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, September 15, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two Days of Gluten Freedom | Monday Night Garden Brewing Co. | ||
| Nothing Bundt Cakes: Free Confetti Bundtlet to first 300 guests | 9:00 am | FREE | Nothing Bundt Cakes — multiple locations |
| Hope Street Food Pantry Food Distribution at Sugar Creek Library | 10:30 am to 12:30 pm | FREE | Sugar Creek Library |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: Senior Dance Class | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Sugaw Creek Recreation Center |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Adult/Senior Bingo (drop-in) | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Stevens Creek Nature Preserve and Center |
| Student discount at The Percantile and Creamery: 15% off | 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm | Discounted | The Percantile and Creamery, Concord |
| Taster Tuesdays: half off beer flights, 20% off top shelf bourbon, $4 shooters, and 20% off snacks | 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm | Discounted | Pilot Brewing |
| Two Can Tuesday at Cabarrus County Fair: Bring two canned food items and get $2 off admission | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Cabarrus Arena and Events Center |
| Cabarrus County Fair | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $6.00-8.00 | Cabarrus Arena and Events Center |
| Gamer's Social | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | The Market at 7th Street |
| Dart League | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery, Huntersville |
| Taps & Tiles Mahjong Open Play | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Triple C Brewing Co. Taproom, South End |
| Comedy Open Mic at Starlight on 22nd | 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm | FREE | Starlight on 22nd |
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students: buy one ticket get one free at Independent Picture House on Wednesdays | All Day | Discounted | Independent Picture House |
| Two Days of Gluten Freedom | Monday Night Garden Brewing Co. | ||
| Busy Beetles Bug Hunt | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Stevens Creek Nature Preserve and Center |
| Short Pour Wednesdays: $3 12 oz pours of select beers | 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm | Discounted | Pilot Brewing |
| Nature Crochet and Crafts | 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm | FREE | McDowell Nature Center and Preserve |
| Disc Golf League | 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts |
| Cabarrus County Fair | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $6.00-8.00 | Cabarrus Arena and Events Center |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| Left Right Center Game Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Eleven Lakes Brewing, Cornelius |
| Trivia in the courtyard of Optimist Hall | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Optimist Hall |
| 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 |
| Free Bingo at The Percantile and Creamery (win prizes!) | 7:00 pm | FREE | The Percantile and Creamery, Concord |
| Ted Lasso Season 2 Watch Party | 7:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| The Happening -- Collaborative arts/music/dance event | 8:00 pm | FREE | Jackalope Jack’s |
Thursday, September 17, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birding at Stevens Creek | 9:00 am to 10:30 am | FREE | Stevens Creek Nature Preserve and Center |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: Senior Dance Class | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Sugaw Creek Recreation Center |
| Mission City Church's Food Pantry Distribution Event | 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm | FREE | Mission City Church |
| Free Community Night at The Gardens at Stowe | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden |
| Carload Night at Cabarrus County Fair: Pay $90 for up to 6 fair admissions and ride wristbands | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Cabarrus Arena and Events Center |
| Hope Street Food Pantry Food Distribution | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Hope Street Food Pantry |
| Cabarrus County Fair | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $6.00-8.00 | Cabarrus Arena and Events Center |
| Piedmont Music Therapy: Community Grooves for Adolescents (registration required) | 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm | FREE | West Boulevard Library |
| Night Market at Pascuales' Farm, including vendors, farm tours, scavenger hunt, more | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Pascuales’ Farm |
| Voices of Liberty: Spoken Word & Storytelling Night | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | $5.00 | Charlotte Museum of History |
| 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 |
| September 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 |
| Charlotte Chess Center Meet-up at Resident Culture Brewing | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Resident Culture Brewing Plaza Midwood |
| Traitors: New Blood Premiere Watch Party | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| Karaoke Thursdays | 9:00 pm | FREE | Hattie’s Tap and Tavern |
Friday, September 18, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Cheeseburger Day Deals | All Day | Various locations | |
| OMB 2026 Mecktoberfest Weekend Two | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo | |
