Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | March 22-28
FRIDAY
▪ Don’t miss your chance to experience the 9th Annual Charlotte Spring Fair before it wraps up its 2019 season this weekend. Enjoy more than 30 amusement park rides, delicious fair food, Swifty Swine’s Racing Pigs, Rockin’ A Ranch Petting Zoo, the Jason D’Vaude One-Man Circus, the Aguiar Family Thrill Show and more. 4-11 p.m. (also 1-11 p.m. Saturday and 1-10 p.m. Sunday). 6558 Bruton Smith Blvd., across from the Charlotte Motor Speedway. $8 for adults, $5 for ages 5-11.
▪ At the 7th Annual hackathonCLT, programmers, designers and developers will collaborate to solve a problem and compete to win more than $30,000 in cash prizes across three categories: hacking, coding and “freestyle” problem-solving. This team-based hackathon is open to both participants and spectators, beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday and ending at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Discovery Place. Free.
SATURDAY
▪ Lace up your running shoes and make your way to Charlotte’s oldest road race, the 2019 Elizabeth 8K Road Race, now featuring a new USATF-certified course that offers a gorgeous tour of the scenic Elizabeth neighborhood. You can participate in the titular 8K race or opt for the 1.5-mile fun run/walk, and any youth runners can join the free Liz Kids’ Fun Run. 8 a.m. Hawthorne Recreation Center at Independence Park. Registration starts at $30.
▪ Give back to the community at VolunCHEERS: South End Clean Up. Starting at the Bland Street light rail station, participants will use supplies provided by Keep Charlotte Beautiful to clean up South End from 9:30 a.m.-noon. The first 50 volunteers 21 and older will receive a free custom T-shirt and a complimentary beer ticket to be used at the after-party, aka the “Volunteer Appreciation Event,” at The Union from noon-2 p.m. 9:30 a.m. 222 E. Bland St. Free.
▪ The fan-friendly Knights Fest is back by popular demand, returning once again as the official kick-off to the Charlotte Knights’ 2019 season. This festival will be headlined by two activities: a Softball Home Run Derby and a Media Softball game, wherein members of Charlotte radio and television will go head to head. There will also be inflatable games, face painting, glitter tattoos, Homer the Dragon and $2 concession items. Noon-3 p.m. BB&T Ballpark. $5.
▪ Enjoy an evening of photography, visual art and live performances at the If I Could Tell You What It Meant: Artist Showcase. View prints on display from local artist Kat Spangler’s photography project “If I Could Tell You What It Meant,” watch dancers from the project perform their own original pieces, and peruse works of celebrated artists including Audrey Baran, Emily Cargill, Sarah Council and more. 5:30 p.m. Ebb & Flow Movement Studio. $10.
MONDAY
▪ Each fall, local start-ups and non-profits have the chance to apply to the SEED20 program. Once the application period ends, leaders from 20 organizations will be selected to receive two months of individual and group coaching from SEED20. These efforts culminate at SEED20 OnStage, where 10 members of this year’s SEED20 class will compete to win cash awards by making three-minute pitches to a panel of judges and a community audience. 5:30 p.m. Knight Theater. $65 includes dinner and drinks.
▪ Skip dinner and head straight for dessert at the 4th Annual Sugar Shock, a six-course tasting with some of Charlotte’s best pastry chefs. Each of the six courses in this delectable dinner will feature its own cocktail pairing, brought to you by Kel Minton of Soul Gastrolounge and Tamu Curtis of Liberate Your Palate. 6:30 p.m. Project 658, 3646 Central Ave. $75.
TUESDAY
▪ Celebrate International Women’s Month with an evening of women-to-women networking at CLT Women Making Sh*t Happen at AC Hotel Charlotte’s Nuvolé Rooftop TwentyTwo, hosted by Kristin Taylor, Diamond Nurse and Sarah Colée. Join the discussions about topics like navigating the workplace as a female, entrepreneurial strategies and more while enjoying craft cocktail specials and tasty bites with a rooftop view. 6 p.m. Free.
THURSDAY
▪ Drink and dine for a good cause at WP Feeds the Need: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Join host Sara Baity Patterson, a candidate nominated for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society “Woman of the Year” award, who will be raffling off items to raise money for the LLS. Additionally, 10 percent of the evening’s sales will be donated to the LLS for research. Reservations: 704-295-0101. 5 p.m. WP Kitchen + Bar. Free admission.