Community Calendar

Unleash your inner artist and engineer in Brick Masters Studio: Build with LEGO® Bricks Like a Pro, an immersive exhibition by world-renowned artist Sean Kenney.

Produced by Imagine with science content developed by Science North, Brick Masters Studio features over 100 sculptures built with over 2 million LEGO® pieces, inviting guests to explore the intersection of art, science and engineering. Hands-on build challenges, real-world engineering concepts and insights into the artistic process show how imagination and innovation come together to create something extraordinary.

Join us at Kilborne Park in east Charlotte for a community gathering to celebrate all we’ve accomplished together so far this year!

Whether you’ve followed Sustain Charlotte for years or this is your first event, we’d love to see you.

We’ll be set up in the medium shelter and will provide light refreshments from some wonderful local businesses, family-friendly games and activities, and plenty of opportunities to connect with Sustain Charlotte staff, board members, and fellow supporters. Stop by anytime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

We’ll host some FUN games for the family and lead a short nature hike!

Kids can enjoy the playground, adults can try disc golf, and everyone can explore the park’s trails. And, of course, we’d love to answer your questions about transportation, smart growth, housing, or Charlotte’s future.

Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly, and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. We hope to see you there!

While we won’t have childcare available, you’re welcome to bring your kids and supervise them.

Kilborne Park can be reached by CATS bus routes #9 or 17, which have stops a few blocks away on Central Ave. We encourage you to walk, bike, ride public transit, or carpool if those are options for you.

Accessibility: We want this event to be welcoming and accessible for everyone. If you require accommodations due to a disability, please contact Meg at meg.fencil@sustaincharlotte.org. 72-hour notice is appreciated to allow us time to ensure we fully meet your needs.

Clemson Cooperative Extension Area Forestry and Wildlife Agent Robert Carter, Ph.D., discusses plants found in the remnant prairies in the Piedmont. Tools and materials will be provided for all activities, but participants are welcome to bring their own small hand tools such as gloves, trowels, clippers if they prefer.

To register, contact us at (803) 313-7172 or email usclnasp@mailbox.sc.edu. Please direct any questions or comments regarding the series to program organizer and facilitator Professor Claudia Y. Heinemann-Priest at chpriest@mailbox.sc.edu.

Free and open to the public; reservations are strongly encouraged.

ON GOING EVENT // TUESDAY - SATURDAY // 12PM - 6PM ET

ABOUT BLUME STUDIOS VR
Blume Studios VR is Blumenthal Arts’ immersive virtual reality initiative, bringing internationally acclaimed free-roaming experiences to audiences in Charlotte. Through groundbreaking storytelling and emerging technology, Blume Studios VR transports guests beyond the boundaries of traditional entertainment, placing them inside worlds inspired by history, science, and art.

Guests can freely explore three distinct adventures: Excurio’s Horizon of Khufu, Excurio’s Life Chronicles, and Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, produced by Felix & Paul Studios and PHI Studio. All experiences are recommended for ages 8+, free-roaming, family-friendly, and available simultaneously, allowing each guest to choose their own adventure. Multiple adventures can run simultaneously, powered by Excurio’s groundbreaking LBXR Pulse platform. Whether exploring ancient civilizations, witnessing the evolution of life, or floating in orbit, Blume Studios VR offers a new way to experience history, science, and discovery.

ABOUT HORIZON OF KHUFU: JOURNEY IN ANCIENT EGYPT
You'll travel 4,500 years into the past and explore the Great Pyramid of Giza without ever leaving Charlotte. During the 42-minute expedition, a young Egyptologist will guide you through an adventure through hidden chambers, soar above the Giza Plateau, sail the Nile, and witness the funeral of King Khufu. Created by Excurio in collaboration with Harvard Egyptologist Peter Der Manuelian and The Giza Project, this internationally acclaimed immersive expedition has captivated millions of visitors worldwide.

ABOUT LIFE CHRONICLES
This 45-minute immersive expedition was developed by Excurio and the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris. Life Chronicles transports visitors across prehistoric oceans, volcanic landscapes, ancient forests, and more through 3.5 billion years of Earth’s history to encounter 120+ extinct species, from the earliest life forms to towering dinosaurs and early humans.

ABOUT SPACE EXPLORERS: THE ISS EXPERIENCE
Built from more than 250 hours of footage filmed both inside and outside the International Space Station, the immersive experience returns, placing visitors alongside real astronauts as they live, work, conduct missions, and observe Earth from orbit. Rooted in real-life space missions conducted in collaboration with NASA and leading international space agencies, the experience is based on the Primetime Emmy Award-winning series Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, created by Felix & Paul Studios. Through intimate access to astronauts’ daily lives, breathtaking spacewalks, and awe-inspiring views of Earth from low orbit, it delivers the closest sensation yet to being in space without ever leaving the ground.

