Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | Jan. 13-19

Friday, Jan. 13

Enjoy live music from Makenzie Loudermilt while you chow down on a barbecue dinner of ribs or hickory smoked pork and $5 B.O.M. drafts at Mac’s Speed Shop. 6-8 p.m. 19601 Liverpool Pkwy., Cornelius. bit.ly/3IDnhoh

Sing along with Grammy Award-winning rapper, singer and songwriter Future. The Charlotte stop on his Future & Friends Tour concert, featuring surprise supporting acts, starts at the Spectrum Center at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $58.50. 333 E. Trade St. bit.ly/3jXWKb7

Saturday, Jan. 14

Grab a pair of headphones and dance with Birdsong Brewing at its Silent Disco event. The free party, featuring tunes from the ‘80s and ‘90s and hip-hop, will celebrate the limited release of its Honey Pie Double IPA brew. Honey Pie is brewed with 500 pounds of local Cloister Honey. 6:30-9:30 p.m. 1016 N. Davidson St. bit.ly/3VYmfGv

Cheer for either one of the worst teams in the NBA — the Charlotte Hornets (11 wins against 31 losses) — or the one that’s currently the absolute best — the Boston Celtics — when the two teams square off in the first of two games at Spectrum Center. The 30-12 Celtics are led by three-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum and veteran point guard Marcus Smart. Tickets start at $52 for Saturday night’s 7 p.m. matchup; or, if you’re free Monday afternoon, you can get a seat for the 1 p.m. matinee for as low as $22 (plus fees). 333 E. Trade St. bit.ly/3QtUBQJ

Celebrate the new year with a free, family friendly event featuring a magician, photo booth, live music, food trucks, a giant soccer kick and more at the Mooresville’s 150th anniversary kick-off fireworks spectacular. 4-7 p.m., with fireworks starting at 7 p.m. A free shuttle service will run continuously from Merino Mill at 500 S. Main St. and The Cove Church at 197 Langtree Road, starting at 4 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m. Langtree Lake Norman, 401 Langtree Road, Mooresville. bit.ly/3YJKIlt

Sunday, Jan. 15

Find a partner and play in the Lake Norman Euchre Tournament at Lost Worlds Brewing. For a $20 entry fee, you can join in this single elimination card game and find out who is Lake Norman’s best set of players. Noon-4 p.m. 19700-D One Norman Blvd, Cornelius. bit.ly/3X1T9rk

Honor the civil rights work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Atrium Health Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration, hosted by the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. At 2:30 p.m., a unity march will begin at the intersection of Tryon and Montford Point Street and end at the statue of King in Marshall Park. The free event will conclude with a wreath memorial to honor King’s legacy at 3 p.m. If you can’t go in person, the event will also air at 7 p.m. Monday on WBTV, Charlotte’s CBS affiliate. bit.ly/3k4Z54d

Enjoy famous works from African American composers such as James Weldon Johnson, Robert Owens and Florence Price at Opera Carolina’s MLK concert. 4 p.m. Registration is required for the free event, and a reception with refreshments will follow the concert. Caldwell Presbyterian Church, 1609 E. 5th St. bit.ly/3k4Z54d

Monday, Jan. 16

Make reservations for Queen’s Feast: Charlotte Restaurant Week, taking place Friday, Jan. 20, through Sunday, Jan. 29. More than 90 restaurants around the Charlotte metro area will offer three-course, prix fixe dining deals costing $30-$45 per person. Multiple locations. bit.ly/3ipdKqe

Hear a free concert by Organ at Davidson, which will present French music in a joint recital of by Katie Ann McCarty, director of traditional music and organist at South Park Church in Charlotte, and David Brinson, director of music at Davidson College Presbyterian Church. 7:30-9 p.m. Davidson College Presbyterian Church, 100 N. Main St. in Davidson. bit.ly/3ZsVLjm

Tuesday, Jan. 17

Try a new fitness class at a discount. Whether you want to mix up your exercise routine with boxing, cycling, group classes or yoga, there’s a Charlotte gym with January specials for new members. Multiple locations and pricing offers. bit.ly/3WZ9s7Y

