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: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Tomorrow: Thursday, October 15, 2026
Friday, October 16, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Craft Beer Week | All Day | Various locations | |
| Free Weekly Water Playgroup for Babies & Preschoolers at Charlotte Aquatics | 10:00 am to 10:30 am | FREE | Charlotte Aquatics |
| Children's Theatre of Charlotte: Life Skills Through Theatre Skills | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Mallard Creek Recreation Center |
| Move Beyond: Learn Contemporary and Cambodian Dance in free classes | 10:00 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Open Door Studios |
| The Soft Return: Music Therapy for Postpartum Moms | 10:30 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Huntersville Recreation Center |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 11:00 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Mint Hill Madness | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Mint Hill Veterans Memorial Park |
| Matthews Beats 'n Bites: Band of Oz | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| 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 |
| Pineville Fall Fest | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Jack Hughes Park, Pineville |
| Music on the Green at Promenade on Providence | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Promenade on Providence |
| Friday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Blow in the Dark: Halloween Glass Blowing Demo in the Dark at Hot Glass Alley | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Hot Glass Alley |
| Friday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten — Ballantyne |
| Gothic Punk Night Market | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| Friday Nights at Camp North End | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| Movie Night at Rea Farms: Nanny McPhee | 6:30 pm | FREE | Rea Farms |
| Museum of the Waxhaws Haunted Trail | 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm | $10.00 | Museum of the Waxhaws |
| Friday Live Music | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Confluence, Cramerton |
| Jammin' On the 1 -- jam session at Access 21 Studios | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Access 21 |
| Line Dancing with Mary Mary | 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Traust Brewing Company, Mount Holly |
| 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 |
| Haunted Car Wash at Tiger Xpress | 7:15 pm to 11:30 pm | $29.00 | Tiger Xpress Car Wash, Mount Holly |
| Boomer's Halloween Bash at Atrium Health Ballpark: Ghostbusters Movie Night | 7:30 pm | FREE | Atrium Health Ballpark, Kannapolis |
| Friday Night Live Music Series | 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm | FREE | The Craic |
| 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 |
Saturday, October 17, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Craft Beer Week | All Day | Various locations | |
| College Football Saturdays | FREE | OpenTap | |
| Cars and Coffee Concord | 8:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Charlotte Motor Speedway |
| Fall Container Gardening Class | 9:00 am to 10:00 am | FREE | Pike Nurseries, multiple locations |
| Free paper shredding with Mecklenburg County (must reserve a time slot) | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Compost Central and Recycling Center |
| Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Community Book Sale | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | Plaza Midwood Library | |
| Lincoln County Apple Festival | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Court Square, Lincolnton |
| Mush, Music & Mutts: NC Liver Mush Festival | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Uptown Shelby |
| Breast Cancer Awareness Walk | 9:30 am | Royal Giants Park, East Spencer | |
| Carolina Clay Matters Fall Pottery Festival | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | McAlpine Business Park |
| Tricks for Treats at PetSmart | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | PetSmart (multiple locations) |
| Charlotte Corgi Club Racing Championship | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Renaissance Park |
| VTGCLT Fall Vintage Market | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | $3.00-8.00 | Camp North End |
| Pineville Fall Fest | 10:00 am to 9:00 pm | FREE | Jack Hughes Park, Pineville |
| Saturday Morning Yoga | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | $5.00 | Lenny Boy Brewing Co. |
| Visit Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society Museum | 10:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society & Museum |
| Silent Book Club | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Edge City Brewery |
| Kidz & Co: Leaf Monsters | 11:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Confluence, Cramerton |
| Retro PC and Video Game Swap Meet at Super Abari Game Bar | 11:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Super Abari Game Bar |
| Community Wellness Event | 11:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | American Legion Post 262 |
| The Great Costume Swap at Innovation Barn | 11:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Mint Hill Madness | 11:00 am to 10:00 pm | FREE | Mint Hill Veterans Memorial Park |
| Ballantyne Village Pop-up Market | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | Ballantyne Village |
| Around the World in Objects: A World-Building Adventure with Listening Labs | 11:30 am to 1:30 pm | FREE | University City Regional Library |
