Printed from the Charlotte Observer - www.CharlotteObserver.com
Posted: Thursday, May. 17, 2012

Free Stuff: Art, festivals and other fun

By Jody Mace
Published in: On the Cheap

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Volkswagen

The Charlotte Transporter Show #9

8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Hodges Family Farm, 3900 Rocky River Road. 704-373-2745. piedmonttransporterowners.org/home.html

Dust off your love beads and tie dye and check out these 1950-1979 buses. Hundreds from up and down the East Coast will be participating in this free, family-friendly event. While you’re there, enjoy the farm: Fly a kite, throw a Frisbee and pet the animals.

Art

Art Museum Day

Friday, hours vary. Uptown art museums. ganttcenter.org, bechtler.org, and mintmuseum.org

The Mint Museums, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture are participating in the Association of Art Museum Directors’ Art Museum Day by offering free admission Friday. Visit the museum websites for information about exhibits and hours.

Festival

Charlotte Clean and Green Festival

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Elizabeth Park on Little Sugar Creek Greenway, Kings Drive between Fourth Street and Elizabeth Avenue. festival.charlottecleanandgreen.com

The festival offers fun for kids, including a fly-fishing clinic, puppet show, seed planting, “upcycling,” CD decorating, stepping stone creation and more. Adults can take classes including green cleaning and pest control, bike basics and solar technology. Learn about composting, organic gardening and vermiculture, and shop for locally grown produce and other products. Check out electric cars and enjoy local brews in a beer garden.

Music

Musical Petting Zoo

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday. ImaginOn, 300 East Seventh St. 704-416-4600. imaginon.org

Kids can get a close look at symphony instruments, listen to them and even try them out. The Musical Petting Zoo is presented by the Charlotte Symphony Guild.

History

Matheson Bridge Unveiling and NoDa Street Party

4-6 p.m. Saturday. Matheson Bridge in NoDa, at North Davidson and Matheson streets. 704-607-8766 mathesonbridge.com/events.html

If you’ve driven down North Davidson Street in the last year or so, you’ve probably noticed the mural being painted on the underside of Matheson Bridge. Painted by William Puckett, the mural commemorates the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence on May 20, 1775. Fittingly, the mural will be officially unveiled on Meck Dec Weekend. Other festivities at the street party will include the May 20th Society’s re-enactors firing their cannons and muskets; live bluegrass music; and a limited edition Captain Jack Pilsner from Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, with a label featuring Captain Jack, the local historic hero depicted on the mural.

WANT MORE FREE STUFF?Jody Mace runs CharlotteontheCheap.com and is a member of the Charlotte News Alliance, a network of hyperlocal websites.

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