Get outside for Hoptown Brewing and the Lowe’s YMCA’s weekly Tuesday night run — or walk. (It goes on rain, shine, cold, hot, snow or otherwise.) You can choose a 1 mile, 2.5 mile or 5K distance to earn beer and a Run Club shirt, along with a free month at the Lowe’s YMCA. Strollers and dogs on leashes are welcome to join the group, which leave Hoptown at 6:30 p.m. sharp. 107 Plantation Ridge Drive, Mooresville. bit.ly/3XhN7lZ

Wednesday, Jan. 18

Extend the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebration with “Together We Rise,” a performance by the Charlotte Symphony led by resident conductor Christopher James Lees. The show will explore themes of freedom, strength, and justice through works by a diverse range of composers, including the world premiere of Queens composer-in-residence Malek Jandali’s “Elegy.” Tickets are $10-$55. and 7:30 p.m. Sarah Belk Gambrell Center at Queens University, 2319 Wellesley Ave. bit.ly/3YUSB7O

Thursday, Jan. 19

Start off your day with a latte or a mocha from the Bean Catcher mobile coffee bar, which will be parked all week at Lake Norman Garden Center from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. The brews are made with beans by Black Powder Coffee, a Carolina small batch craft coffee roaster. 1484 Mecklenburg Hwy., Mooresville. bit.ly/3vSFOpd

Mark your calendar

Attend a nonalcoholic drinks festival hosted by the Counterculture Club on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 3-8 p.m. at Camp North End. Early bird tickets for the Counterculture Festival are on sale now, starting at $30, plus $3.46 in fees, or $88 plus $6.99 in fees for VIP tickets that include early admission, a deluxe gift bag and personal tarot reading. 300 Camp Road. www.instagram.com/counterculture_club

See a performance of George and Ira Gershwin’s “Porgy & Bess,” at Opera Carolina as it opens Jan. 22. 2 p.m. Showings continue at 7 p.m. Jan. 24, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 and 8 p.m. Jan. 28. Tickets start at $38.59 and range up to $240.62. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. bit.ly/3Fs6bGQ

Warm up at Divine Barrel Brewing’s More Soup For You event on Sunday, Jan. 22 from 1-4 p.m. — or get in the kitchen to create a wining entry. The soup and chili cook-off competition is open to anyone interested in entering their best recipe for a chance to win prizes. Admission is free, but canned food and cash donations for Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina are welcome. 3701 N. Davidson St., Suite #203. bit.ly/3FX4Bgz

Order your tickets to see TV home design star Ty Pennington on Feb. 25 at the Charlotte Home + Remodeling Show, which returns to The Park Expo and Conference Center from Feb. 24-26. Show hours will be from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. -5 p.m. on Sunday. Adult. tickets are $12 at the door and $10 online; children 12 and under are free. All seniors (60+) will receive free admission on Friday, Feb. 24; and Sunday, Feb. 26 is free for all active and retired military, fire, police and EMT personnel with valid ID. On-site parking is $10; cash and credit card will be accepted. 2500 E. Independence Blvd. bit.ly/3Bvvx5B

Check out Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth., which profiles Black male icons in America, at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture and Levine Museum of the New South. The exhibit highlights revolutionary men including Muhammad Ali, James Baldwin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, W.E.B. DuBois and Kendrick Lamar, whose journeys have altered the history and culture of the country. The traveling work from the Smithsonian will remain on display through March 12. Free. Gantt at 551 S. Tryon St., and Levine Museum at 401 South Tryon St. https://bit.ly/3fNnyZm and https://bit.ly/3fMUUId

Buy tickets for the R.O.A.R. female leadership symposium. The day-long event Friday, March 31 at the Statesville Country Club features dynamic female leaders that will encourage women to Resound, Outshine, Actualize and Revolutionize their lives, featuring guest speaker Jane Jenkins Herlong. Tickets are $85 per person for chamber members and $110 for non-chamber members. 116 N. Center St., Statesville. bit.ly/3gnfhMJ

Celebrate Cheerwine at the 2023 Cheerwine Festival in Salisbury on May 20. Groove out to local and national bands while you enjoy Cheerwine-inspired food and drinks, then browse arts and crafts vendors and kids’ activities. Free. Noon-10 p.m. Downtown Salisbury. bit.ly/3wbqRyR

Theoden Janes contributed to this article.

This story was originally published January 13, 2023 at 6:00 AM.

Heidi Finley

The Charlotte Observer

Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits. Support my work with a digital subscription