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
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. |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Monday, April 28, 2025
Tuesday, April 29, 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 |
| Half Price Bays at Topgolf (2 locations) | All Day | $15.00-30.00 | Various locations |
| Library Mobile Food Pantry with Hope Street Food Pantry (click to see location each week) | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Various locations |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: Senior Dance Class | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Sugaw Creek Recreation Center |
| Drop-In Dance Class from Charlotte Ballet: Jazz Fitness | 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm | FREE | Northern Regional Recreation Center |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Charlotte's Home for Champions League | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Sugar Creek Brewing |
| IKEA: Pot-a-plant for Earth Month | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | IKEA |
| Local's Night & Board Games | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Piedmont Social House |
| $2 Off Tuesdays | 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Petty Thieves Brewing Co. |
| Bring Your Own Vinyl Night | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Divine Barrel Brewing |
| Free class with Charlotte Cirque & Dance: Juggling 101 | 6:00 pm to 6:50 pm | FREE | Berewick Recreation Center |
| Be Well Birkdale: Free workout series | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| Free class with Charlotte Cirque & Dance: African Dance | 7:00 pm to 7:50 pm | FREE | Berewick Recreation Center |
| Dart League at Primal Huntersville | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery, Huntersville |
| Dart League at Primal Belmont | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery Belmont |
| Name the Music at Wobbly Butt Tap Room & Eatery | 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Victory Lanes, Mooresville |
| Comedy Open Mic at Starlight on 22nd | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Starlight on 22nd |
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students: buy one ticket get one free at Independent Picture House on Wednesdays | All Day | Discounted | Independent Picture House |
| Greater Charlotte Book Crawl | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| North Carolina Science Festival (events all month -- click for schedule) | All Day | FREE | Various locations |
| Wine Wednesday -- half priced bottles of wine | All Day | Discounted | Olde Mecklenburg Brewery — LoSo |
| Birkdale Buds -- activities for preschool children | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| Charlotte's Home for Champions League | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Sugar Creek Brewing |
| East Charlotte Farmers' Market | 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm | FREE | McLawland Farms |
| Chess Club at Matthews Library | 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Matthews Library |
| Wednesday Night Live: Free admission to Uptown museums | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Various locations |
| Silent Book Club at Troubadour Booksellers | 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | Troubadour Booksellers |
| 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 |
| Open Mic Night | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Muddy River Distillery, Mount Holly |
| Adult (Off)Color Coloring Night | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Red Clay Ciderworks |
| Charlotte Craft Circle | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Petty Thieves Brewing Co. |
| The OG Boot Camp | 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | Lenny Boy Brewing Co. |
| Brewhouse Yoga | 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm | $5.00 | Sugar Creek Brewing |
| Games with Glen | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Eleven Lakes Brewing, Cornelius |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Wednesday Night Yoga | 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm | $5.00 | Lenny Boy Brewing Co. |