| Piedmont Music Therapy: Community Grooves for Seniors (registration required) | 9:30 am to 10:30 am | FREE | Marion Diehl Park |
| Oktoberfest at Gilde Brewery | 10:00 am to 11:59 pm | FREE | Gilde Brewery |
| Free Weekly Water Playgroup for Babies & Preschoolers at Charlotte Aquatics | 10:00 am to 10:30 am | FREE | Charlotte Aquatics |
| Move Beyond: Learn Contemporary and Cambodian Dance in free classes | 10:00 am to 11:30 am | FREE | Open Door Studios |
| Mecktoberfest at OMB LoSo | 11:00 am to 11:00 pm | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 11:00 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Cabarrus County Fair | 4:00 pm to 11:59 pm | $6.00-8.00 | Cabarrus Arena and Events Center |
| 25th Anniversary St. Anne International Festival | 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Saint Anne Catholic Church, Rock Hill |
| 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 |
| Music on the Green at Promenade on Providence | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Promenade on Providence |
| Gothic Punk Night Market | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| Hot Glass Alley's Open Demo | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Hot Glass Alley |
| Friday Nights at Camp North End | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| Jammin' By the Tracks: Darren Deese | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Waxhaw Water Tower Community Corner |
| Friday Live Music | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Confluence, Cramerton |
| Jammin' On the 1 -- jam session at Access 21 Studios | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Access 21 |
| The Thing: A Blacklight Bodypaint Dance Party Where You Become the Art (discount code available) | 8:00 pm | $15.00-30.00 | Starlight on 22nd |
| Friday Live Music | 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, September 19, 2026
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| OMB 2026 Mecktoberfest Weekend Two | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo | |
| Flow Fest (free admission; parking is $13) | 7:30 am to 9:30 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Cars and Coffee Concord | 8:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Charlotte Motor Speedway |
| Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Community Book Sale | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | South Boulevard Library | |
| Girls in Aviation Day (Free for youth; full-price admission for adults) | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm | Sullenberger Aviation Museum | |
| Charlotte Monarch Celebration | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Reedy Creek Nature Center and Preserve |
| Bigfoot in the Park (festival) | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | George Poston Park, Gastonia |
| "Better Together" Opening Day Celebration for Corey Pemberton: Living Well | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Mint Museum Uptown |
| UNC Charlotte International Festival | 10:00 am to 6:00 pm | FREE | Barnhardt Student Activity Center, UNC Charlotte |
| Serb Fest | 10:00 am to 10:00 pm | FREE | St. Simeon Serbian Orthodox Church |
| 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 |
| Oktoberfest at Gilde Brewery | 10:00 am to 11:59 pm | FREE | Gilde Brewery |
| Mint 2 Move for Kids: Free bilingual program at Mint Museum Randolph | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Mint Museum Randolph |
| Saturday Swap: Home Décor Swap | 11:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Bard at the Barn: Free outdoor, family-friendly performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream | 11:00 am | FREE | The Barn at MoRA |
| Ballantyne Village Pop-up Market | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | Ballantyne Village |
| Mecktoberfest at OMB LoSo | 11:00 am to 11:00 pm | FREE | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| People of the World: France | 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm | FREE | International House |
| Pokémon and Pint | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | High Branch Brewing (Gibson Mill, Concord) |
| 30th Festival of India | 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm | $5.00 | Belk Theater |
| Oktoberfest | 12:00 pm | FREE | Model A Brewing, Tega Cay |
| Cabarrus County Fair | 1:00 pm to 11:59 pm | $6.00-8.00 | Cabarrus Arena and Events Center |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Hopfly Bike and Brew | 1:30 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| Free Elote Day | 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| 25th Anniversary St. Anne International Festival | 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm | Saint Anne Catholic Church, Rock Hill | |
| 36th Street Market | 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | The Chamber by Wooden Robot (NoDa) |
| Optimist Hall's 7th Anniversary Extravaganza -- ferris wheel, musical swings, more... | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Optimist Hall |
| Music on the Green at Promenade on Providence | 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Promenade on Providence |
| Live Music Saturdays | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lore Brewing, Indian Land |
| Movies in the Park: Pitch Perfect | 6:30 pm | FREE | Wilmore Centennial Park at South End |
| Saturday Live Music | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Old Armor Beer Company, Kannapolis |
