What to do in 2025? A month-by-month lineup of Charlotte-area events and activities
As we take on 2025, we thought we’d look at the year to come in Charlotte area’s events, festivals and other things to do.
While you can count on certain events and seasonal activities taking place each year, we’ve also stocked the calendar with trips to nearby places and other ideas that might not usually be on your radar.
With a little planning ahead — or at least a few glances at the possibilities — here’s a lineup of things to keep you busy in the Charlotte area throughout the year.
January
Mid-January: While 2025 resolutions are still fresh on your mind, preserve your outlook by booking a luxury spa experience or making a trip to a North Carolina resort that’s among the best in the nation. You won’t have to travel far to surround yourself with a wellness-promoting environment for a bit of an escape.
Late January: Queens Feast Charlotte Restaurant Week takes place twice a year — in January and July. During this celebration of local cuisine, participating restaurants offer a three-course prix fixe meal at a discount.
February
Early February: See the Rail Trail Lights, which are illuminated and often interactive pieces designed by local artists. Make sure to bring a buddy and get plenty of photos.
Feb. 8: Sip some of the best craft beer out there at the Queen City Brewers Festival. In 2025, the festival will benefit Envision Charlotte, which works on building sustainability in the area.
Mid-February: Wander along a food trail — or make plans to, at least. You can stay close to home and explore North Carolina oysters, whose peak season wraps up in March. Or book a trip later in the year to escape Charlotte for the Kentucky Bourbon trail, where reservations fill up months in advance, or the Mayport Shrimp Trail in Jacksonville, Florida, which hits peak season in November.
Late February: Take a weekend trip to Beech Mountain Resort, where the season is wrapping up for the year. The popular resort for skiing, tubing and snowboarding has had plenty of powder fall, and there’s a bonus: Its winter music series runs through March 8.
March
March 9: Commemorate 10 years of Kindred with a dinner at the Davidson restaurant led by Ashley Christensen, the James Beard Award-winning restaurateur behind North Carolina’s AC Restaurants .
Mid-March: Explore the flavors of African cuisine. Charlotte’s offerings include new restaurants such as Tima and Serengeti Kitchen, along with older standbys such as Mama Gee’s and The Cooking Pot.
March 28: Catch the Charlotte Knights’ season opener versus the Gwinett Stripers, and enjoy the fireworks show after the game.
Late March-early April: Enter the lottery for a ticket to visit nearby Congaree National Park in South Carolina during its immensely popular synchronous fireflies viewing event in May-June.
April
April 4-25: Charlotte SHOUT! offers a variety of events each year connected to art, music and ideas. The annual festival includes the food-focused Charlotte StrEATs Festival.
Mid-April: Go on a quest to taste the best pie in the Charlotte area. As Easter nears, you’ll want to arrange for a holiday-worthy dessert or two. So why not try out a few from the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice contest in advance — including winner Carolina Pie Company and finalist Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen — and see what you like best.
Late April: Shop a Charlotte area farmers market. While opening dates and hours vary, some are open year-round and several spring to life in April, offering fresh produce, handmade items and gourmet accoutrements such as jams and jellies.
April 23-27: Charlotte Wine + Food Week takes place over five days, with a series of events to choose from that include wine dinners, auctions and a gala — all for charitable causes that help children in the Charlotte area.
May
May 2-4: Lovin Life Music Fest returns to uptown Charlotte, with a lineup that includes The Dave Matthews Band, Gwen Stefani and Benson Boone.
Mid-May: Dine al fresco while the Charlotte-are weather remains relatively mild. CharlotteFive readers picked The Bottle Tree and Oh My Soul as their No. 1 and No. 2 spots for patio dining, but you’ll find many other options in a variety of neighborhoods near you.
Mid-May to mid-June: If you were able to get a ticket in the spring lottery, visit Congaree National Park south of Columbia, S.C., to see the synchronous fireflies light up the forest at dusk. The park — home to one of the few places this natural wonder takes place — is about a 110-mile drive from Charlotte.
May 25: Feel the need for speed? You can satisfy the urge at the Coca-Cola 600, which runs every Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Your ticket will include a concert by an as-yet unnamed artist. (In 2024, Matchbox Twenty performed.)
June
Early June: Spend a day in Belmont, where visitors can stroll through Stowe Park with a coffee, eat at a restaurant with ties to the Jonas Brothers and browse antiques.
June 6-8: Taste of Charlotte — which bills itself as the city’s largest food festival — offers three stages of entertainment, performances and interactive tours. Attendees will purchase food from local vendors, drinks and access to kids activities such as a giant slide and bounce house with festival coins.
Mid-June: The annual Durag Fest honors Juneteenth with music, art and fashion. The multi-day event aims to lift up Black creatives and Black entrepreneurs in an inclusive environment.
Late June: Take a break and set up a staycation weekend. Our guide can help you decide to where to stay, what to do and where to eat.
