Community Calendar

Explore the mountain after hours with your own personal guides during our Grandfather by Night series! You’ll discover some of the park’s nighttime wonders, watch a stunning sunset (weather permitting) and experience the mountain as never before! The Twilight Hike version will include a hike after sunset to discuss and look for the creatures that are more active after the sun goes down. The group will explore a unique forest ecosystem from top to bottom in search of salamanders, owls, flying squirrels, fireflies and any other creatures they might come across. The Twilight Hike program is not accessible to guests with limited mobility. Participants signed up for this version will need to participate in the hike, as staying behind while the rest of the group hikes is not possible.

Join Anthony Love from Appalachian State University as we learn about the geologic history captured within the rocks of Grandfather Mountain. Participants will be introduced to concepts of general geology, the shape of the land surface within the Grandfather region, how we measure and use geologic structures to interpret rocks, how orientations of rock units can provide us insights on the structure of larger regions, how we use rocks to visualize the past environments where they originally formed and, finally, how we utilize these pieces to form a story of how Earth history transpired in a given area. Advance registration required.

Celebrate 14 years of Big Spoon at our 2nd Annual Birthday Bash! The festival-like celebration will include shopping from an incredible lineup of food, beverage, and craft vendors (think beer, cocktail syrups, coffee, macarons, jams, a build-your-own bouquet station, ceramics, candles, and more!), with proceeds benefiting Paws4Ever Animal Rescue! We’ll also have meet-and-greets with some sweet (adoptable) furry friends, and a shopping/sample station for Big Spoon’s entire lineup of nut butters and snack bars. The event is free to attend, open to the public—dogs included! (outdoors)—and fun for the whole family. We can’t wait to see you there.
Participating vendors (in addition to Big Spoon Roasters) include: Alley Twenty-Six, Bright Black Candles, Eno River Brewing, Fillaree, J'Ellen Jam, Le Petit Amour Macarons, Locopops, Paws4Ever, Savage Daughter Flowers, and Ware Ware Ceramics.

Please note there is no parking available on-site, but free parking is provided nearby at Joe Van Gogh (505 Meadowlands Dr), Grace Hill Church (515 Meadowlands Dr), and Barlow Scientific (504 Meadowlands Dr).

Join the Surfrider Foundation Charlotte Chapter for a Plaza Midwood Street Sweep with The Workman's Friend, a Charlotte Surfrider Ocean Friendly Restaurant! Check in at our table outside of Workman's to collect your cleanup supplies. Please register here: https://volunteer.surfrider.org/timeslots/w2KThRBt38

Cleaning up our streets and neighborhoods helps keep our city beautiful and prevents litter from entering storm drains and polluting our local waterways. Our cleanups help us collect data that can be used to stop plastic pollution at the source.

The focus of this 10-hour workshop is to prepare participants from a variety of educational backgrounds and experiences in both the formal and non-formal sectors to use exemplary Environmental Education teaching methods. Participants will learn about a variety of teaching techniques, methods and instructional strategies; and the workshop will include multiple interactive components. This is a required workshop for all NC Environmental Education Certification candidates. This workshop may also count for Continuing Education for those educators who are already certified. This workshop is free to attend, although advance registration is required. Limited to 25 participants.

Join us for an in-depth exploration of the natural community types found on Grandfather Mountain. In this class, you'll learn to recognize distinct habitats by studying their characteristic flora, fauna, and environmental conditions. Guided by ecological principles and scientific tools, we’ll examine how factors such as elevation, topography, soil composition and microclimates shape these unique ecosystems and provide habitat for some of the rare and endangered species that we'll see during our exploration. This workshop will enhance your ability to classify habitats and deepen your understanding of the complex interplay between species and their environments. This event costs $60 for general admission and $51 for members of Grandfather Mountain’s Bridge Club – plus tax. Registration opens on this page on May 20, at 10 a.m. Limited to 20 participants.

The focus of this 10-hour workshop is to prepare participants from a variety of educational backgrounds and experiences in both the formal and non-formal sectors to use exemplary Environmental Education teaching methods. Participants will learn about a variety of teaching techniques, methods and instructional strategies; and the workshop will include multiple interactive components. This is a required workshop for all NC Environmental Education Certification candidates. This workshop may also count for Continuing Education for those educators who are already certified. This workshop is free to attend, although advance registration is required. Limited to 25 participants.

For more than three decades, Our State “Ramblin’ Man” columnist T. Edward Nickens has reported on conservation, the outdoors and Southern culture for some of the world’s most respected publications. He is editor-at-large and columnist for Field & Stream, contributing editor for Garden & Gun and Ducks Unlimited magazines, and editor-in-chief of Tail, the saltwater flyfishing magazine. His work has appeared in Smithsonian, National Geographic Adventure, Men’s Journal and many others. He splits time between Raleigh and Morehead City with one wife, two dogs, the occasional sightings of two grown children, 14 flyrods, three canoes, two powerboats and an indeterminate number of duck and goose decoys. His most recent book is “The Last Wild Road.” Join us for a discussion and “meet-and-greet.” This event has two tiers of ticket access. “VIP Reception” tickets cost $60 for general admission and $51 for members of Grandfather Mountain’s Bridge Club – plus tax. “Presentation” tickets are $25 for general admission and $20 for Bridge Club members.

Join Mattie Decker, a certified forest therapy guide for a relaxing 2 to 2.5-hour stroll through the forest at Grandfather Mountain. Through a series of invitations, you will have an opportunity to focus on being present in the moment, deepening your connection with nature and community and enjoying the many gifts nature has to offer. This event costs $40 for general admission and $34 for members of Grandfather Mountain’s Bridge Club – plus tax. Limited to 20 participants.

Join 24 Foundation in celebrating 24 years of changing the course of cancer. Come ride, walk or volunteer (July 25-26) at the 24 Hours of Booty charity non-competitive cycling and walking event in Charlotte’s Myers Park neighborhood. Funds raised support organizations dedicated to cancer navigation and survivorship. For more information or to register, visit https://24foundation.org/