DINOSAUR! has made their way back to CSC! Get ready to come face-to-face with jaw-dropping fossils, thrilling prehistoric discoveries, and hands-on Jurassic fun for explorers of all ages.

The ROAR of prehistoric fun is her, don’t miss it!

Step back 66 million years and journey through the final chapter of the age of dinosaurs in Dinosaur Evolution—a thrilling immersive experience that brings the Cretaceous world to life. Witness feathered raptors on the hunt, armored giants defending their turf, and the mighty T. rex at the top of the food chain. But even these perfectly evolved creatures couldn’t escape Earth’s most devastating extinction event. Stunning visuals and cutting-edge science reveal how evolution shaped the dinosaurs—and how birds, their modern-day descendants, continue their legacy. It's a prehistoric adventure that will inspire the next generation of paleontologists and conservationists alike.

The WNC Sculpture Center’s Third Saturday Family Workshop series invites families to gather once a month for hands-on, creative experiences that blend art-making, learning, and quality time together. Held every third Saturday, each workshop features a different accessible, family-friendly project—ranging from sculpture and printmaking to mixed‑media creations—designed to encourage collaboration across generations. Led by knowledgeable staff and artists, the workshops often include opportunities to explore the sculpture park, helping participants connect creativity with place. The series emphasizes creativity, shared experiences, and making meaningful keepsakes, making it a welcoming entry point for families to engage with the arts together.

PINTS & PROGRESS

Drink Beer. Build Community.

Join Pilot Brewing on Saturday, July 18 for Pints & Progress, an afternoon fundraiser benefiting Gender Education Network.

Come out for great beer, free tacos, exciting prizes, and the opportunity to support an organization working to create more welcoming and supportive communities for transgender and gender-diverse youth and their families.

🌮 FREE TACO DAY

✦Edwin's Organix will be on-site from 2–6 PM serving delicious tacos.

✦Purchase any beverage from the taproom (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and receive a ticket for one FREE taco.

✦One taco per person while supplies last.

🎟️ MYSTERY PRIZE PULL

✦Every pull wins!

Try your luck for a chance to take home:

• Specialty Beer Bottles

• Wine

• Gift Cards to Local Breweries

• Gift Cards to Local Businesses

• Pilot Brewing Merchandise

• Additional Surprise Prizes

✦Every pull helps support Gender Education Network.

🍻 CHARITY DRINKS ALL JULY

Throughout the month of July, $1 from every featured charity drink sold will be donated to Gender Education Network.

Featured Drinks:

✦ Key Lime Kölsch

✦ Any-Gender Pink Lemonade: Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, Sour Mix & Grenadine

✦ Zero-Gender Blue Lemonade: Zero Proof Amethyst Lemon-Serrano-Cucumber, Sour Mix & N/A Blue Curaçao, topped with Soda Water

Every pint, cocktail, mocktail, mystery pull, and donation helps build a stronger community.

Together, let's raise $1,000 for Gender Education Network.

Wag Fest for a Cause is a free, dog-friendly community event bringing together local families, dog lovers, businesses, and rescue supporters for an afternoon of fun at Zoom Room Huntersville.

Guests can enjoy local vendors, dog games and activities, music, frozen dog treats, pup cups, raffle prizes, giveaways, photo opportunities, and a professional pet photographer offering special portraits for purchase.

The event benefits Sloan & Finn Animal Rescue, a foster-based nonprofit dedicated to helping dogs in need heal, find loving homes, and begin their next chapter.

Admission is free for all guests. Registration is only required for those bringing a dog. All attending dogs must be friendly and comfortable around people and other dogs.

Join us for a fun afternoon while supporting rescue dogs and local businesses in the Huntersville and Lake Norman community.

Bernard is planning a romantic weekend with his chic mistress in his charming converted farmhouse, whilst his wife, Jacqueline, is away. He has arranged for a cook to prepare gourmet delights, and has invited his best friend, Robert, along to provide the alibi. What could possibly go wrong? Everything! Robert is confused by his role, Jacqueline has her own secret lover and decides not to leave, the cook has to pretend to be the mistress and the mistress can’t cook. An evening of hilarious confusion ensues as Bernard and Robert improvise at breakneck speed. Full of mistaken identities and rapid-fire dialogue, Don’t Dress for Dinner is a riotous farce seasoned with unexpected twists.