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:
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students: buy one ticket get one free at Independent Picture House on Wednesdays | All Day | Discounted | Independent Picture House |
| AMC theatre Sensory-Friendly Movie for Mature Audiences (price and time can vary by theater) | All Day | AMC Theatres, participating locations | |
| Shake Shack: Spend $10 and get a free burger | All Day | Discounted | Shake Shack, participating locations |
| Pop Up Food Share with Nourish Up | 10:30 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Johnston YMCA |
| Birkdale Buds -- free children's activities | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| World Otter Day (Drop-in) | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Stevens Creek Nature Preserve and Center |
| Steinway at Free Range Brewing: Bach & Brahms: From Counterpoint to Power presented by Bach Charlotte | 3:00 pm | FREE | Free Range Brewing |
| East Charlotte Farmers' Market | 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm | FREE | McLawland Farms |
| Disc Golf League | 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts |
| Unleash Your Creativity: Adults Creative Writing Workshop | 5:00 pm to 6:15 pm | FREE | Ivory Baker Recreation Center |
| Free Chowder Day -- when you purchase any drink | 5:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| 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 | |
| Premiere: The Making of the Bridge at Queen City Art | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Queen City Art (formerly Charlotte Art League) |
| Open Mic Night | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Muddy River Distillery, Mount Holly |
| Wednesday Crafting Circle | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Petty Thieves Brewing Co. |
| The Gaming Lounge Video Gaming Pop-Up | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Divine Barrel Brewing |
| Free wine tasting at 115 Craft | 6:00 pm | FREE | 115 Craft, McAdenville |
| May Book Club | 6:30 pm | FREE | Lore Brewing, Indian Land |
| Weekly 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 |
| Left Right Center Game Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Eleven Lakes Brewing, Cornelius |
| Open Shag Dancing | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $5.00 | Swanee Theatre, Kannapolis |
| Open Mic | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Starlight on 22nd |
| Trivia Night | 7:00 pm | FREE | Heist Brewery |
| Trivia | 7:00 pm | FREE | Lore Brewing, Indian Land |
| The Happening -- Collaborative arts/music/dance event | 8:00 pm | FREE | Jackalope Jack’s |
Thursday, May 28, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shake Shack: Spend $10 and get a free burger | All Day | Discounted | Shake Shack, participating locations |
| Gem Theatre's Summer Matinee | 10:00 am | $2.00 | Gem Theatre, Kannapolis |
| NADC Burger: Buy one get one free burger on National Burger Day | 11:00 am to 10:00 pm | Discounted | NADC Burger |
| 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 |
| Gem Theatre's Summer Matinee | 12:30 pm | $2.00 | Gem Theatre, Kannapolis |
| Hope Street Food Pantry Food Distribution | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Hope Street Food Pantry |
| Thursdays on the Turf (live music series) | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Commonwealth Plaza Midwood |
| Night Market at Pascuales' Farm, including vendors, farm tours, scavenger hunt, more | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Pascuales’ Farm |
| 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: Lisa DeNovo | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Pineville Town Hall |
| LangTree Live Concert Series | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | LangTree Lake Norman (Mooresville) |
| Board Game Night | 6:30 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Twilight Nature Walk at Stowe Conservancy with TreesCharlotte | 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Trailhead Store at Daniel Stowe Conservancy, Belmont |
| Drag Trivia Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| Bach & Brahms: From Counterpoint to Power presented by Bach Charlotte: Small Batch Concert Series with Phillip Bush, presented by WDAV | 7:00 pm | $0-20.00 | Free Range Brewing |
| WDAV's Small Batch: Phillip Bush, piano (pay what you can; a $20 ticket comes with a pint glass and a beverage) | 7:00 pm | Free Range Brewing | |
| Save $5 on Charlotte Funny Bus Tour | 7:00 pm | Discounted | First Ward Park |
| 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 29, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shake Shack: Spend $10 and get a free burger | All Day | Discounted | Shake Shack, participating locations |
| Free Weekly Water Playgroup for Babies & Preschoolers at Charlotte Aquatics | 10:00 am to 10:30 am | FREE | Charlotte Aquatics |
| Pop Up Food Share with Nourish Up | 10:30 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Cokesbury United Methodist Church, Charlotte |
| OMB Ballantyne Turns 2: Celebrate with $5 beer | 11:00 am to 11:00 pm | Discounted | The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten — Ballantyne |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 11:00 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Matthews Beats 'n Bites: Robyn Springer (Anita Baker tribute) | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| St. Sarkis Armenian Food Festival | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Saint Sarkis Armenian Church of Charlotte |
| 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 |
| Belmont's Friday Night Live Concert Series | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stowe Park, Belmont |
| 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 Live Music | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lost Worlds Brewing, Cornelius |
| Live music: Edan Aldridge Band | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Summit Coffee, Basecamp, Davidson |
