The key to having a good night out in Charlotte is mixing things up. Do something different, or just go out and do something in general.
Whatever your nightlife routine is, I urge you to break it and step outside the box, and perhaps even your comfort zone.
You don’t have to look hard to find new faces or get some cultural enrichment in Charlotte.
Friday
Bike Night: McKoy’s Smokehouse & Saloon (4630 Old Pineville Road) hosts this party, where you can register to win a Harley from Harley Davidson of Charlotte in Matthews. Scoring free stuff always makes for a good evening. 3-7 p.m. 704-523-6330.
Lake Live at 5: It’s a patio block party surrounding the Dirty Martini (17036 Kenton Drive, Cornelius) featuring live music. 5-9 p.m. Free. 704-533-3054.
NoDa Art Crawl: A bar crawl through art galleries along North Davidson, plus for one night only Neighborhood Theater is having an All Arts Market with 70 plus local artists with live art exhibits, and live music while you peruse. 6-10 p.m. Free for shoppers. www.nodarioty.org.
The Odd Couple (Female Version): Instead of the poker party, this rendition of the comical play – staged by at Theatre Charlotte (501 Queens Road) – involves ladies gathering for Trivial Pursuit, and hilarity ensues. 8 p.m. (also Saturday and performances through June 24). $8-24. 704-376-3777.
Saturday
Brew Stash Bash: The inaugural event at the U.S. National Whitewater Center (5000 Whitewater Center Parkway) features Carolina breweries setting up shop and turning the park into an outdoor watering hole with beer sampling. The Farewell Drifters, Brown Bird, Matter of Fact, and Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons will perform live music. Starts at 1 p.m., but you can make a night out of it (I for one cannot start drinking during the day and make it until the evening!). Admission to the party is free, but it’s $5 per carload to park; beer tasting tickets cost extra. 704-391-3900.
