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: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Tomorrow: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Thursday, May 14, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Document Shredding at Office Depot / Office Max | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| SNAP Triple Bucks at Participating Farmers' Markets and Farm Stands | All Day | Various locations | |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: Senior Dance Class | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Sugaw Creek Recreation Center |
| ArtBreak at Bechtler Museum -- free guided lunchtime tour | 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm | FREE | Bechtler Museum of Modern Art |
| Hope Street Food Pantry Food Distribution | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Hope Street Food Pantry |
| Art in Bloom at TAOH Outdoor Gallery with Charlotte Family Housing: FREE make-n-take bouquets, community mural, more... | 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm | FREE | TAOH Outdoor Gallery |
| SouthPark After 5: Landslide -- Tribute to Fleetwood Mac | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Symphony Park |
| St. Philip Neri Italian Festival | 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | St. Philip Neri Church–Fort Mill |
| Thursdays on the Turf (live music series) | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Commonwealth Plaza Midwood |
| Food Distribution Event | 5:30 pm | FREE | Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle School |
| Live Music Thursdays | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lore Brewing, Indian Land |
| Plaza Midwood Chess Club Meetup | 6:00 pm | FREE | Common Market Plaza Midwood |
| Music on Main in Pineville: Matthew Church | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Pineville Town Hall |
| Live Music: 65 North Pickers | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| Neoteric May Book Club | 6:30 pm | FREE | Neoteric Brewing Company |
| Board Game Night | 6:30 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Live Music: Landon Cline | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Muddy River Distillery, Mount Holly |
| Music Bingo | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Percent Tap House, Harrisburg |
| River Jam live music series (free admission; parking is $13) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Karaoke Contest | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Seoul Food Meat Co., South End |
| Karaoke Thursdays | 9:00 pm | FREE | Hattie’s Tap and Tavern |
Friday, May 15, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Document Shredding at Office Depot / Office Max | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| SNAP Triple Bucks at Participating Farmers' Markets and Farm Stands | All Day | Various locations | |
| Free Birding Walks on trails of Stowe Conservancy | 9:00 am to 10:00 am | FREE | Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden |
| Free Fun Fridays with YScholars at Johnston YMCA | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Johnston YMCA |
| Free Weekly Water Playgroup for Babies & Preschoolers at Charlotte Aquatics | 10:00 am to 10:30 am | FREE | Charlotte Aquatics |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 11:00 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| St. Philip Neri Italian Festival | 11:30 am to 1:30 pm | FREE | St. Philip Neri Church–Fort Mill |
| Manifest Market | 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| Mother's Day Celebration at Compare Foods Charlotte: Giveaways and more | 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Compare Foods, N. Sharon Amity Road |
| St. Philip Neri Italian Festival | 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | St. Philip Neri Church–Fort Mill |
| 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 |
| Gothic Punk Night Market | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| Friday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lost Worlds Brewing, Cornelius |
| Belmont's Friday Night Live Concert Series | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stowe Park, Belmont |
| Sting Station Tattoo Festival | 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Free Range Brewing |
| Live Under the Oaks music series | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| Live Music Fridays | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Edge City Brewery |
| Live Music Fridays | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten — Ballantyne |
| Friday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Friday Town Tunes | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Town Brewing |
| Movie Night at Rea Farms: Paddington in Peru | 7:00 pm | FREE | Rea Farms |
| Jammin' On the 1 -- jam session at Access 21 Studios | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Access 21 |
| River Jam live music series (free admission; parking is $13) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Fountain Green Music Series | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stonecrest at Piper Glen |
| The Comedy Market: Open Mic | 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Common Market South End |
| In The Flow: A Solo Circus Show by Vivian Spiral | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $8.00-20.00 | Studio 1212 |
| Live Music: Jon Linker | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Old Armor Beer Company, Kannapolis |
