festival April 12 — food trucks, neighborhood cook-off battles, more

Charlotte StrEATs Festival is a celebration of Charlotte’s food and beverage scene. It’s part of Charlotte SHOUT!, which takes place during April, 2026.

Charlotte StrEATs Festival takes place on April 12, 2026, at First Ward Park, 301 E 7th Street, Charlotte, North Carolina. This is a new location for the festival, which used to be held at Gateway Village.

There are two main components to Charlotte StrEATs:

• StrEATs Tasting Tour: April 11, 2026, from 12 to 3 p.m. First Ward Park
• Charlotte StrEATs Festival: April 12, 2026, from 12 to 5 p.m. First Ward Park

Charlotte StrEATs Tasting Tour

StreEATS Tasting Tour festival-goers taste their way through Charlotte’s iconic neighborhoods without leaving Uptown. This ticketed, age 21+ event includes tastes from 20 restaurants, cooking demonstrations, craft cocktails from Charlotte mixologists, and live music. Tickets are all-inclusive, and start at $88.95.

Charlotte StrEATs Festival

Charlotte StrEATs Festival is the main event! It’s free to attend and takes place Sunday, April 12, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at First Ward Park. You pay for your food and drink.

The festival will feature:

• Neighborhood Cook-off Battles: Watch as chefs go head-to-head in an exciting culinary showdown to claim the title of StrEATs Neighborhood Champion.
• Artisan Market: Shop a carefully curated selection of the city’s top culinary vendors.
• Cocktail Demonstrations + Tastings: Taste craft cocktails created by Charlotte’s top mixologists. 21+ only. Pre-sale wristbands will go on sale closer to the event and will also be available for purchase at the event.
• Food Trucks: Enjoy Charlotte’s top food trucks!
• Picnic Baskets: Pre-order a picnic basket curated by Charlotte’s best caterers. More details to be announced soon. Pre-order will open in March.