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:
- Free and cheap things to do this week
- Free and cheap kids' events
- Concerts this week in Charlotte
- Trivia Nights in Charlotte
Today: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Tomorrow: Thursday, April 24, 2025
Friday, April 25, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Charlotte Book Crawl | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| North Carolina Science Festival (events all month -- click for schedule) | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Free Document Shredding at Office Depot / Office Max | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Mecklenburg County Foster Care Forum: Nurturing the Nurturer | 8:00 am to 3:15 pm | FREE | CPCC Harris Campus |
| Tuck Fest | 9:15 am to 11:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Mount Holly Arbor Day, including free tree saplings | 11:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | Mount Holly Municipal Compex |
| Anzac Day | 1:00 pm | FREE | Middle James Brewing |
| Hopefest & Touch-a-Truck | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Hopebridge Charlotte University |
| Food Truck Friday at Resident Culture Brewing | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Resident Culture Brewing Plaza Midwood |
| Black Food Truck Friday | 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Movement School Southwest |
| Family Workshop: Earth Day | 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm | FREE | Arts+ Community Campus |
| University City Food Truck Friday | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Armored Cow Brewing |
| Matthews Beats 'n Bites Outdoor Concert: Carolina Soul Band | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| Opening Reception for Technicolor Daydreams at LoSo Studios | 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | LoSo Studios |
| Live Under the Oaks music series | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| Live Music: Caleb Wolfe | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Model A Brewing, Tega Cay |
| Adult Recess | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Huntersville Athletic Park |
| South End Food Truck Friday | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Friday Flicks: Inside Out 2 | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Crooked Creek Park, Indian Trail |
| BOOM Charlotte Fringe Festival (times tentative) | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Shoppes at University Place |
| Mint Hill Rodeo | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | $5.00-15.00 | McWhirter Rodeo Arena |
| Doubles Mario Kart Tournament | 6:00 pm | FREE | The Chamber by Wooden Robot (NoDa) |
| Cramerton Summer Concert Series: David Childers and the Serpents | 6:00 pm | FREE | Centennial Center, Cramerton |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| True Grit Movie Night | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| Bold & Beautiful Comedy Showcase | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Protagonist Brewing South End |
| Live music: Rusty Knox and Jim Ashton | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Summit Coffee, Basecamp, Davidson |
| Rooftop Music | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | State of Confusion |
| Sapphic Storytelling with Lesbian Friends of Charlotte | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Divine Barrel Brewing |
| Stonecrest Music at the Fountain Stage | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stonecrest at Piper Glen |
| Friday Night Live at Moo & Brew Plaza Midwood | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | $7.18 | Moo & Brew – Plaza Midwood |
| Friday Night Live Music | 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Friday Night Live Music Series | 7:00 pm | FREE | Piedmont Social House |
| Friday Night Live -- Unplugged | 7:00 pm | FREE | Moo & Brew, Matthews |
| The Comedy Market: Open Mic | 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Common Market South End |
| Cramerton Outdoor Cinema Series: Sonic 3 | 8:15 pm | FREE | Centennial Center, Cramerton |
Saturday, April 26, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Charlotte Book Crawl | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| North Carolina Science Festival (events all month -- click for schedule) | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| AMC theatre Sensory-Friendly Family Movie (price and time can vary by theater) | All Day | AMC Theatres, participating locations | |
| Free Document Shredding at Office Depot / Office Max | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| National Pretzel Day Freebies and Deals | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Tuck Fest | 8:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Free Tai Chi Class with Taiji Matthews | 9:00 am to 10:00 am | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| Treetops and Tombstones: Charlotte's Super Natural Arboretum | 9:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Elmwood/Pinewood Cemetery |
| Lydia's Prom Closet: open for free prom dresses, suits, shoes, accessories | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | First Baptist Church Huntersville |
| Día de los niños / Día de los libros -- storytelling, music, book giveaway, more... | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | ImaginOn |
| Earth Day Take-Back Event at Compost Central, including paper shredding | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Compost Central and Recycling Center |
| Caffeine and Chrome | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Gateway Classic Cars of Charlotte |
| Free paper shredding with Mecklenburg County (must reserve a time slot) | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Compost Central and Recycling Center |
| Second Chance at Innovation Barn: Thousands of pounds of free design samples | 9:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Earth Day Celebration | 9:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Queen City Code Quest (pre-registration required) | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Discovery Place Science |
| Mint Hill Rodeo | 9:00 am to 10:00 pm | $5.00-15.00 | McWhirter Rodeo Arena |
| Charlotte Doodle Meetup | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | $5.00 | Skiptown |
| NoDa History Tour | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Smelly Cat Coffee House |
| Saturday Morning Yoga | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | $5.00 | Lenny Boy Brewing Co. |
| Free class at Pike Nurseries: Beneficial Bugs | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Pike Nurseries, multiple locations |
| Hooked on Cornelius -- fishing event for kids | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Robbins Park, Cornelius |
