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, December 3, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students: buy one ticket get one free at Independent Picture House on Wednesdays | All Day | Discounted | Independent Picture House |
| Disc Golf League | 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts |
| Wednesday Night Live: Free admission to Uptown museums | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Various locations |
| Free Wednesday Evening at Museum Museum Randolph | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Mint Museum Randolph |
| 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 |
| Free Yoga at Hindu Center of Charlotte | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Hindu Center of Charlotte |
| Kannapolis Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express (free admission, charge for train ride) | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Village Park, Kannapolis |
| Tommy's Trivia | 6:30 pm | FREE | Sycamore 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 |
| Bunco! | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Eleven Lakes Brewing, Cornelius |
| 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, Pineville |
Thursday, December 4, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free "Explore Creative Art" classes for adults and teens | 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm | FREE | Berewick Recreation Center |
| 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 |
| Hope Street Food Pantry Food Distribution | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Hope Street Food Pantry |
| Yappy Hour Thurstdays | 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Southern Strain Brewing Company, Plaza Midwood |
| Weekly Ping Pong Club | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Kannapolis Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express (free admission, charge for train ride) | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Village Park, Kannapolis |
| Bluegrass Jam | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Birdsong Brewing Co. |
| Charlotte Fit Fam | 6:00 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| Name the Music at Rhino Market & Deli South End | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Rhino Market South End |
| Open Mic Night | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Traust Brewing Company, Mount Holly |
| Bingo w/ Shane | 6:30 pm | FREE | Model A Brewing, Tega Cay |
| Trivia at Pilot Brewing | 7:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
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 | |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Front Porch Sundays | 10:30 am to 4:30 pm | FREE | Atherton Mill |
| QC Fitness Games x NoDa Brewing Workout Class | 11:00 am to 12:15 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Free Comedy Open Mic at The Royal Tot | 7:00 pm | FREE | The Royal Tot |
