Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | Aug. 19-25
Friday
Kick off your weekend at Queen City Jam Sessions, a multi-day music festival happening all weekend long, presented by MaxxMusic and NoDa Brewing Company. See Greensky Bluegrass, Oteil and Friends, Infamous Stringdusters and more at NoDa Brewing. General admission three-day pass: $189. VIP pass: $299 (includes express entrance, premier seating, two beers per day and private bar access). Admission is free for children under 7. Purchase tickets online. NoDa Brewing Company, 2921 N. Tryon St. https://bit.ly/3ENznYk
Celebrate National Sandwich Month before it’s over with Metro Diner’s BBQ pulled pork sandwich with a coleslaw topping served on a toasted brioche bun, or if you’re more liberal with how you define a “sandwich,” a BBQ pulled pork quesadilla layered in a sundried tomato tortilla shell. Multiple locations. Pro tip: You can find more ways to mark the occasion with CharlotteFive’s list of 15 sandwiches you won’t find boring. https://bit.ly/3w4FPGS
Saturday
Experience rooftop views, hors d’oeuvres and canapés tastings and rosés from around the world at Rosé Fest on the Roof at Cloud Bar by David Burke. Aug. 20. 5-7 p.m. Purchase tickets online: $45 (tax and gratuity not included). 555 S. McDowell St. https://bit.ly/3vRCuuJ
Fill up on tacos and tequila at Tacos ‘N Taps Festival. The festival will feature over 60 craft beers, mezcals, margaritas and tequilas, along with over 30 different types of tacos, mariachi bands, hot pepper eating contests and more. Noon-5 p.m. VIP: $75; general admission: $39; taco-only ticket: $30. Ballantyne’s Backyard, 11611 N. Community House Road. https://bit.ly/3MYUYPS
Head to Uptown for Day 1 of the official Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade. Find live entertainment, vendor booths, art exhibits and a food court in The PNC Bank Festival Zone, as well as additional free events nearby including Flourish: A Celebration of LGBTQ Arts & Culture at the Bechtler Museum from 1-5 p.m. Free. Saturday from noon-10 p.m., and Sunday from noon-6 p.m. https://bit.ly/3bIUDUJ
[READ NEXT: Charlotte Pride is returning this weekend. Here’s how you can volunteer]
Sunday
Celebrate Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ community at the return of the Charlotte Pride Parade, back in full-scale for the first time since 2019. More than 40 floats and 170 groups will paint the town rainbow as they make their way down Tryon Street. Arrive early to grab your spot along the parade route, and catch an early pre-parade show with returning parade emcees Delighted Tobehere and Malachi. Free. 1-4 p.m. https://bit.ly/3bIUDUJ
[RELATED: Charlotte Pride month is back in full force. Here’s where to celebrate.]
Help local families get back-to-school ready while enjoying live music, giveaways, activities for kids and more at Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts’ second annual Queen City School Supply Drive. If you’re unable to attend, but still want to donate, just follow the instructions on how to do so online. 1-4 p.m. Free. Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts, 1030 Woodward Ave. Register online. https://bit.ly/3JTimya
Enjoy the beautiful garden along with live music and a cash bar at Alexander Homestead’s Summer Open House event. Free. 1-4 p.m. Alexander Homestead, 4717 Shamrock Drive. https://bit.ly/3poXZPS
Monday
Skip the driving and grab a lift to dinner via the light rail. For suggestions on where to eat, check out our list of restaurants along the Lynx Blue Line, Charlotte’s 18.9-mile, 26-station light rail system that runs from I-485 at South Boulevard to UNC Charlotte’s main campus in University City. https://bit.ly/3QGTyf5
Tuesday
Enjoy a five-course meal with craft beer pairings at “Damn, That’s Delicious! A Beer Dinner with Resident Culture & Jimmy Pearls.” While the full menu created by Jimmy Pearls’ co-owners chef Oscar Johnson and chef Daryl Cooper will be a surprise, you can expect dishes inspired by African American culinary history, as well as Johnson’s and Cooper’s family traditions. 6-9 p.m. $85 per person. Purchase tickets online. Resident Culture, 2101 Central Ave. https://bit.ly/3bV7naT
Wednesday
Bring more mindfulness into your life and explore art more deeply by attending a “Mindful Looking” session at The Mint Museum Uptown, led by a professional educator and Mint docent discussing Hoss Hailey’s work, “White Ripple*”. 6:30-7:15 p.m. Free. Registration required. Register online. Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St. https://bit.ly/3dvHoXY
Thursday
Savor the summer evening outdoors at Optimist Hall’s Concert in the Courtyard, featuring live music from local musician, Kris Hitchcock. Free. 5:30-8:30. Before you go, plan out your dinner with CharlotteFive’s guide to Optimist Hall restaurants and shops. https://bit.ly/3zexBgk
Mark your calendar
Tickets are selling fast for The LoSo Pup Crawl, presented by the Charlotte Beer Collective and benefiting Friends of CMAS/CMPD Animal Care & Control. Meet adoptable pets while enjoying limited-release dog-themed beers, live music, professional pet photography, a dog plunge pool and obstacle course, prizes for the best-dressed dog, best dog trick and more. Aug. 27, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $35. Purchase tickets online. Protagonist LoSo, 227 Southside Drive. https://bit.ly/3JRKnGB
Charlotte International Arts Festival, Blumenthal Performing Arts’ new festival kicks off this fall from Sept. 16-Oct. 2. The festival will be a celebration of imaginative visual and performing arts from international and local artists, offering something for everyone with over 200 ticketed and free events at various locations around the city. Purchase tickets online. https://bit.ly/3p7bjZ7
Get ready to fill up your coffee cup at Charlotte’s first and only craft coffee festival, No Filter Coffee Fest, returning Sept. 25 after a two-year hiatus. Formerly known as the POUR Coffee Festival, the day-long tasting event will feature over three dozen Southeastern coffee roasters, tea purveyors, local food artisans, live music and more. Tickets on sale now. $25. Purchase online. Camp North End, 300 Camp Road. https://bit.ly/3xAZnmt
[READ NEXT: The votes are in. Here’s the best coffee shop in Charlotte, according to you.]
Secure tickets for the Farm to Fork Picnic in the Garden on Sept. 25 at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. The event pairs more than 30 local chefs and food producers to celebrate locally sourced foods and drinks with live music and samples. Proceeds will support agriculture and food system training programs at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and farmer grants at Piedmont Culinary Guild. 4-7 p.m. Tickets are $110 or $50 for children 6-12. 6500 South New Hope Road, Belmont. https://bit.ly/3PCXUnz
The Carolina Renaissance Festival is back with several changes this year. Be sure to grab your tickets on the festival website this year, as they are date specific and limited in supply. Tickets will be available at the box office day of only if they are not sold out in advance. Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Oct. 1-Nov. 20. $32 for adults; $20 for kids (5-12); free for kids 4 and under. Purchase tickets online. 16445 Poplar Tent Road. https://bit.ly/3PaLrpZ
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