| Karaoke Idol | 9:00 pm | FREE | Beer Lab by Ghostface Brewing |
Saturday, May 16, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Document Shredding at Office Depot / Office Max | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Free Paper Shredding Event | 8:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | St. Nektarios Church |
| Cars and Coffee Concord | 8:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Charlotte Motor Speedway |
| Cartoons & Coffee at Rea Farms: Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | 8:30 am | FREE | Rea Farms |
| 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 | Steele Creek Library | |
| Free Drive-Thru Market in Kannapolis: Produce and eggs | 9:00 am | FREE | Second Presbyterian Church, Kannapolis |
| Free recycling class for kids | 10:00 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Free "Learn to Ride" Bike Event | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Arbor Glen Outreach Center |
| Lowe's DIY-U Kids' Workshop: Garden Basket | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Lowe’s (multiple stores) |
| Kids Market at Roly Poly Fest | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Rob Wallace Park, Midland |
| Roly Poly Fest | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Rob Wallace Park, Midland |
| Pineville Arts in the Park | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Pineville Lake Park |
| Charlotte Asian & Dragon Boat Festivals | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Ramsey Creek Park, Cornelius |
| Cheerwine Festival | 10:00 am to 7:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Salisbury |
| Historic Matthews Cemetery Tour | 10:00 am | FREE | Historic Matthews Cemetery |
| 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 |
| The Gathered Connection: Wedding/Event Venue Showcase | 10:30 am to 2:00 pm | $5.00 | Magnolia Woods, Huntersville |
| Free Saturday Morning Cartoons at Independent Picture House (plus free milk and cookies!) | 10:30 am | FREE | Independent Picture House |
| Saturday Swap: Outdoor and Sports Equipment | 11:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Sting Station Tattoo Festival | 11:00 am to 9:30 pm | FREE | Free Range Brewing |
| St. Philip Neri Italian Festival | 11:00 am to 10:00 pm | FREE | St. Philip Neri Church–Fort Mill |
| People of the World: Kenya | 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm | FREE | International House |
| Water Safety Together (2 start times; registration required) | 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Johnston YMCA |
| Water Safety Together (2 start times; registration required) | 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Double Oaks Family Aquatic Center |
| Target celebrates National Pet Month with free dog or cat kit giveaway | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Target (various locations) |
| Japan Fest | 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Urban District Market |
| 8 Year Anniversary Celebration | 12:00 pm | FREE | King Canary Brewing, Mooresville |
| Free Ice Cream Paletas at Morelia Gourmet Paletas | 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Morelia Gourmet Paletas, NoDa |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Hopfly Bike and Brew | 1:30 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| Running Pickle Pickleball | 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Eleven Lakes Brewing, Cornelius |
| Free Elote Day | 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| Saturday Live Music | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Mother's Day Celebration at Compare Foods Charlotte: Giveaways and more | 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Compare Foods, W. Arrowood Road |
| Saturday Town Tunes | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Town Brewing |
| Saturday Live Music | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | Discounted | Triple C Brewing Co. Taproom, South End |
| Concerts @ The Circles: The Big 80s Band (80s Tribute) | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Clean Juice, Davidson |
| Live Music Saturdays | 5:00 pm | FREE | Lost Worlds Brewing, Charlotte (Metropolitan) |
| Movie Night at the Ballpark: 25th Anniversary of Monsters, Inc. | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Atrium Health Ballpark, Kannapolis |
| Saturday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lost Worlds Brewing, Cornelius |
| 80s Night feat. Gin N Sonic | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery, Huntersville |
| Cornelius Jazz Festival | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Smithville Park, Cornelius |
| Live Music Saturdays | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten — Ballantyne |
| Live Music Saturdays | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lore Brewing, Indian Land |
| Charlotte Comedy Theater | 6:00 pm | $12.00-15.00 | VAPA Center |
| Stories Under the Stars: Story Ship | 7:00 pm | FREE | Afton Ridge Library, Kannapolis |
| River Jam live music series (free admission; parking is $13) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Fountain Green Music Series | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stonecrest at Piper Glen |
| Live Music: Uptown Dueling Pianos | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Old Armor Beer Company, Kannapolis |
| Charlotte Comedy Theater | 8:00 pm | $12.00-15.00 | VAPA Center |