| Creek and Street Clean-up | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Birdsong Brewing Co. |
| Kids Tomato Day Make and Take Event | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Blackhawk Hardware |
| Davidson Earth Day Festival | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | 35 Lorimer Road, Davidson |
| "Momma I Don't Want To Go To College" Skill & Trade Expo | 10:00 am to 1:00 pm | FREE | |
| Visit Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society Museum | 10:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society & Museum |
| The Gallery At Morning Star: Coffee with the Curators of "The Art of Remembering" | 10:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | The Gallery at Morning Star |
| NoDa Pottery Market Spring Event | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Pottery Market |
| 12th Annual Charlotte African-American Festival | 10:00 am to 7:00 pm | FREE | Carole Hoefener Center |
| Free Yoga | 10:00 am | FREE | Sycamore Brewing |
| Healthy Kids Day with Gaston County YMCA | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | Erwin Center, Gastonia |
| Pups and Pints Adoption Event and Fundraiser | 11:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Fonta Flora Brewery at Optimist Hall |
| Foothills Merry Go Round Festival in Shelby | 11:00 am to 8:00 pm | $10.00 | Shelby City Park |
| Nashville Nights: line dancing and more... | 11:00 am to 8:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Kannapolis |
| Free Store from Poor No More | 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Block Love CLT Day Service Center |
| G.O. B.I.G.: Free STEM Fair for Girls | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Greater Mt. Sinai Baptist Church |
| Shop the Yard! Pop Up Market at Victoria Yards | 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Victoria Yards |
| Dilworth Spring Festival and Cornhole Tournament (free admission; charge for cornhole tournament) | 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Penguin Drive-In |
| Garibaldi Festival in Belmont | 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Stowe Park, Belmont |
| Primal Spring Fling | 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery, Huntersville |
| BOOM Charlotte Fringe Festival (times tentative) | 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Shoppes at University Place |
| Primal Spring Fling | 12:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery Belmont |
| 3rd Annual TreeFest | 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | NoDa Brewing North End |
| BYOT (Bring Your Own Textile): Free screen printing at MacFly Fresh Printing Co. | 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | MacFly Fresh Printing Company |
| 'Tawba Walk Arts & Music Festival | 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Oak Street Mill |
| Family Chess Club at Mint Hill Library | 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Mint Hill Library |
| Live Music: Grayson Drum and Hiram Blue Grass Band | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Muddy River Distillery, Mount Holly |
| Live Music: Heidi Sidelinker and Edan Aldridge | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Neoteric Brewing Company |
| Huntersville Jazz Appreciation Concert | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Veterans Park (Huntersville) |
| Live Music: Sammy Morris | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Model A Brewing, Tega Cay |
| Public Reception for "Luminous" at Hodges Taylor | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Hodges Taylor Art Consultancy |
| Live Music: Rumor Mill | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery Belmont |
| Live Music: Elonzo Wesley | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery, Huntersville |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| Movies Under the Stars at Charlotte Premium Outlets: Moana 2 | 6:30 pm | FREE | Charlotte Premium Outlets |
| Live music: Billy Jones | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Summit Coffee, Basecamp, Davidson |
| Stonecrest Music at the Fountain Stage | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stonecrest at Piper Glen |
| 8th Anniversary with The Menders | 7:00 pm | FREE | Cavendish Brewing Company, Gastonia |
| Karaoke Night | 7:00 pm | FREE | Lore Brewing, Indian Land |
| Comedy Open Mic at Queen City Grounds | 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Queen City Grounds |
Sunday, April 27, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Charlotte Book Crawl | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| North Carolina Science Festival (events all month -- click for schedule) | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Tuck Fest | 7:45 am to 7:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Charlotte Comicon | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | $0-5.00 | Embassy Suites Concord |
| QC Fitness Games | 11:00 am to 12:15 pm | $5.00 | Veterans Park (Central Avenue) |
| Plant Swap & Shop | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Sugar Creek Brewing |
| UNC Charlotte STEAM Innovation Expo | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | UNC Charlotte |
| 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 |
| Plant and Seed Swap | 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Birdsong Brewing Co. |
| BOOM Charlotte Fringe Festival (times tentative) | 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Shoppes at University Place |
| Imagination Day: Meet and Greet | 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm | FREE | Cabarrus Brewing Company |
| Free professional spring photos at Camp North End (reservation required) | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| Best of Carolina Bridal Show | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | PINE (venue in NoDa) |
| Foothills Merry Go Round Festival in Shelby | 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm | $10.00 | Shelby City Park |
| Alpaca Farm Tours at Farm and Fleece Alpaca Ranch in Concord | 1:00 pm | $12.00 | Farm and Fleece Alpaca Ranch, Concord |
| Karaoke Idol Finale Judged by Kendall Schmidt of Big Time Rush | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Beer Lab by Ghostface Brewing |
| Free Tour at Torance House & Store | 2:00 pm | FREE | Hugh Torance House & Store |
| Soul Sundays (suggested $5 donation) | 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm | $5.00 | Starlight on 22nd |
| Bluegrass Jam Circle Hosted by Charlotte Folk Society | 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Petty Thieves Brewing Co. |
| Davidson's Concerts on the Green: The Davidson College Symphony & Jazz Ensemble | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Davidson Village Green |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| Free Comedy Open Mic at The Royal Tot | 7:00 pm | FREE | The Royal Tot |
