Search results for

Celebrate youth creativity at Charlotte Center for the Arts' inaugural Youth Arts Festival on Friday, March 21st from 1:00-5:00 PM at Stumptown Park in Matthews! This free, family-friendly event features live performances by talented young artists, interactive art-making activities, gallery exhibitions of student artwork and more! Enjoy diverse performances including music, dance, and theater, plus hands-on art stations for all ages led by professional teaching artists. The festival includes food trucks and spaces for both scheduled performances and spontaneous creative expression. Perfect for families, arts educators, and anyone who values youth development through the arts.
Youth Arts Festival Presented by Charlotte Center for the Arts is sponsored by Culture Blocks— a community partnership funded by Mecklenburg County.

Perfect for a date night or a family night out, visit the James H. Lynn Planetarium for a special Friday evening astronomy presentation. Watch a planetarium show and view the night sky with the museum telescope! Reserve your tickets early.

$8 museum members / $10 general public

2026 Charlotte Area Chamber Business Expo @ The Park Expo & Conference Center

Mark your calendar for the 2026 Charlotte Area Chamber Business Expo—one of the region’s premier business networking events! This dynamic gathering brings together local and regional business leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals for a full day of connection, collaboration, and opportunity.

Attendees will have the chance to explore a vibrant exhibit floor, discover new products and services, build meaningful relationships, and gain valuable insights to help grow their business or career. Whether you are looking to expand your network, generate leads, or stay ahead of industry trends, this event offers something for everyone in Charlotte’s thriving business community.

This year’s Expo will also feature Speed Networking presented by Dr. Angel Taylor of Soulful Sounds Entertainment, an engaging and high-energy experience designed to help participants make authentic connections in a short amount of time. Through intentional conversations and interactive activities, attendees will leave with new contacts, fresh opportunities, and a deeper connection to the Charlotte business ecosystem.

Who should attend:
Business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, sales professionals, and anyone looking to build relationships, discover partnership opportunities, and grow within the Charlotte business community.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and elevate your business at the 2026 Charlotte Area Chamber Business Expo!

Firefest is two-day celebration of glass, ceramics, and metal arts, April 3 & 4 at Starworks! The lively event brings together esteemed artists and visitors from across the state for live demonstrations, hands-on activities, exhibitions, artist talks, and dramatic fiery finales. The event will also feature food trucks, live music, and more.

Admission is $10/day with kids 12 and under admitted for free. Hands on workshops require additional registration and payment. Tickets and workshop registration available at StarworksNC.org

Hosted by Starworks, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Firefest supports the organization’s year-round mission to promote community and economic development by providing outstanding artistic educational programs.

Purchase your advance tickets for the annual Gardeners' Garden Tour.

The tour features five private area gardens as well as open visitation both days at Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary, SEED Wildlife & Children's Garden, and the Elizabeth Lawrence House & Garden. Be inspired!

Join us the evening before for our preview event, Garden Tour Sip & See (separate ticketed event). Price includes a ticket to the tour.

We’re excited to once again partner with Bitty & Beau’s Coffee on Saturday morning from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. They will have bagels, muffins, cookies, hot coffee, cold brew, and vanilla/caramel iced lattes available for purchase in the Main Garden of Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary.

2026 Gardeners’ Garden Tour sponsors

Title Sponsor Blackhawk Garden Center

Silver Sponsors: CoxSchepp Construction Group, LLC, Ellen Kelly - Helen Adams Realty, Fountain Landscaping, Home Design & Decor Magazine, Kfiles Design, The Lucy Butler Group at Cottingham Chalk, Myron Greer Design, Super Sod - Soil3, and Volkswagen of South Charlotte

Bronze Sponsors: Bartlett Tree Experts, Catherine Houghland | Brandon Lawn Real Estate, Carolina Pest Management, Jeff Allen Landscape Architecture, Joyner-Benfield Distinctive Land and Waterscapes, Loftin & Company Printers, Lowry Insurance, Pondscapes of Charlotte, Queen City Mahjong, and The Perfect Rose

Event Partners: Bitty & Beau’s Coffee, Daniel Coston Photography, OMNiA Print & Mail, Pasta & Provisions, Pepsi Bottling Ventures and Visual Edge IT

Sip & See Title Sponsor Garrett P. Nelson Studio

Connect with local artists and shop original artworks at our Community Art Market at Le Méridien Charlotte! ArtPop’s Art Markets are casual, accessible environments where all are welcome to connect with featured local artists and support their small businesses.

Free Entry | Donations Welcome
Parking Validated at Check-In

Featured Local Artists:
Brett Beasley
Alex Cason
Ladianne Henderson
Marianne Huebner
Kenrick Jobe
Rocio Llusca
Monty Montague
Melvin Nix
Beth Cox Stephens
Tina G. Vincent

Experience the magic of Tall Tales of Appalachia, a lively collection of American folktales brought to life on stage! This educational and entertaining show celebrates the rich cultural heritage of North Carolina through legends of the Cherokee people, Davy Crockett adventures, and classic Appalachian Jack Tales. This show will tour the community as well as have in-house shows at Encore in February.

