August marks the end of the summer (although it might not feel like it) and the beginning of the school year for many kids. There’s still lots to do in Charlotte in August.
Read on for some of the top events in the Charlotte area in August. Then keep reading for a day by day calendar of everything on Charlotte on the Cheap’s calendar in August, 2024.
We focus on the “free and cheap” so many of these events will be easy on your wallet.
Top Charlotte Events in August
Museums on Us
Bank of America’s “Museums on Us”
Date: The first weekend of the month — August 3 and 4, 2024
Time: Varies
Place: Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte Museum of History, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Cutlure, Mint Museum Randolph, and Mint Museum Uptown
Cost: Free for Bank of America or Merrill card holders
Features: If you have a Bank of America or Merrill credit or debit card, you can get into any of the above museums for free the first weekend of the month. Special exhibits might not be included in the free admission.
National Night Out
National Night Out Celebrations
Date: Most are on Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Time: Varies, but generally in the evening
Place: Multiple locations
Cost: Free
Features: National Night Out is a community-building event that is meant to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement. Each event is different, but all offer fun activities for kids, and, often, free food. At least eight of these events take place August 6 in the Charlotte area. Some don’t take place until October, though.
Free Yoga at Seoul Food Meat Company
Pop-Up Yoga Class
Date: Every Thursday in August, 2024
Time: 6 p.m.
Place: Seoul Food Meat Company (Mill District), 421 E 26th Street, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free
Features: Free yoga class with Yonder Yoga. Registration is required.
First Friday Open House at Clayworks
First Friday at Clayworks
Date: Friday, August 2, 2024
Time: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Place: Clayworks, 4506 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free
Features: Studio tours, gallery shopping, raku firing demonstration. Workshops are available, but have a cost associated with them and require pre-registrations.
Back to School Bashes
Back to School Bashes
Date: Multiple dates
Time: Varies by date
Place: Varies
Cost: Most are free
Features: Celebrate the end of summer and the start of the new school year at one of these events. Many include free school supplies.
VAPA Center Open Studios
VAPA Center Open Studios
Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024
Time: 12 to 8 p.m.
Place: VAPA Center, 700 N Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free
Features: The first Saturday of the month, VAPA Center hosts an open studio event. Tour the galleries and see what the tenant artists are up to.
NoDa Bizarre: All Arts Festival
NoDa Bizarre: All Arts Festival
Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024
Time: 3 to 8 p.m. (movie at 8:30 p.m.)
Place: Johnston YMCA, 3025 N Davidson Street, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free
Features: Live music, art market, neighborhood art quest, mural painting more. Stick around to watch “The Sandlot” at 8:30 p.m.
Optimist Hall’s 5th Anniversary Extravaganza
Optimist Hall’s 5th Anniversary Extravaganza
Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024
Time: 5 to 9 p.m.
Place: Optimist Hall, 1115 N Brevard Street, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free
Features: Celebrate the food hall’s 5th anniversary with a ferris wheel, musical swings, 3-lane slide, face painters, music and more.
Homegrown Melodies Charlotte Tour: Burnt Reeds
Burnt Reeds performing music by local composers and hip hop beats artist
Date: 11 dates in August
Time: Time varies
Place: Multiple locations, including community centers and libraries.
Cost: Free
Features: The local quintet Burnt Reeds (made of oboe, saxophone, clarinets and bassoon) are performing works written by local composers, along with a hip hop beats artist. Following the tour, the group will be recording the works and releasing a CD.
Front Porch Sundays
Front Porch Sundays
Date: Sunday, August 4, 2024
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Place: Atherton, 2104 South Boulevard, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free
Features: This monthly event features 100+ small businesses, food, fun, photo ops and more.
Providence Swing Dance
Providence Swing Dance Class and Open Dance Floor
Date: August 5 and 19, 2024
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
Place: Christ Lutheran Church, Providence Campus, 4519 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free
Features: Enjoy a free East Coast swing dance class, followed by an open swing dance floor, on the first and third Mondays of the month.
Summer Movie Programs
Weekday Summer Movie Programs
Date: Various weekdays
Time: Usually in the morning
Place: Several theaters
Cost: Price ranges from $1 to $3
Features: Six movie theaters and chains offer a summer family matinee program with low-priced tickets. It’s a great way to cool off during these hot days. Most of the summer movie programs end the first or second week of August.
2nd Friday Street Festival: Celebrate the Lake
Old Town Cornelius’ 2nd Friday Street Festival
Date: Friday, August 9, 2024
Time: 6 to 10 p.m.
Place: Oak Street Mill, 19725 Oak Street, Cornelius, NC
Cost: Free
Features: Live music, kids’ activities, food trucks, craft breweries, more.
American Legion World Series Festival
American Legion World Series Festival
Date: Saturday, August 10, 2024
Time: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Place: Downtown Shelby, NC
Cost: Free
Features: Shelby hosts the American Legion World Series, and it is celebrating with this festival, that features live music, a kids’ zone, a car show and more.
