Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are on Spring Break, including weekends, from Saturday, April 12, to Monday, April 21, 2025. Other school districts might have different schedules.
Here are a few FREE or CHEAP things to do with them to keep them busy and happy. Make sure to follow each link to get the necessary details on times and locations. You can keep track of free and cheap things to do in the Charlotte area by subscribing to the free email list and following us on Facebook and Instagram.
In this post, we cover:
- Special events during Spring Break for families (Jump to this section.)
- The entire calendar of kids’ activities on Charlotte on the Cheap (Jump to this section.)
- Fun things in Charlotte that are always free (Jump to this section.)
- Great discounts on kids’ activities. (Jump to this section.)
You might also be interested in:
- Free things to do this week
- Free and discount days at museums
- Live music this week in Charlotte
- Free and cheap Easter Egg Hunts and Bunny Pictures
- Indoor play areas in Charlotte
Special Events during Spring Break
Here are some events that are definitely work fitting into your child’s spring spread schedule!
Charlotte SHOUT!: This is Charlotte’s biggest festival, by far. It goes from April 4 to 20, 2025, and features live music, family-friendly interactive art, huge, fun art installations, and so much more. It takes place all around Uptown Charlotte. Do not miss it!
Easter Egg Hunts and Bunny Visits: Check out our huge (seriously, huge!) list of egg hunts and Easter Bunny visits. If you’re looking for a FREE picture with the Easter Bunny, you’ll find some on this list. Easter is April 20, 2025, and there are a ton of events on this list in the weeks leading up to Easter.
North Carolina Science Festival: NC Science Festival is a month-long celebration of science throughout the State of North Carolina in April. It features special events like a STEAM expo, star parties, and lots of hands-on events.
Visit Alpacas: Serenity Alpacas, near Statesville, is offering free “Alpaca Hugs Tours” to kids during spring break. (Adult tickets are $10.)
Charlotte Fair: This is not exactly free and cheap, but your kids would want it mentioned. The 15th Annual Charlotte Fair offers entertainment, rides, and plenty of fair food from April 10 to 20, perfectly timed for Spring Break. It’s across the road from Charlotte Motor Speedway, in Concord.
Spring Break Calendar
Always free
ImaginOn: Teens have a whole floor to themselves. Studio I provides the means for teens and families to create stop motion animation and other films. Preschoolers can dress up in costume and stage their own shows. Even the outside of the building has become an attraction, with kids jumping from one huge typewriter key to another. I’d bet that there are more than a few Charlotte kids who learned to spell their names from playing on those keys.
Greenways: The 37 miles of developed Greenways and 150 miles of undeveloped Greenways are undeniably a hidden treasure. These paths, perfect for walking or biking, run along creeks throughout the county. They connect neighborhoods and other points of interest. Kids love how they’re sort of hidden. As you drive on busy W.T. Harris Boulevard, you might never guess you’re passing over a tunnel where kids are riding their bikes, on their way to play by a creek.
Romare Bearden Park: The beautiful Romare Bearden Park features a huge field for throwing a frisbee, lighted water features and a stunning skyline view. Visit the park and grab some grub in one of the nearby restaurants.
U.S. National Whitewater Center: No, the water sports, climbing and zip lines aren’t free, and there is a charge for parking ($12/car), so I expect some will protest the Whitewater Center’s inclusion on this list. But it belongs here because of all that is free: possibly the best mountain biking in the city, on 20 miles of trails that are also good for walking and running. If you have your own kayak, there’s no charge for putting it into the Catawba River. And it’s fun to watch people navigate the rapids. (And, it’s also fun to watch them fall out!)
Mecklenburg County Nature Centers: Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation boasts four nature centers, McDowell, Reedy Creek and Latta Plantation, plus the newest one, Stevens Creek Nature Center. All three are free, have animals and much more for kids to explore, and host fun, educational programs all year, even campfires at night. Each one is situated in a nature preserve, so provide plenty of opportunity to really get into nature.
UNCC Botanical Gardens: Many parents don’t know about this free resource, or might not know if it’s appropriate for kids. It is. Paths wind around Asian gardens, a butterfly garden, a waterfall pond, a 120 year old cabin and so much more. This is a place that will ignite kids’ imagination. Botany classes are also offered to both kids and adults.
Big Rock Nature Preserve: Many people don’t know about this historically and geologically interesting site nestled away in Ballantyne. These are the largest exposed boulders in Mecklenburg County.
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