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
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walgreens Senior Day: 20% off for rewards members age 55+ | All Day | Walgreens (multiple 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 |
| Front Porch Sundays | 10:30 am to 4:30 pm | FREE | Atherton Mill |
| 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 |
| $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 |
| Be Well Birkdale: Free workout series | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| ONE Band with Charlotte is Creative | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Divine Barrel Brewing |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| Tosco Music Open Mic | 6:30 pm | $5.36 | The Evening Muse |
| Dart League at Primal Huntersville | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery, Huntersville |
| Bunco at Hoptown | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Hoptown Brewing Company, Mooresville |
| 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 |
| Piano Karaoke & Sing Along with Ryan Stamey | 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm | $5.00 | Petra’s |
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students: buy one ticket get one free at Independent Picture House on Wednesdays | All Day | Discounted | Independent Picture House |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Yoga for Mental Health | 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm | FREE | HopeWay |
| 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 |
| Bunco! | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Eleven Lakes Brewing, Cornelius |
| 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. |
Thursday, May 8, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shred Day in Stallings | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | 2725 Old Monroe Road, Stallings |
| 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: Senior Ballet | 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Northern Regional Recreation Center |
| Chess Free Play at Mountain Island Library | 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm | FREE | Mountain Island Library |
| Hope Street Food Pantry Food Distribution | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Hope Street Food Pantry |
| The Square Table: Community Chess | 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm | FREE | Sugar Creek Library |
| SouthPark After 5: Bourbon Sons | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Symphony Park |
| Music at the Met | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Metropolitan |
| Weekly Ping Pong Club | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Anne Springs Close Greenway's Rooted Rhythm Concert Series: Next Level Band of Charlotte | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | $7.00 | Anne Springs Close Greenway |
| Charlotte Fit Fam | 6:00 pm | FREE | HopFly Brewing Company |
| Thursdays on Main: Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot | 6:00 pm | FREE | Veterans Park (Kannapolis) |
| Music on Main in Pineville: Rod Fiske | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | FREE | Historic Downtown Pineville |
| 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) |
| Live music: Colby Dobbs & The Matthews House Cats | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Moo & Brew, Matthews |
| Beer and Boardgames | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery Belmont |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| 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 |
| WDAV's Small Batch Concert Series: Alan Mearns, classical guitar (choose your own price) | 7:00 pm | FREE | Free Range Brewing |
| Trivia at Pilot Brewing | 7:00 pm | FREE | Pilot Brewing |
| Line Dancing at The Rose, including a lesson for beginners | 8:30 pm to 11:59 pm | FREE | The Rose Honky Tonk |
Friday, May 9, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston County OTC Medicine Giveaway and Community Event | 9:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | First United Methodist Church, Gastonia |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 9:00 am | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Food Truck Friday at Resident Culture Brewing | 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm | FREE | Resident Culture Brewing Plaza Midwood |
| Live at the Amp: Journeyman (Tribute to Eric Clapton) | 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm | $15.00 | The Amp, Ballantyne |
| University City Food Truck Friday | 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Armored Cow Brewing |
| Gothic Punk Night Market | 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Cavendish Brewing Company, Gastonia |
| Live Under the Oaks music series | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Birkdale Village |
| Live Music: OldSkool | 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Lost Worlds Brewing, Cornelius |
| 2nd Friday Street Festival in Old Town Cornelius -- Kickoff Celebration | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Oak Street Mill |
| South End Food Truck Friday | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Hi-Wire Brewing Charlotte |
| Matthews Summerfest | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| Tianyu Lights Festival (promo code for 15% off) | 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm | Discounted | Concord Mills |
| Stonecrest Music at the Fountain Stage | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stonecrest at Piper Glen |
| 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 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 |
| Movie Night at Rea Farms: Freaky Friday | 7:00 pm | FREE | Rea Farms |
| 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 |
| CabCo Movie Series: Inside Out | 8:00 pm | FREE | Cabarrus Brewing Company |
Saturday, May 10, 2025
| Event | Time | Price | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tega Cay's Best Dam Food Festival | 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Catawba Park, Tega Cay |
| AMC theatre Sensory-Friendly Family Movie (price and time can vary by theater) | All Day | AMC Theatres, participating locations | |
| Free Rabies Clinic at Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control | 8:00 am to 10:45 am | FREE | CMPD Animal Care and Control |
| Lydia's Prom Closet: open for free prom dresses, suits, shoes, accessories | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | First Baptist Church Huntersville |
| Shred Day in Indian Trail | 9:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | Indian Trail Town Hall |
| 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. |
| Free yoga class at Blakeney | 10:00 am to 11:00 am | FREE | Blakeney |
| Eastside Farm and Community Day -- free petting zoo, farm tours, more... | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | FREE | Various locations |
| Visit Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society Museum | 10:00 am to 3:00 pm | FREE | Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society & Museum |
| Trail of History Festival | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Elizabeth Park |
| Moms: free admission to Carolina Raptor Center on Mother's Day Weekend | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Carolina Raptor Center |
| 7th Annual Foothills Folk Art Festival in Newton | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | FREE | Downtown Newton, NC |
| Carolina Clay Matters Spring Pottery Festival | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm | FREE | Camp North End |
| Matthews Summerfest | 10:00 am to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stumptown Park, Matthews |
| Free Yoga | 10:00 am | FREE | Sycamore Brewing |
| Charlemos Charlotte Language Exchange Program | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | South Boulevard Library |
| JCPenney Kids Zone: free crafts for kids | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | FREE | JCPenney, participating locations |
| Echoes of Africa: Free West African Dance Workshop | 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm | FREE | Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center |
| Free Public Tour of Innovation Barn | 1:00 pm | FREE | Innovation Barn |
| Mother's Day Weekend Cinderella Meet and Greet | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | FREE | Carolina Mall, Concord |
| Karaoke Night and Fundraiser | 2:00 pm to 11:00 pm | FREE | Cavendish Brewing Company, Gastonia |
| Family Chess Club at Mint Hill Library | 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm | FREE | Mint Hill Library |
| Mocktail Class — Craft refreshing non-alcoholic drinks | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | FREE | Steele Creek Community Place |
| Spring Starving Artist Market at High Branch Brewing | 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | High Branch Brewing (Gibson Mill, Concord) |
| Nebel's Alley Night Market | 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Superica |
| Davidson's Concerts on the Green: The Chain | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | FREE | Davidson Village Green |
| Rockin' The Burg | 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Harrisburg Park |
| Live Music: Chris Wayne | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | FREE | Primal Brewery Belmont |
| Live Music: Crystal Fountains | 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 |
| Stonecrest Music at the Fountain Stage | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | Stonecrest at Piper Glen |
| River Jam live music series (free admission; parking is $12) | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | FREE | U.S. National Whitewater Center |
| Stories Under the Stars: Shadow Puppets | 7:00 pm | FREE | Swanee Theatre, Kannapolis |
| Comedy Open Mic at Queen City Grounds | 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm | FREE | Queen City Grounds |
