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:
Thursday, September 25, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte International Arts Festival | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| LangTree Live Concert Series | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | LangTree Lake Norman (Mooresville) |
| Beer and Boardgames | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery Belmont |
| 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 |
| River Jam live music series (free admission; parking is $12) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Trivia at Pilot Brewing | 7:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| Pay What You Can Night for Matthews Playhouse's A Raisin in the Sun | 7:30 pm | Matthews Community Center | |
| Crossroads Cinema at Camp North End: Talladega Nights | 8:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
Friday, September 26, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte International Arts Festival | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 9:00 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Oktoberfest at Gilde Brewery | 11:00 am to 10:00 pm | FREE | Gilde Brewery |
| Festival of Lebanon | 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | St. Matthews Catholic Church South |
| Showcase of Power -- Oakboro 2-day Cruise-In Event | 4:00 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Downtown Oakboro, NC |
| Cabarrus Brewing's Oktoberfest | 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Cabarrus Brewing Company |
| Food Truck Friday | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Resident Culture Brewing Plaza Midwood |
| Ground Zero Wrestling | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Triple C Brewing Co. |
| Matthews Beats 'n Bites Outdoor Concert: Landslide | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| University City Food Truck Friday | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Armored Cow Brewing |
| Live Under the Oaks music series | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| Friday Nights at Camp North End | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| South End Food Truck Friday | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Friday Night Live Music at Confluence | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Confluence, Cramerton |
| River Jam live music series (free admission; parking is $12) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| 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, September 27, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free entrance day in the National Parks | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Charlotte International Arts Festival | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| AMC theatre Sensory-Friendly Family Movie (price and time can vary by theater) | All Day | AMC Theatres, participating locations | |
| Caffeine and Chrome | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Gateway Classic Cars, Concord |
| Autumn Jubilee in Mint Hill | 9:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Mint Hill Historical Society — Carl J. McEwen Historic Village |
| Free Tai Chi Class with Taiji Matthews | 9:00 am to 10:00 am | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| LKN Cars and Coffee | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Lost Worlds Brewing, Cornelius |
| The Longest Table at Truist Field: Free brunch and community connections | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Truist Field |
| UNC Charlotte International Festival | 10:00 am to 6:00 pm | FREE | Barnhardt Student Activity Center, UNC Charlotte |
| 12th Annual Charlotte African-American Festival | 10:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | Carole Hoefener Center |
| 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 |
| Festival of Lebanon | 11:00 am to 9:30 pm | FREE | St. Matthews Catholic Church South |
| Muddy River Fall Festival | 11:00 am to 10:00 pm | FREE | Muddy River Distillery, Mount Holly |
| Oktoberfest at Gilde Brewery | 11:00 am to 10:00 pm | FREE | Gilde Brewery |
| Native American Studies Center: Gallery Gatherings Guided Tour | 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm | FREE | Native American Studies Center, Lancaster, SC |
| Queen City Flodown: A Goose Pre-Party | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Triple C Brewing Co. |
| 4th Annual Concord International Festival | 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Concord |
| Shop the Yard! Pop Up Market at Victoria Yards | 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Victoria Yards |
| Oktoberfest at Pilot Brewing | 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| Cabarrus Brewing's Oktoberfest | 1:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Cabarrus Brewing Company |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Hopfly Bike and Brew | 1:30 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| 'Tawba Walk Arts & Music Festival | 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Oak Street Mill |
| Pickle Palooza | 2:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Pickin' on the Porch -- free acoustic music series at Stowe Conservancy Trailhead Store | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Trailhead Store at Daniel Stowe Conservancy, Belmont |
| Showcase of Power -- Oakboro 2-day Cruise-In Event | 4:00 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Downtown Oakboro, NC |
| Davidson's Concerts on the Green: Davidson College Symphony & Jazz Ensemble | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Davidson Village Green |
| Story Teller Open Mic | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Common Market OakWold |
| River Jam live music series (free admission; parking is $12) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Karaoke Night | 7:00 pm | FREE | Lore Brewing, Indian Land |
| Belmont Movies in the Park: The Incredibles | 7:30 pm | FREE | Stowe Park, Belmont |
| Live Music: Uptown Dueling Pianos | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Old Armor Beer Company, Kannapolis |
Sunday, September 28, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte International Arts Festival | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Sunday Fundays | 10:00 am to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Gilde Brewery |
| Sunny's Market Pop-Up Market | 10:30 am to 4:30 pm | FREE | Atrium Health Ballpark, Kannapolis |
| QC Fitness Games | 11:00 am to 12:15 pm | $5.00 | Pearl Street Park |
| Oktoberfest at Gilde Brewery | 11:00 am to 10:00 pm | FREE | Gilde Brewery |
| Boileryard Brunch at Camp North End (free to attend; pay for food and drink) | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| Cabarrus Brewing's Oktoberfest | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Cabarrus Brewing Company |
| Party in the Park at Mint Museum Randolph June 22 -- live music, art activities, free museum admission | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Mint Museum Randolph |
| Guild of Charlotte Artists Pop-Up Market | 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Mint Museum Randolph |
| Free Monthly Basic Dog Training Class | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Pet in the City |
| Something Brewing: Fusion Jam Sessions | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Town Brewing |
| Annual All American Dog Show in Cornelius -- free to watch | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Robbins Park, Cornelius |
| Free Tour at Torance House & Store | 2:00 pm | FREE | Hugh Torance House & Store |
| Soul Sundays (free, but donations accepted) | 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Starlight on 22nd |
| Bluegrass Jam Circle Hosted by Charlotte Folk Society | 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Petty Thieves Brewing Co. |
| Free Comedy Open Mic at The Royal Tot | 7:00 pm | FREE | The Royal Tot |
Monday, September 29, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte International Arts Festival | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Teacher Appreciation Night: 20% off tabs for teachers, faculty, staff | 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm | Discounted | Pilot Brewing |
| 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 |
| Comedy Open Mic | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Triple C Brewing Co. |
| Find Your Muse Open Mic | 7:30 pm | $5.00 | The Evening Muse |
| The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session | 7:30 pm | $7.00-10.00 | Petra’s |