Change.vote is a free, nonpartisan online tool now available to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County voters ahead of the March 3 primary. Users can enter their address and preview the exact races they will see on their ballot, explore candidate information, review available voter guides, and better prepare for Election Day. The tool is part of a pilot in just two U.S. cities, and is designed to make local elections easier to understand and navigate.

TILT: Stories on the Edge – Charlotte is a live storytelling event where voices from the community share powerful, unscripted true stories of resilience, transformation, and hope. Presented by The Alex Manfull Fund, this unforgettable night raises awareness and support for PANS/PANDAS and the power of connection through story.

Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie's a satirical fantasy-comedy where Margot Robbie is a Stereotypical Barbie who journeys from the matriarchal, utopian Barbie Land to the real world with Ryan Gosling as Ken. After experiencing existential flaws, she discovers the complexities of human life and patriarchy, shifting her journey toward self-discovery and empowerment.

We've set aside 100 $10 tickets on a first-come, first-served basis to this film!

Mulan (2020) is a live-action Disney reimagining of the Chinese folk tale, featuring Yifei Liu as a young woman who disguises herself as a man to take her ailing father's place in the imperial army. Directed by Niki Caro, this grittier, PG-13 adaptation focuses on martial arts, honor and duty, omitting songs and the dragon character Mushu from the 1998 animated version.

We've set aside 100 $10 tickets on a first-come, first-served basis to this film!

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's an emotional Marvel sequel where Queen Ramonda, Shuri and their allies fight to protect Wakanda from intervening world powers and a hidden underwater nation called Talokan, led by Namor, following the death of King T'Challa.

We've set aside 100 $10 tickets on a first-come, first-served basis to this film!

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's one of the foremost historians in the world and leading antiracist scholars. His books have been translated into multiple languages and republished throughout the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Dr. Kendi is a professor of history and the founding director of the Howard University Institute for Advanced Study, an interdisciplinary research enterprise examining global racism. He's the author of many highly acclaimed bestsellers, including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. He's the author of the international bestseller, How to Be an Antiracist, and TIME magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the "Genius Grant."

Included in the admission price, each attendee will receive a copy of Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age ($35 value).

Join us for an afternoon of carnival games, face painting, balloon animals, treats, and performances as well as raffles and a silent auction to support the Gender Education Network (GEN)!

FestivALL is more than a fundraiser. It is a celebration of belonging. It is a day where the kids that we serve are surrounded by people who see them, celebrate them, and believe in their right to grow up safe and loved.

Your support of FestivALL helps GEN continue offering affirming events, family meet-ups, and educational resources that remind our kids, and their caregivers, that they are supported by a larger, caring community. Every gathering we host is intentionally designed to foster connection, confidence, and joy, even when the world outside feels overwhelming.


The Gender Education Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists to support and affirm trans and gender-diverse children—especially those under 12—by providing compassionate, evidence-informed education and resources to families, educators, and communities. We work to create a world where every child is celebrated for who they are and surrounded by informed, loving support.

Best date night out ever with your sweetheart or a bestie!!!! Enjoy an evening in a paddle boat on the beautiful lake in University City while sipping wine and swaying to live music. You and a guest will enjoy a wine
tasting on the boat dock before selecting your favorite wine and boarding the paddle boat while enjoying the live and soulful music of Persona Bell.

From the C-suite to the Olympic stage, and from inspiring leaders sharing their story to fathers empowering their daughters every step of the way, we’re shining a spotlight on the people, moments, and movements that fuel the fire to lift girls and women higher.

Join us as Molly Grantham delivers a powerful keynote, Bet on Yourself, followed by a moderated panel featuring trailblazers from the Charlotte community and beyond.

When you register for the GiGi’s 5K, you’re not just signing up to walk or run. Every participant becomes a fundraiser, helping support FREE, life-changing programs at GiGi's Playhouse Charlotte.

You don’t have to be at the starting line to support the GiGi’s 5K — Dash for Down syndrome. Donate or explore sponsorship opportunities to help fund our free programming. Every gift, big or small, makes a difference.

With Blizzard, FLIP Fabrique takes you on a crazy, poetic and gentle journey in the dead of winter, and invites you to lose yourself in a moment of complete wonder. With performers at the peak of their art and outstanding visual poetry, blizzard promises to blow away everything in its path.

*This performance will have ASL interpretation.

Back by popular demand, Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is offering a sunrise experience in 2026. This special event will provide guests with the rare opportunity to be in the park outside of regular operating hours and to hopefully experience a lovely sunrise from the bridge’s lofty vantage point. Tickets for this event go on sale online on Grandfather Mountain’s website Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. Advance registration required.

Have you ever wanted to identify a tree once it has dropped its leaves? Join us to learn how using key characteristics: twigs, buds, and bark.
During this program, we will walk around the Gardens and look closely at common trees so you can develop the skills to identify them even in winter when leaves are gone. (Please dress for the weather and walking on uneven ground.)

Instructor: Julia Showalter, a lecturer on dendrology in the Department of Biology at Appalachian State University and Gardens Board Member

No registration required!
Suggested donation: $5 per person
Payable online at www.danielboonenativegardens.org/donate or in person at the workshop
All proceeds will benefit the Gardens, a 501(c)(3) organization

(In the case of inclement weather, this event will be rescheduled to March 7. Please check Facebook or Instagram, or send an email to info@danielboonenativegardens.org for updates if the weather is bad.)