Top 10 things you MUST do in March
Slowly but surely, we’re inching our way toward warmer weather and sunnier skies in Charlotte. Here are the must-do events that will get you through the remainder of winter and the beginning of spring as we roll through March:
(1) BB&T Corporate Cup 5K & Half Marathon
Saturday, March 9. 7:40 a.m. for the half marathon and relay, 8:15 a.m. for the 5K. Uptown Charlotte, MLK Blvd. and Tryon St. Registration starts at $35.
One of Charlotte’s oldest races is back for its 40th year! Whether you’re ready run run 13.1 miles on your own, split the distance with friends in the relay or looking to join in on the 3.1-mile route, there’s a race option for you — and your participation will help raise money for the YMCA to continue to offer programs for kids and teens. Find out more details (or register yourself or a team) here.
(2) 13th Annual Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival: Mac & Cheese Edition
Saturday, March 9. 2 – 6 p.m. AvidXchange Music Factory, 1000 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd. Tickets start at $40.
Enjoy unlimited samples of more than 60 beers and more than 40 types of bourbon in addition to sampling plenty of BBQ and (for the first time this year!) mac and cheese to the sounds of live bluegrass at the annual Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival. There will even be seminars in the “Tasting Theater” with master distillers, brewmasters and pitmasters so you can learn about your favorite indulgences from the experts that craft them for your consumption. Learn more here.
(3) 7th Annual RunJenRun 5K
Saturday, March 9. 8 a.m. Symphony Park, 4400 Sharon Rd. Registration starts at $15.
Spend your Saturday morning at SouthPark’s beautiful Symphony Park running and raising money for an awesome cause: assisting people in their fight against breast cancer. The 5K is open to both adults and children. Not a runner? You can either show up and participate in the untimed, one-mile “Fun Run” or you can stay home and sleep in with the “Virtual Runner” option, which allows you to fundraise without getting any miles in. Find details and register here.
(4) 10th Annual Green River Revival at the USNWC
Saturday, March 16. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. U.S. National Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy. Free.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the great outdoors at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, where the waters will run as green as your spring-loaded shamrock headbands. The annual Green River Revival festival will begin with the Color Me Green 5K Trail Run, where runners will be bombarded with green dye as they run 3.1 miles through the trails at the USNWC.
After the race ends, there will be all kinds of other fun festivities going on including yoga, live music from the River Jam stage and, of course, the highly anticipated moment when the whitewater rapids turn green. Learn more here.
(5) Rich and Bennett’s 19th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl
Saturday, March 16. 12 – 10 p.m. 300 N. Brevard St. Tickets start at $20.
Maybe spending St. Patrick’s Day drinking your way through the city is more your speed. If that’s the case, you’re in luck: you can join in on the World’s Largest Pub Crawl! People actually travel to Charlotte from Europe, South America and more to “paint the town green” with Rich & Bennett at a whopping 38 bars throughout Uptown at this annual crawl. If you’ve never been before, now’s your chance! Wish your livers good luck from me. Find out more here.
(6) Charlotte Checkers $1 Beer Night
Wednesday, March 20. 7 p.m. 2700 E. Independence Blvd. Tickets start at $18.
Watch the Charlotte Checkers (did you know they’re currently stand at No. 1 in the Atlantic Division of the AHL?) take on the Syracuse Crunch at this Wednesday home game. Bonus: enjoy $1 beers all night long and get a free ticket to the next Wednesday home game if the Checkers win! More details here.
(7) VolunCHEERS: South End Clean Up
Sunday, March 24. 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. 222 E. Bland St. Free.
You hang out in South End for the bars, breweries, boutiques and more — but now is your chance to help give back to the community. Starting at the Bland Street light rail station, participants will use supplies provided by Keep Charlotte Beautiful to clean up South End from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The first 50 volunteers 21 and over will receive a free custom t-shirt and a complimentary beer ticket to be used at the after-party, aka the “Volunteer Appreciation Event” at The Union from 12 – 2 p.m. (which will also include free chips and guacamole from Bakersfield and more than $1000 in raffle prizes). Learn more about how to get involved here.
(8) SEED20 OnStage 2019
Sunday, March 25. 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. Tickets start at $65.
Each fall, local start-ups and non-profits have the chance to apply to the SEED20 program. Once the application period ends, 20 lucky organizations will be selected to receive two months of individual and group coaching from SEED20. The 20 selected will learn the most effective ways to pitch their organizations, practice their pitches in front of a group of coaches to receive direct feedback, and will work with an individual coach distilling the feedback and refining their pitches into a crisp three-minute presentation.
These efforts culminate on Monday, March 25 at SEED20 OnStage, a high-energy event where 10 members of this year’s SEED20 class will compete to win cash awards by making three-minute pitches to a panel of judges and a community audience. Attendee ticket costs include access to watch these high-energy pitch presentations, as well as drinks, dinner and mingling before and after the event. Learn more (and get your tickets) here.
(9) 4th Annual Sugar Shock
Sunday, March 25. 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Project 658, 3646 Central Ave. $75.
Have a sweet tooth? We’ve got your perfect excuse to have dessert for dinner. Each of the six courses in this delectable dinner will feature its own cocktail pairing, brought to you by Kel Minton of Soul Gastrolounge and Tamu Curtis of Liberate Your Palate. See the full menu here, or register now here.
(10) Dancing With the Stars of Charlotte to Benefit the Pink House
Saturday, March 30. 7:30 p.m. Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. $125.
Expect all the glitz, glamor and gorgeous dance moves you’ve seen on the beloved television show, but right here in Charlotte — and benefiting a good cause! Local stars paired with professional dancers will perform for judges while audience members vote for their favorite pair by contributing a donation to Carolina Breast Friends. Every dollar equals a vote! At the night’s end, a mirror ball trophy will be awarded to the top fundraiser, the highest-scoring dancer and the biggest crowd pleaser. Get your tickets here.
This story was originally published February 28, 2019 at 9:03 PM with the headline "Top 10 things you MUST do in March."