Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | Dec. 25-31
Editor’s note: During the COVID-19 modified stay-at-home order in North Carolina, mass gatherings are limited to 10 people inside and 50 outside. Outdoor and entertainment venues, amusement parks and bars also have capacity limits. Additionally, all North Carolinians are required to stay at home and travel only for work or to obtain essential goods or services during the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. each day. When arriving at an event, please use your best judgment about crowd size and safety and leave if it appears you cannot socially distance properly. It’s up to all of us to prevent community spread of the coronavirus.
Friday
After you’re done opening presents, go outside and explore Charlotte on a socially distanced self-guided Walking Tour. These walking tours are about 1-2 miles and showcase different Charlotte neighborhoods. Free. http://bit.ly/2KHPWgi
Saturday
Enjoy a post-Christmas brunch delivered to your home. Snooze Eatery is offering free delivery through Dec. 27 for orders over $20. Surprise the family with a pancake flight, a breakfast pot pie or other favorites from the restaurant’s brunch-themed menu. 6:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m. https://www.snoozeeatery.com/
Grab a virtual beer with your friends and enjoy your favorite holiday flavors while you still can. Pick up a crowler of festive Cranpus Cranberry Farmhouse Ale or Winter Vibes Winter Ale from Wooden Robot and enjoy while catching up with friends at home via Zoom. 1440 S. Tryon St. and 416 E. 36th St. Noon-9 p.m. https://woodenrobotbrewery.com/
Sunday
Get some exercise while beautifying our city with NoDa Brewing’s Sunday Runday Plogging. Run 1 or 3 miles while helping pick up trash. Then join the run club for a second run, or if you’ve gotten enough exercise you can hang out in the taproom with a cold beer. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 2921 N. Tryon St. Free admission. https://bit.ly/2W8VvXs
See a virtual Soul Holidays performance from The Mayhue Bostic Group, live from The Cube. The concert will be hosted by Jazz N Soul Music’s Dr. Zapp and Charlotte area poets and performance artists. Register 24 hours in advance to get the livestream link. 7 p.m. Free admission with preregistration. https://bit.ly/2JRiUKC
Monday
Have fun and give back with a game of virtual poker with your friends on the streaming platform of your choice. Let the winner donate the winnings to a local charity of your choice.
Tuesday
Skate around on an ice rink in the heart of Old Town Rock Hill at the Founder’s Holiday Ice Rink. Make sure to reserve your tickets in advance to secure your spot. Admission includes one hour of skating and skate rental. 2-9 p.m. 205 Saluda St. Rock Hill. $10. https://www.onlyinoldtown.com/icerink
Wednesday
Watch the Wake Forest Demon Deacons take on the Wisconsin Badgers at the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. You can get a ticket to see the game live at the Bank of America Stadium, or catch the game from home on ESPN. Noon. 800 S. Mint St. Tickets start at $60.60. https://bit.ly/3qS4tGA
Pick up a five-course meal at Leah and Louise, complete with grilled ribeye steak with beef fat butter, hoppin john, a dessert, champagne toast and a set of instructions to set up your meal to enjoy at home on New Years Eve. 301 Camp Road. $180 for two people. https://www.leahandlouise.com/
If seafood is your thing, you can order a New Years Eve four-course takeout feast, featuring salad, surf and turf and a decadent dessert from Sea Level until noon on Dec. 30. As an added bonus, each dinner includes a bottle of champagne and a Manhattan cocktail kit with the option to add on additional oysters and wine. $150 for two people. 129 E. 5th St. https://www.sealevelnc.com/nye-menu
Thursday
Check out the CharlotteFive guide to New Year’s Eve, which includes the ideas below and others. https://bit.ly/2LKJe9L
Run away from 2020 – literally – by signing up for the U.S. National Whitewater Center’s New Year’s Eve Trail Race. This year’s race, which is following a dispersed race model to accommodate COVID-19 protocol, will offer an evening run on Dec. 31 and a second morning run on Jan. 1. Entry fee is $40. http://usnwc.org
Concord-based musical group The Avett Brothers perform live on New Year’s Eve each year, and 2020 will be no exception. This year, you can tune in to a The Avett Brothers New Year’s Eve Virtual Concert and watch the show safely from home. Each ticket includes 48-hour access in case you can’t join in live. 8 p.m. $39.99 per screen or $49.99 for HD/4K. http://bit.ly/2KqqgVx
Information for this article was contributed by A.W. Geiger.