Hummingbird Week
Hummingbird Week
Date: August 12 to 18, 2024
Time: Various times
Place: Mecklenburg County Nature Centers
Cost: Most events are free
Features: Celebrate the migratory hummingbirds with special events at nature centers, including story times, habitat walks, kids’ educational activities and more. The highlight, bird banding with a hummingbird expert, takes place August 17 and 18, at Reedy Creek Nature Center. Registration is required.
Free Tuesday at Schiele Museum
Free Tuesday at Schiele Museum
Date: Tuesday, August 13
Time: 4 to 8 p.m.
Place: Schiele Museum of Natural History, 1500 E Garrison Blvd, Gastonia, NC
Cost: Free
Features: One afternoon and evening a month, visit the Schiele for free. No registration is required.
Hot Glass Alley Open Demo
Hot Glass Alley’s Open Demo
Date: Friday, August 16, 2024
Time: 6 to 9 p.m.
Place: Hot Glass Alley, 438 Atando Avenue, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free
Features: Watch an incredible piece of glass art be created, from start to finish.
Outdoor Concerts
Outdoor Concert Series
Date: Many dates
Time: Times vary
Place: Many locations
Cost: Most are free
Features: Charlotte’s huge calendar of outdoor concerts continue! Our expansive list can be perused by area or date.
CLT Burger Week
CLT Burger Week
Date: August 16 to 25, 2024
Time: Restaurants’ opening hours
Place: Various restaurants
Cost: $7
Features: During CLT Burger Week, 20+ restaurants in the Charlotte area will offer a specialty burger for $7. You’ll have the chance to vote for your favorites and win prizes.
NC BeachBlast Festival
NC BeachBlast Festival in City of Kings Mountain
Date: Saturday, August 17, 2024
Time: 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Place: Patriots Park, 220 S Railroad Avenue, Kings Mountain, NC
Cost: Free
Features: Live beach music, kids’ activities, watermelon eating contest, rides and inflatables and more.
Outdoor Movies
Outdoor Movies
Date: Many dates
Time: Usually at dusk
Place: Many locations
Cost: Free
Features: The summer of free outdoor movies continues! Check out our day by day list for movies at parks, breweries, shopping centers, churches and more. Many movies are for the whole family. There are often special features, like free retro video games, too.
Charlotte Pride Parade and Festival
Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade
Date: Festival is August 17 and 28, 2024. The parade is August 18, 2024.
Time: Festival is 12 to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 12 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The parade is 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Place: The festival is along Tryon Street between Good Samaritan Way and Fourth Street. The parade is on Tryon Street between Fourth and Ninth Streets.
Cost: Free
Features: Charlotte Pride’s two-day LGBTQ cultural festival includes a variety of national, regional, and local entertainers, musicians, bands, and hundreds of participating vendor booths, including art exhibits, local nonprofits, retailers, a food court, and more.
Repair Cafe North Carolina
Repair Cafe North Carolina
Date: Saturday, August 17, 2024
Time: 1 to 5 p.m.
Place: Innovation Barn, 932 Seigle Avenue, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free
Features: At this free community event, you can bring in small appliances, lamps, jewelry, fans, clocks, toys, electronics, and more, and partner with volunteers, who will help you repair your items.
Free Admission Evening at Stowe Botanical Garden
Free Admission Evening at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Time: 4 to 7 p.m.
Place: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, 6500 South New Hope Road, Belmont, NC
Cost: Free
Features: This is one of three free admission events this summer.
Fairies in the Forest
Fairies in the Forest
Date: Friday, August 23, 2024
Time: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Place: UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens, 9090 Craver Road, Charlotte, NC
Cost: $5 in advance, and $7 at the event, if available. Free for Garden members and children under age 5
Features: Kids can meet fairies, explore the trails, make fairy accessories and encounter enchanted discoveries in the forest garden.
Charlotte Tacos ‘n Taps
Charlotte Tacos ‘n Taps
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2024
Time: 12 to 5 p.m.
Place: Ballantyne’s Backyard, 11611 N Community House Road, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Starts at $39, but use promo code CHEAPTACO20 for 20% off
Features: All you care to taste experience with over 60+ craft beers, tequilas, margaritas and more.
Matthews Alive
Matthews Alive
Date: Friday, August 30, to Monday, September 2, 2024
Time: 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday; 1 to 10 p.m. on Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday. Parade is 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Place: John and Trade Streets in Matthews, NC
Cost: Admission is free. Pay for rides, games, and inflatable attractions
Features: Live music on three stages, rides, games, art market, kids’ zone and Labor Day parade.
Plaza Midwood Summer Series
Plaza Midwood Summer Series
Date: Saturday, August 31, 2024
Time: 5 to 9 p.m.
Place: 1600 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC
Cost: Free
Features: Live music, games, shopping, food for purchase
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