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:
Friday, December 5, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Polar Express Train Ride (various start times; prices vary) | All Day | $42.00-49.00 | North Carolina Transportation Museum |
| Bandcamp Friday: Bandcamp waives its revenue share and artists keep all the revenue | All Day | Virtual | |
| Ice Skating at The Bowl at Ballantyne (time varies by day) | All Day | $12.00-20.00 | |
| Free Birding Walks on trails of Stowe Conservancy | 9:00 am to 10:00 am | FREE | Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 9:00 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Friday Fire and S'mores | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Stevens Creek Nature Preserve and Center |
| Free Art Kits at Mint Museum Randolph: Skateboard Mini | 11:00 am to 6:00 pm | FREE | Mint Museum Randolph |
| 5th Annual Tree Festival at Chickadee Hill Farms | 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm | $10.00-15.00 | Chickadee Hill Farms |
| First Fridays Pineville | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Historic Downtown Pineville |
| University City Food Truck Friday | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Armored Cow Brewing |
| Asian Night Market | 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Urban District Market |
| Clayworks Holiday Sale | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Clayworks |
| Children's Entrepreneur Market -- part of Winterfest | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Chestnut Square Park, Indian Trail |
| South End Gallery Crawl | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Historic South End |
| Maker's Market CLT at Primal Brewery Huntersville | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery, Huntersville |
| Friday Nights at Camp North End | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| Kannapolis Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express (free admission, charge for train ride) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Village Park, Kannapolis |
| South End Food Truck Friday | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| CabCo Movie Series: The Santa Clause (drive-in movie) | 6:30 pm | FREE | Cabarrus Brewing Company |
| Friday Night Live Music | 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| The Comedy Market: Open Mic | 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Common Market South End |
| Brews & Views | 8:00 pm | FREE | Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts |
Saturday, December 6, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free museum admission first weekend of month for Bank of America/Merrill customers | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| The Polar Express Train Ride (various start times; prices vary) | All Day | $42.00-49.00 | North Carolina Transportation Museum |
| Ice Skating at The Bowl at Ballantyne (time varies by day) | All Day | $12.00-20.00 | |
| Home Depot Kids' Workshop: Holiday Cocoa Mug | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | The Home Depot, multiple locations |
| Caffeine and Chrome and Holiday Party | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Gateway Classic Cars, Concord |
| Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Community Book Sale | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | North County Regional Library |
| Winter Holiday Market at Anne Springs Close Greenway (cost is per car) | 9:00 am to 3:00 pm | $5.00-15.00 | Anne Springs Close Greenway |
| 12th Annual Winter Native American Art & Craft Festival | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Native American Studies Center, Lancaster, SC |
| Free recycling class for kids | 10:00 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Charlotte Doodle Meetup | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | $5.00 | Skiptown |
| 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 |
| Free Yoga | 10:00 am | FREE | Sycamore Brewing |
| Free Art Kits at Mint Museum Randolph: Skateboard Mini | 11:00 am to 6:00 pm | FREE | Mint Museum Randolph |
| Maker's Market CLT at Fonta Flora | 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Fonta Flora Brewery at Optimist Hall |
| VAPA Center: Open Studios -- art market, music, more... | 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | VAPA Center |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Hopfly Bike and Brew | 1:30 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| 5th Annual Tree Festival at Chickadee Hill Farms | 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm | $10.00-15.00 | Chickadee Hill Farms |
| Maker's Market at Pilot Brewing | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| Kannapolis Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express (free admission, charge for train ride) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Village Park, Kannapolis |
Sunday, December 7, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free museum admission first weekend of month for Bank of America/Merrill customers | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| The Polar Express Train Ride (various start times; prices vary) | All Day | $42.00-49.00 | North Carolina Transportation Museum |
| Ice Skating at The Bowl at Ballantyne (time varies by day) | All Day | $12.00-20.00 | |
| Sunday Fundays | 10:00 am to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Gilde Brewery |
| Sensory-friendly hours at Discovery Place Science | 10:30 am to 1:30 pm | $18.00-23.00 | Discovery Place Science |
| QC Fitness Games x NoDa Brewing Workout Class | 11:00 am to 12:15 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| Free Figure Drawing | 11:00 am to 1:30 pm | FREE | Free Range Brewing |
| Mint Hill Car Show -- Hot Rods on the Lawn | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Chick-fil-A Mint Hill |
| Something Brewing: Fusion Jam Sessions | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Town Brewing |
| Sensory-Friendly Hours at Discovery Place Kids | 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm | $15.00 | Discovery Place Kids |
| 5th Annual Tree Festival at Chickadee Hill Farms | 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm | $10.00-15.00 | Chickadee Hill Farms |
| Soul Sundays (free, but donations accepted) | 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Starlight on 22nd |
| Downtown Jazz Jam in Rock Hill | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Power House Rock Hill |
| Kannapolis Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express (free admission, charge for train ride) | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Village Park, Kannapolis |
| Christmas Vespers at Davidson College | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Davidson College Presbyterian Church |
| Free Comedy Open Mic at The Royal Tot | 7:00 pm | FREE | The Royal Tot |
Monday, December 8, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Skating at The Bowl at Ballantyne (time varies by day) | All Day | $12.00-20.00 | |
| Teacher Appreciation Night: 20% off tabs for teachers, faculty, staff | 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm | Discounted | Pilot Brewing |
| Kannapolis Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express (free admission, charge for train ride) | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Village Park, Kannapolis |
| Open Mic Night | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Town Brewing |
| Karaoke at Starlight on 22nd | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Starlight on 22nd |
| Arts at the Abbey: Holiday Concerts | 8:00 pm | FREE | Belmont Abbey College |
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Skating at The Bowl at Ballantyne (time varies by day) | All Day | $12.00-20.00 | |
| Library Mobile Food Pantry with Hope Street Food Pantry (click to see location each week) | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Various locations |
| MODA Digital Arts Open Studio Oasis (pre-registration required) | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Free Tuesday at Schiele Museum | 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Schiele Museum of Natural History, Gastonia |
| Bring Your Own Vinyl Night | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Divine Barrel Brewing |
| Kannapolis Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express (free admission, charge for train ride) | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Village Park, Kannapolis |
| An Unusually Lovely Open Mic | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Divine Barrel Brewing |
| Dart League | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery, Huntersville |
| Name the Music at Wobbly Butt Tap Room & Eatery | 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Victory Lanes, Mooresville |
| Comedy Open Mic at Starlight on 22nd | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Starlight on 22nd |
| Davidson College Jazz Combos Fall Concert | 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Tyler-Tallman Hall in Sloan Music Center (Davidson College) |
| Hatties' Bingo Night -- free to play, with prizes | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Hattie’s Tap and Tavern |
