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:
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students: buy one ticket get one free at Independent Picture House on Wednesdays | All Day | Discounted | Independent Picture House |
| Kids eat free at IKEA Swedish Restaurant, with adult entrée purchase | All Day | FREE | IKEA |
| Charlotte Craft Beer Week | All Day | Various locations | |
| Short Pour Wednesdays: $3 12 oz pours of select beers | 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm | Discounted | Pilot Brewing |
| Disc Golf League | 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts |
| Free Wednesday Evening at Mint Museum Randolph | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Mint Museum Randolph |
| Wednesday Night Live: Free Museum Admission | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | |
| Gaston Draws: The Figure Series (Open session; registration required) | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Anne Biggers Furr Learning Station, Dallas |
| Open Mic Night | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Muddy River Distillery, Mount Holly |
| Stitch N' Bitch | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Petty Thieves Brewing Co. |
| Bluegrass Jam | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Gibson Mill Market |
| Bike Night | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Cabarrus Brewing Company |
| Brewhouse Yoga (includes a free beer taster) | 6:30 pm | $6.00 | Sugar Creek Brewing |
| 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 |
| Hella Spell: A Team-Based Spelling Event | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Gilde Brewery |
| Open Mic | 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm | FREE | Starlight on 22nd |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 7:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
| The Happening -- Collaborative arts/music/dance event | 8:00 pm | FREE | Jackalope Jack’s |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 9:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
Thursday, October 22, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Craft Beer Week | All Day | Various locations | |
| 1/2 off chips & queso | Discounted | Lenny Boy Brewing Co. | |
| Birding at Stevens Creek | 9:00 am to 10:30 am | FREE | Stevens Creek Nature Preserve and Center |
| Children's Theatre of Charlotte: Life Skills Through Theatre Skills | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Waymer Park, Huntersville |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: Senior Dance Class | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Sugaw Creek Recreation Center |
| ArtBreak at Mint Museum Randolph: Free lunch-time tour | 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm | FREE | Mint Museum Randolph |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: African Drumming | 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm | FREE | West Charlotte Recreation Center |
| Hope Street Food Pantry Food Distribution | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Hope Street Food Pantry |
| Trunk or Treat with Cabarrus County EMS | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Frank Liske Park |
| Night Market at Pascuales' Farm, including vendors, farm tours, scavenger hunt, more | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Pascuales’ Farm |
| Uptown Live: Live music and DJs on Thursday evenings | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Truist Center Plaza |
| Live music: Rod Fiske | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Maisie’s Green Brae, Tega Cay |
| 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 |
| October Book Club | 6:30 pm | FREE | Neoteric Brewing Company |
| Board Game Night | 6:30 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Music Bingo | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Middle James Brewing, Pineville |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 7:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
| Crossroads Cinema: Casper | 8:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| Karaoke Thursdays | 9:00 pm | FREE | Hattie’s Tap and Tavern |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 9:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
Friday, October 23, 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 |
| Plaza Midwood Fall Crawl Costume Parade and Trunk or Treat (parade leaves from Midwood Park) | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | The Vine Charlotte |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 11:00 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Trick or Teeth: A Halloween Storytime Adventure | 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Charlotte Beyond Blue Neighborhood Center |
| Goodies & Goblins: Trick or Treating and Movie at Promenade on Providence -- Wicket: For Good | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Promenade on Providence |
| 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 |
| Downtown Oakboro Cruise-In | 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Downtown Oakboro, NC |
| Halloween Fun Zone and Trunk or Treat | 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Matthews Community Center |
| Trunk or Treat with Animal Care & Control | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Subaru South Charlotte |
| Eastway Spooktacular Fest | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Eastway Recreation Center |
| Matthews Playhouse's Haunted Trail -- "not so spooky" and "full fright" options | 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm | $10.00 | Matthews Community Center |
| Dance: Howl-O-Ween for Individuals with Disabilities | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | $10.00-12.00 | Tyvola Senior Center |
| Friday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Friday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten — Ballantyne |
| Friday Nights at Camp North End | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| Movie Night at Rea Farms: Super Mario Galaxy Movie | 6:30 pm | FREE | Rea Farms |
| Voices From the Past -- After Dark (multiple start times) | 7:00 pm to 11:59 pm | $30.00 | Elmwood/Pinewood Cemetery |
