Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | March 15-21
Friday
▪ Enjoy an adults-only evening at Discovery Place for Science on the Rocks: Masquerade. Create your own ornate mask for an aura of mystery, make memories in the Instagram-worthy photo booth, entertain some friendly competition in the costume contest, marvel at the transformations taking place during a live body painting show, enjoy delicious drinks and more. 5-9 p.m. $10.
▪ Join an artistic celebration of the natural world at the opening reception for the Beyond the Mountain Exhibition at the Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art in South End. Meet the artists Martha Armstrong and Jessica Singerman, who explore the power of nature through paintings and drawings, as well as a mountain of paper cranes. 6-8 p.m. Free.
Saturday
▪ Make your way uptown to spend your day at the 23rd Annual Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Charlotte Goes Green Festival. The parade, led by Grand Marshal Peter Byrne, will kick off at 11 a.m. starting from North Tryon and Ninth streets, marching south to Third Street and working toward Caldwell Street. After the parade, the Charlotte Goes Green Festival will take place on South Tryon Street between Third and Stonewall streets until 6 p.m. and features Irish music, dancers, bagpipers, food, beverages, children’s activities and more. Free.
▪ Perhaps you’d prefer to spend St. Patrick’s Day weekend at the U.S. National Whitewater Center for the 10th Annual Green River Revival. Begin your day with the Color Me Green 5K Trail Run, during which runners will either avoid or embrace the green dye being thrown at them from all angles by spectators until they reach the finish line. There will be a variety of outdoor yoga classes offered throughout the day, and of course, the whitewater rapids will turn a vibrant shade of green at 1 p.m. 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Free.
▪ If spending St. Patrick’s Day drinking your way through the city is more your speed, you can join the masses for Rich and Bennett’s 19th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl, also known as the World’s Largest Pub Crawl. People travel to Charlotte from Europe, South America and more to “paint the town green” as they navigate a whopping 38 bars throughout uptown. Check-in is noon-3 p.m. Starts at 300 N. Brevard St. $25 in advance or $30 day of.
Sunday
▪ Gather with farmers, chefs, culinary educators, mixologists, food writers and other industry professionals from across the Carolinas for the Piedmont Culinary Guild Food & Beverage Symposium. Learn from a collection of informative classes that focus on all facets of food and beverage in addition to enjoying a continental breakfast, lunch and reception. 7:15 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Johnson & Wales University. $85.
Tuesday
▪ Be part of an open, honest conversation about mental health at R U OK? CLT at The Evening Muse. Local artists — including singer-songwriter LeAnna Eden, comedian Carlos Valencia and poet Jah Smalls — will facilitate a discussion about the impact that discrimination has on our ability to connect authentically about mental wellness. 7 p.m. $10.
Wednesday
▪ Play nostalgic games from your childhood, party games, complex strategy games and more with Potion & Pixels’ Board Game Night at 7th Street Public Market. They’ll bring about 150 games to choose from, all of which are free to play. Or you can bring your own games, so long as you check in with a Game Night host first. 6-9 p.m.