| Meck County Golf Community Swing | 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm | FREE | Sunset Hills Golf Course |
| Frank's Chili Fest in Plaza Midwood | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | $0-20.00 | Thomas and Commonwealth |
| Free basketball clinic for kids (registration is required) | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Sugaw Creek Recreation Center |
| Charlotte Chalk Art Festival | 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| Cine Familiar Gratis / Free Movie Screening at ImaginOn: Book of Life | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | ImaginOn |
| Makers Market CLT | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery, Huntersville |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Lake Norman Diwali Celebration | 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm | FREE | Veterans Park (Huntersville) |
| Hopfly Bike and Brew | 1:30 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| Greek Dance Class | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | $10.00-15.00 | Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral |
| Fort Mill Fall Festival | 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Walter Elisha Park, Fort Mill SC |
| Our Bridge for Kids 13th International Fall Festival | 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | OurBRIDGE for KIDS |
| Fall Fest at Charlotte Aquatics | 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm | FREE | Charlotte Aquatics |
| 7th Annual Fall Fair and Trunk or Treat | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Idlewild Baptist Church |
| Mischief and a Movie: The Addams Family | 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Rea Farms |
| Concerts @ The Circles: N-Spire (R&B / Variety) | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Clean Juice, Davidson |
| Nature at Night Festival | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | $7.00 | McDowell Nature Center and Preserve |
| Music on the Green at Promenade on Providence | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Promenade on Providence |
| Saturday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Reed GLOW Mine (advance tickets required) | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | $5.00 | Reed Gold Mine |
| Saturday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten — Ballantyne |
| DEAFinitely Movie Night: A Free Accessible Community Movie Night -- A Minecraft Movie | 6:00 pm | FREE | The Green at Prosperity Village |
| "My First Checkers Game": Kids get $5 tickets | 6:00 pm | $5.00 | Bojangles — participating locations |
| Live Music Saturdays | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lore Brewing, Indian Land |
| Prime Bingo | 7:00 pm | FREE | Tommy’s Pub |
| Museum of the Waxhaws Haunted Trail | 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm | $10.00 | Museum of the Waxhaws |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 7:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
| Haunted Car Wash at Tiger Xpress | 7:15 pm to 11:30 pm | $29.00 | Tiger Xpress Car Wash, Mount Holly |
| Saturday Live Music | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Old Armor Beer Company, Kannapolis |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 9:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
Sunday, October 18, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Craft Beer Week | All Day | Various locations | |
| Open Play Mahjong | 11:30 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| Meet the Spooky Pets | 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm | PetSmart (multiple locations) | |
| WitchFest | 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Triple C Brewing Co. Taproom, South End |
| Carve Pumpkins in the Garden | 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm | Monday Night Garden Brewing Co. | |
| Fall Harvest Market | 12:00 pm | FREE | Traust Brewing Company, Mount Holly |
| Charlotte Chalk Art Festival | 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| Montford Park Block Party | 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Park Road and Mockingbird Lane |
| Classic Cruisers of Monroe Cruise-In | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Poplin Place Shopping Center, Monroe |
| Maisie's Sunday Market | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Maisie’s Green Brae, Tega Cay |
| Autumn ComicFest at Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library Oct. 18: Includes costume swap! | 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library (formerly Beatties Ford Regional Library) |
| Free Tour at Torance House & Store | 2:00 pm | FREE | Hugh Torance House & Store |
| Stateline Community Orchestra Concert: Space Spectacular | 3:00 pm | FREE | Pineville United Methodist Church |
| An American Band Celebration by Piedmont Community Band | 4:00 pm | FREE | West Cabarrus High School |
| Live music: Ol' Towne Criers -- Grateful Dead songs and more | 4:00 pm | FREE | Tommy’s Pub |
| Live music: Rosy Nolan | 5:00 pm | FREE | The Thirsty Beaver Saloon |
| Trunks, Treats & Tails | 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | One Lucky Pup Pet Resort & Spa, Northlake |
| Trunks, Treats & Tails | 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | One Lucky Pup Resort & Spa, Charlotte |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 7:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
| Haunted Car Wash at Tiger Xpress | 7:15 pm to 11:30 pm | $29.00 | Tiger Xpress Car Wash, Mount Holly |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 9:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