| Charlotte Area Paranormal Society Ghost-Hunting at Elmwood Cemetery (3 start times) | 7:00 pm to 11:59 pm | $30.00 | Elmwood/Pinewood Cemetery |
| Friday Night Flicks: Toy Story 5 | 7:00 pm | FREE | Les Myers Park, Concord |
| Friday Live Music | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Confluence, Cramerton |
| Friday Night Karaoke | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | High Branch Brewing (Gibson Mill, Concord) |
| 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 11:59 pm | $29.00 | Tiger Xpress Car Wash, Mount Holly |
| Mooresville Movie Nights: Hocus Pocus | 7:30 pm | FREE | Liberty Park, Mooresville |
| Friday Night Live Music Series | 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm | FREE | The Craic |
| A Diamond In a Rhinestone World: A Tribute to Dolly Parton | 8:00 pm | $15.00 | Petra’s |
| 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 24, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skiptown BOO-Nanza: Dog Costume Contests and more (contests at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.) | All Day | $20.00 | Skiptown |
| AMC theatre Sensory-Friendly Family Movie (price and time can vary by theater) | All Day | AMC Theatres, participating locations | |
| Charlotte Craft Beer Week | All Day | Various locations | |
| College Football Saturdays | FREE | OpenTap | |
| TreesMatthews tree adoption event | 7:30 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Matthews United Methodist Church |
| Moon Gardens Class | 9:00 am to 10:00 am | FREE | Pike Nurseries, multiple locations |
| Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Community Book Sale | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library (formerly Beatties Ford Regional Library) | |
| Latin and Hispanic Heritage Month Storytime Series | 10:00 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Stevens Creek Nature Preserve and Center |
| Free recycling class for kids | 10:00 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Repair Cafe at Innovation Barn -- partner with volunteers to repair your stuff (free with $5 suggested donation) | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Spooky Market | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Common Market OakWold |
| Flocktoberfest at Naughty Donkey Farm Sanctuary (price is per car) | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | $20.00-25.00 | Naughty Donkey Farm Sanctuary, Albemarle |
| Thrown Together Potters Fall Sale | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Thrown Together Potters Gathering Space |
| MrBeast Day at Lowe's: first 100 rewards members get free Swarms | 10:00 am | FREE | Lowe’s (multiple stores) |
| 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 |
| Romanian-American Festival | 11:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| Blakeney Fall Fest | 11:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Blakeney |
| Southern Soul Music Festival | 11:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | Royal Giants Park, East Spencer |
| Plaza Midwood Fall Crawl | 11:30 am to 6:00 pm | FREE | Midwood Park |
| Around the World in Objects: A World-Building Adventure with Listening Labs | 11:30 am to 1:30 pm | FREE | University City Regional Library |
| Music & Nature: Concert by Phoenix Down RPG, and cyanotype printing | 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm | FREE | Divine Barrel Brewing |
| Fall Festival at Commonwealth | 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Commonwealth Plaza Midwood |
| Day of the Dead themed Trunk or Treat | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Sharon Memorial Park |
| Really Really Free Market | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Galilee Center |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Hopfly Bike and Brew | 1:30 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| Belmont BooFest | 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Stowe Park, Belmont |
| Zombie Daze | 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Carolina Beer Temple-Matthews |
| Free order of egg rolls with the purchase of any drink | 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| BBQ & Blues at Five Points Plaza, including free food | 4:00 pm | FREE | Five Points Plaza |
| New Works: Staged Readings | 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Overcash Building, CPCC |
| NoDa Halloween Freaky 5K | 5:00 pm | $20.00-45.00 | Great Wagon Road Distilling Co. |
| Korean Music -- A Music Journey Through Time: Chamber Ensemble & Choir (free, but registration is required) | 5:00 pm | FREE | Rowe Arts Building, UNC Charlotte |
| Halloween Treat Trail | 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm | $0-3.00 | Bailey Road Park |
| Halloween Fun Zone and Trunk or Treat | 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Matthews Community Center |
| Music on the Green at Promenade on Providence | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Promenade on Providence |
| Matthews Playhouse's Haunted Trail -- "not so spooky" and "full fright" options | 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm | $10.00 | Matthews Community Center |
| Trunk or Treat Carnival at Marion Diehl Recreation Center | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Marion Diehl Park |
| Saturday Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Saturday Live Music | 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 |
| NoDa Ghosts and Legends Tours | 6:30 pm to 10:15 pm | FREE | Stu’s Barrel House, NoDa |
| Fright Fights -- live wrestling | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Common Market OakWold |
| 9th Annual Mount Holly Lantern Parade | 7:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Mt. Holly |
| Voices From the Past -- After Dark (multiple start times) | 7:00 pm to 11:59 pm | $30.00 | Elmwood/Pinewood Cemetery |
| Charlotte Area Paranormal Society Ghost-Hunting at Elmwood Cemetery (3 start times) | 7:00 pm to 11:59 pm | $30.00 | Elmwood/Pinewood Cemetery |
| Ayrsley Retro Horror Series | 7:00 pm | $5.00 | Ayrsley Grand Cinemas |
| 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 |