| Movie Night at Rea Farms: Elemental | 7:00 pm | FREE | Rea Farms |
| Steinway at Free Range Brewing: Tanja Bechtler and Jonah Becthler-Teixeira | 7:00 pm | FREE | Free Range Brewing |
| Live Music: Shakedown Strings | 7:00 pm | FREE | Divine Barrel Brewing |
| Mega Mayhem 2026 | 7:00 pm | FREE | Lenny Boy Brewing Co. |
| 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 |
| Outdoor Movie Night | 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Urban District Market |
| Live Music: The Great Octopus Band | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Old Armor Beer Company, Kannapolis |
| Movies in the Park: Lilo & Stitch | 8:45 pm | FREE | Village Park, Kannapolis |
| Karaoke Idol | 9:00 pm | FREE | Beer Lab by Ghostface Brewing |
Saturday, May 30, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shake Shack: Spend $10 and get a free burger | All Day | Discounted | Shake Shack, participating locations |
| 2nd Annual Pollinator Plant Giveaway with City of Charlotte Landscape Management (pre-registration required) | 8:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | |
| Caffeine and Chrome | 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 | University City Regional Library (new location) | |
| Guns to Gardens: Safe surrender of firearms, to be transformed into garden tools | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Myers Park Presbyterian Church Outreach Center |
| Ardrey Kell High School's Spring Festival | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Ardrey Kell High School |
| Steps for Shelter Pets | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Pearl Street Park |
| 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 |
| Creek Crawl | 10:30 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Stevens Creek Nature Preserve and Center |
| Free "Learn to Ride" Bike Event (free helmets available) | 11:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Winget Park Recreation Center |
| St. Sarkis Armenian Food Festival | 11:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | Saint Sarkis Armenian Church of Charlotte |
| Cabarrus Celtic Festival | 11:00 am to 11:00 pm | FREE | Cabarrus Brewing Company |
| OMB Ballantyne Turns 2: Celebrate with $5 beer | 11:00 am to 11:00 pm | Discounted | The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten — Ballantyne |
| Pineville WorldFest | 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Pineville Lake Park |
| SE Rare Plant Market: Spring Festival of Plants | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Vaulted Oak Brewing |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Hopfly Bike and Brew | 1:30 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| Saturday Live Music | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Steinway at Free Range Brewing: A Piano Extravaganza presented by Bach Charlotte | 3:00 pm | FREE | Free Range Brewing |
| Swifty Saturday | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Gaston Pour House |
| Saturday Live Music | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | Discounted | Triple C Brewing Co. Taproom, South End |
| Live Music: Gen X | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Lost Worlds Brewing, Cornelius |
| Live Music Saturdays | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery, Huntersville |
| Live Music Saturdays | 5:00 pm | FREE | Lost Worlds Brewing, Charlotte (Metropolitan) |
| Davidson's Music & Makers: Contagious Blues Band | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | The Crazy Pig, Davidson |
| 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 |
| Game Night | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Confluence, Cramerton |
| Charlotte Comedy Theater | 6:00 pm | $12.00-15.00 | VAPA Center |
| Afterburn Comedy | 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| 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 |
| Karaoke Night | 7:00 pm | FREE | Lore Brewing, Indian Land |
| Live Music: Uncanny | 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 |
Sunday, May 31, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shake Shack: Spend $10 and get a free burger | All Day | Discounted | Shake Shack, participating locations |
| Coffee & Crafts at Savona Mill: Free friendship bracelet bead bar, bouquets, more... | 10:00 am to 12:30 pm | FREE | Savona Mill |
| OMB Ballantyne Turns 2: Celebrate with $5 beer | 11:00 am to 9:00 pm | Discounted | The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten — Ballantyne |
| Figure Drawing | 11:00 am | FREE | Free Range Brewing |
| Family-friendly blacksmithing demo | 11:15 am | FREE | Myers Park Presbyterian Church |
| St. Sarkis Armenian Food Festival | 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Saint Sarkis Armenian Church of Charlotte |
| Disney Pin Trading Party | 12:00 pm | FREE | Traust Brewing Company, Mount Holly |
| Sip & Stitch | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Town Brewing |
| Sunday Live Music | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Triple C Brewing Co. Taproom, South End |
| Something's Brewing: A Fusion Jam Session | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Town Brewing |
| Bark in the Ballpark at Charlotte Knights game (ticket price varies) | 1:05 pm | Truist Field | |
| Live Music: Darren Deese | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Heist Brewery |
| Live Music: Darren Deese | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts |
| Free Tour at Torance House & Store | 2:00 pm | FREE | Hugh Torance House & Store |
| Steinway at Free Range Brewing: Live music presented by Free Range Brewing | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Free Range Brewing |
| Karaoke Sundays (suggested $5 donation) | 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm | $5.00 | VisArt Video |
| Star Wars Themed Trivia | 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Percent Tap House, Harrisburg |