July
July 4: Catch one of the annual Fourth of July fireworks displays at Carowinds, Truist Field, the Whitewater Center and in towns all around the Charlotte area.
Mid-July: Beat the heat of the summer by cool off at pools, water parks and other swimming spots around Charlotte.
Mid-July: Sit under a patio umbrella for lunch with friends at Optimist Hall. Afterward, you can cool off with a cup of Honeysuckle Gelato and browse a few shops in the air conditioning inside.
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Late July: Summer once again brings Queens Feast Charlotte Restaurant Week, where participating restaurants across the Charlotte area offer a three-course prix fixe meal at a discount. It’s a great time to try out new restaurants and revisit old favorites.
August
Early August: Taste your way through Alley 51’s food stalls, with Asian cuisine choices including sushi, ramen, bao bao and Korean fried chicken. After you’re stuffed, you can walk through Super G and pick up a few grocery items for cooking at home.
Aug. 9-10: Collect-A-Con is stopping in town, visiting Charlotte with the nation’s largest convention of trading cards, anime and pop culture. Influencers, content creators and special guests will add to the atmosphere.
Mid-August: While Pride Month is celebrated nationally in June, it’s tradition in Charlotte to hold Charlotte Pride Week in August. A parade will cap off community events that include drag brunches, a weekend festival and more.
Aug. 23: Gorge on tacos at the Tacos ‘N Taps Festival, which will feature food from at least 15 taco trucks, taquerias and Mexican restaurants in SouthPark’s Symphony Park. Expect mariachi music, beer and a hot pepper eating contest, too.
September
Early September: Football season is starting. Get tickets for the Panthers, join Roaring Riot and plan a tailgate party with Birdsong Brewing’s beer cheese recipe. If you’re still hungry, grab something to eat at halftime from one of the stadium vendors.
Late September: Get tickets for the annual Mad about Modern Home Tour, which showcases some of Charlotte’s most architecturally interesting mid-century modern homes.
Sept. 14: Dance like its the early 2000s at the Where the Party At Tour concert at PNC Music Pavillion. Joining Nelly on stage will be Ja Rule, Eve and other special guests.
Late September-early October: Oktoberfest events will be popping up at Charlotte area breweries, where stein-holding contests, oompa bands, beer releases and other festivities will be plentiful.
October
Through Oct. 26: Head to Belk Theatre to watch “Wicked,” the Broadway version of how the witches of Oz came to be rivals and friends in the time before “The Wizard of Oz.”
Mid-October: Stroll through a winery or vineyard. There are more than 30 options of places to choose from within a two-hour drive of Charlotte, and many offer tastings and live music.
Mid-October: Pick through a pumpkin patch to snap up a perfect jack-o-lantern candidate. Hay rides, corn mazes and snack stands can add on extra fun.
Late October: It’s time for basketball. Get tickets to watch the Charlotte Hornets play at the Spectrum Center. New, elevated food options from local restaurants were added in 2024 that are likely to stick around through 2025.
November
Early November: Let off some stress at an improv comedy show. Several groups hold shows at venues across the Charlotte area — and there are opportunities for you to join in the fun, as well.
Mid-November: Gather up your besties, put on your favorite holiday sweater and shop the Southern Christmas Show. The annual holiday shopping extravaganza includes more than 400 vendors filling three halls at the Park Expo and Conference Center, plus seasonal snacks like cinnamon pecans, warm strudel and other treats to enjoy while you check items off your gift list.
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Mid-November: Bundle up and head to Bojangles Coliseum to see the Charlotte Checkers play. Checkers mascot Chubby the polar bear will help keep you entertained, and nachos and beer are a highly recommended pairing to complete the experience.
Late November: After Thanksgiving, keep an eye out for spectacular examples of holiday cheer and nominate homes for the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Holiday contest. Just email us at charlottefive@charlottefive.com and send a horizontal photo of the seasonally festive yard you think may be among the best in the Charlotte area.
December
Early December: Make sure to find time for a trip to Christmas Town U.S.A. Each year, the nearby town of McAdenville goes all out to decorate with holiday lights and traditional celebrations.
Mid-December: Lace up a pair of skates and hit the ice. There are ice skating rinks set up each year at Camp North End, the U.S. National Whitewater Center and other spots around the area, including the Pineville Ice House. When its time for a break, a cup of hot chocolate will surely hit the spot.
Mid-December: Keep the festive feelings going with a holiday lights adventure. Commercial displays in the area to choose from include the Carolina Holiday Lights Spectacular in Ballantyne’s Back Yard, Daniel Stowe’s Holiday at the Garden, Speedway Christmas and more. The CharlotteFive Holiday Lights contest is another way to find displays worth checking out.
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Late December: Celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s with family and friends as we prepare to welcome 2026.
This story was originally published January 2, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
