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:
- Free and cheap things to do this week
- Free and cheap kids' events
- Concerts this week in Charlotte
- Trivia Nights in Charlotte
Today: Monday, May 5, 2025
Tomorrow: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students: buy one ticket get one free at Independent Picture House on Wednesdays | All Day | Discounted | Independent Picture House |
| Teacher Appreciation Week Deals | All Day | ||
| Sonny's BBQ: Free "Pork Big Deal" meal for nurses | All Day | FREE | Sonny’s BBQ, various locations |
| Wine Wednesday -- half priced bottles of wine | All Day | Discounted | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Krispy Kreme: One Free Doughnut, no purchase required | All Day | FREE | Krispy Kreme — Multiple locations |
| Nurses Appreciation Week | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Monopoly Lifesized (price varies; discount available some days; various time slots) | Blume Studios | ||
| Birkdale Buds -- activities for preschool children | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| Golden Bull Bite Wednesdays at the West Complex | 11:00 am to 7:00 pm | FREE | West Complex |
| Uptown Unplugged: Groove Machine | 11:30 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Romare Bearden Park |
| Charlotte's Home for Champions League | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Sugar Creek Brewing |
| East Charlotte Farmers' Market | 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm | FREE | McLawland Farms |
| Chess Club at Matthews Library | 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Matthews Library |
| Wednesday Night Live: Free admission to Uptown museums | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Various locations |
| Free Yoga | 5:30 pm | FREE | Sycamore Brewing |
| Chess Time! At West Boulevard Library | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | West Boulevard Library |
| Adult (Off)Color Coloring Night | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Red Clay Ciderworks |
| Charlotte Craft Circle | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Petty Thieves Brewing Co. |
| The OG Boot Camp | 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | Lenny Boy Brewing Co. |
| Brewhouse Yoga | 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm | $5.00 | Sugar Creek Brewing |
| Yoga for Mental Health | 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | HopeWay |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| Tommy's Trivia | 6:30 pm | FREE | Sycamore Brewing |
| Bunco! | 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 |
| Open Hearts Open Mic | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Starlight on 22nd |
| Puzzle Race and Half-Priced Wine | 7:00 pm | Discounted | Middle James Brewing |
| Charlotte Checkers offering free playoff tickets to teachers | 7:00 pm | FREE | Bojangles Coliseum |
| Wednesday Night Yoga | 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm | $5.00 | Lenny Boy Brewing Co. |
Thursday, May 8, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Appreciation Week Deals | All Day | ||
| Nurses Appreciation Week | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Monopoly Lifesized (price varies; discount available some days; various time slots) | Blume Studios | ||
| Shipley Do-Nuts Grand Opening: Free donut for first responders, teachers, active military, veterans and nurses | 5:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Shipley Do-Nuts, Concord |
| Shred Day in Stallings | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | 2725 Old Monroe Road, Stallings |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: Senior Dance Class | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Sugaw Creek Recreation Center |
| Spring Market at Disc Plaza in Uptown Charlotte | 11:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Disc Plaza, Uptown Charlotte |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: Senior Ballet | 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Northern Regional Recreation Center |
| Chess Free Play at Mountain Island Library | 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm | FREE | Mountain Island Library |
| Hope Street Food Pantry Food Distribution | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Hope Street Food Pantry |
| The Square Table: Community Chess | 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Sugar Creek Library |
| SouthPark After 5: Bourbon Sons | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Symphony Park |
| Community Run Club | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Patagonia Charlotte |
| Pie Eating Contest with Thoughtful Baking Co. | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Birdsong Brewing Co. |
| Music at the Met | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Metropolitan |
| Weekly Ping Pong Club | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Anne Springs Close Greenway's Rooted Rhythm Concert Series: Next Level Band of Charlotte | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | $7.00 | Anne Springs Close Greenway |
| Charlotte Fit Fam | 6:00 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| Thursdays on Main: Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot | 6:00 pm | FREE | Veterans Park (Kannapolis) |
| Music on Main in Pineville: Rod Fiske | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Historic Downtown Pineville |
| Name the Music at Rhino Market & Deli South End | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Rhino Market South End |
| LangTree Live Concert Series | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | LangTree Lake Norman (Mooresville) |
| Live music: Colby Dobbs & The Matthews House Cats | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Moo & Brew, Matthews |
| Beer and Boardgames | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery Belmont |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| Bingo w/ Shane | 6:30 pm | FREE | Model A Brewing, Tega Cay |
| River Jam live music series (free admission; parking is $12) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| WDAV's Small Batch Concert Series: Alan Mearns, classical guitar (choose your own price) | 7:00 pm | FREE | Free Range Brewing |
| Trivia at Pilot Brewing | 7:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| Line Dancing at The Rose, including a lesson for beginners | 8:30 pm to 11:59 pm | FREE | The Rose Honky Tonk |
Friday, May 9, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Appreciation Week Deals | All Day | ||
| Chicken Salad Chick: BOGO Large Quick Chick | All Day | Discounted | Chicken Salad Chick, multiple locations |
| Nurses Appreciation Week | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Monopoly Lifesized (price varies; discount available some days; various time slots) | Blume Studios | ||
| Shipley Do-Nuts Grand Opening: Free donut and coffee in exchange for your business card | 5:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Shipley Do-Nuts, Concord |
| Gaston County OTC Medicine Giveaway and Community Event | 9:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | First United Methodist Church, Gastonia |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 9:00 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Free Weekly Water Playgroup for Babies & Preschoolers at Charlotte Aquatics | 10:00 am to 10:30 am | FREE | Charlotte Aquatics |
| Food Truck Friday at Resident Culture Brewing | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Resident Culture Brewing Plaza Midwood |
| Live at the Amp: Journeyman (Tribute to Eric Clapton) | 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm | $15.00 | The Amp, Ballantyne |
| University City Food Truck Friday | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Armored Cow Brewing |
| Gothic Punk Night Market | 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Cavendish Brewing Company, Gastonia |
| Live Under the Oaks music series | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| Live Music: OldSkool | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lost Worlds Brewing, Cornelius |
| Friday Nights at Camp North End: Live music with Braxton Bateman, The Bleus and Dammit Wesley | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| 2nd Friday Street Festival in Old Town Cornelius -- Kickoff Celebration | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Oak Street Mill |
| South End Food Truck Friday | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Matthews Summerfest | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| Screening: Family Tree | 6:45 pm | FREE | Patagonia Charlotte |
| Stonecrest Music at the Fountain Stage | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stonecrest at Piper Glen |
| River Jam live music series (free admission; parking is $12) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Friday Night Live at Moo & Brew Plaza Midwood | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | $7.18 | Moo & Brew – Plaza Midwood |
| Friday Night Live Music | 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Movie Night at Rea Farms: Freaky Friday | 7:00 pm | FREE | Rea Farms |
| Friday Night Live Music Series | 7:00 pm | FREE | Piedmont Social House |
| Friday Night Live -- Unplugged | 7:00 pm | FREE | Moo & Brew, Matthews |
| The Comedy Market: Open Mic | 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Common Market South End |
| Outdoor Movie Night: Big Hero 6 | 7:30 pm | FREE | Seoul Food Meat Co., Mill District |
| Rally Pickleball's Friday Film Night: Remember the Titans | 8:00 pm | FREE | Rally Pickleball |
| CabCo Movie Series: Inside Out | 8:00 pm | FREE | Cabarrus Brewing Company |
