NoDa Company Canteen, at Camp North End, is co-hosting a free Cinco de Mayo party with Carlotan Talents. The party will take place in the Boileryard at Camp North End, 1824 Statesville Avenue, on Friday, May 5th, 2023, from 6 to 10 p.m.

While NoDa Company Canteen is serving up drinks, enjoy traditional food, music, mariachi bands, dancers and...

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Looking for things to do in Charlotte this weekend? You came to the right place! This list contains free and cheap things to do from Friday to Sunday (or Monday if it’s a holiday weekend.)

You’ll find festivals, live music and dance, kids’ activities, organized hikes, seasonal activities, learning opportunities and so much...

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Charlotte’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations are coming back. Read on for a list of restaurant deals, and then keep reading for a list of Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Or jump right to the list of Cinco de Mayo events in Charlotte.

If you’re not doing this already, you can subscribe to Charlotte on the Cheap’s daily emails (just...

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Food Truck season is arriving! March 17th, 2023, marks the return of several popular Food Truck Fridays in Charlotte!

Somehow food just seems to taste better when it comes from a truck. It can’t be explained. It’s even better when there are lots of trucks to choose from.

Do you love outdoor concerts? They’re not just for...

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One of the main reasons that Charlotte on the Cheap reaches so many people is because of word of mouth. We’d like to thank our newsletter subscribers for spreading the word by running a contest throughout the month of May.

Invite a friend to subscribe to Charlotte on the Cheap and at the end of May, you AND your friend might each win a...

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Lake Norman Social District is a partnership between Old Town Public House, 21314 Catawba Avenue, and Thigs Cocktail Bar, 21234 Catawba Avenue, Cornelius, NC. The Social District, the first in Mecklenburg County, allows customers to take alcoholic beverages between the two venues, and enjoy them outside, within a designated area.

LKN...

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We regularly feature some of the best Amazon deals on Charlotte on the Cheap, but there’s another way to save that a lot of people don’t know about.

Amazon has a Coupon Page with some pretty steep discounts. It’s not at all unusual to see 80% discounts.

The key to using the coupon page is to...

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Get your blood pumping with one of these free fitness classes in Charlotte. There are lots of free yoga classes, free group exercise classes, free guided hikes and more.

This is a growing list and there’s a lot more that will be added to it. Know of more that should be on the list? Email info@charlotteonthecheap.com

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National Concert Week is May 10 to 16, 2023. During this time Live Nation is making tickets to over 3,800 shows nationwide available for $25.

These are “All-In” tickets, meaning the $25 includes fees. (You do need to pay sales tax.) With ticket fees normally adding a substantial addition cost to the price of a ticket, this deal...

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Help a mom in your life celebrate Mother’s Day with the help of Grubhub. From May 1 to 14, 2023, diners who have signed up for Grubhub+ through Amazon Prime will receive 25% off an order of $20+. Use the promo code MAMA25. This is a one-time use promo code.

Learn about more Mother’s Day freebies, deals and events in Charlotte!

...

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The 149th Kentucky Derby will take place Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s known as “The Run for the Roses” because of the blanket of 554 red roses bestowed upon the winning horse.

The Kentucky Derby is also known for the traditions of drinking mint juleps and wearing elaborate hats at...

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Walking a labyrinth is an ancient practice from many faiths and traditions, with the goal of meditation, contemplation and prayer. It’s a practice that you can do right here in Charlotte, if you know where to look.

Many people like to walk a labyrinth on Winter or Summer Solstice.

In addition, World Labyrinth Day is the first Saturday...

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We’ve compiled a list of places to get Mother’s Day Brunch in Charlotte, but thought this one deserves a special mention.

The Charlotte Knights are hosting Mother’s Day Brunch on Sunday, May 14, 2023.

Gates open at Truist Field, 324 S Mint Street, Charlotte, NC, at 12 p.m., and the special Mother’s Day event takes...

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Tuesday, May 2, 2023, has been named Teacher Appreciation Day. However, May 8 to 12, 2023, has been named Teacher Appreciation Week, so you can expect to see various days for Teacher Appreciation deals. Also, several businesses are offering special deals and freebies to educators just during this time, and some offer deals all year long.

...

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Book Buyers, the incredible, massive book store moved to Eastway Crossing from The Plaza in February of this year. Its address is 3040 Eastway Drive, Charlotte.

You might also be interested in our list of thrift stores, vintage shops, consignment stores, and more, or our in-depth look at three great used book stores in Charlotte.

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Best of Charlotte Bridal Show is taking place on May 7th, 2023, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Pleasant Grove Farm, 7132 Pleasant Grove Road, Charlotte, NC.

Tickets are $5, but if you use the promo code charlotteonthecheap tickets are FREE.

Come meet carefully curated selection of vendors at this boutique-style bridal show, take a selfie at one of...

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South End Gallery Crawl is an arts event that takes place the first Friday of every month. Galleries stay open late to host receptions for new exhibits. Many exhibits are timed to open the first Friday of the month. The events often include live music, food, and beer or wine. The events are free to attend.

Hours for the different venues...

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There are plenty of ways to celebrate Mother’s Day in Charlotte in 2023!

After our list of ideas for celebrating, we have a list of Mother’s Day freebies and discounts. And after that we have a big list of all the events that are on our calendar for Friday, May 12, through Sunday, May 14, 2023. If you’re ordering a gift...

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Davidson Lands Conservancy is hosting Spring NatureFest at Roosevelt Wilson Park, 420 Griffith Street, Davidson, NC, on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

This free event features nature activities, educational opportunities, fishing, live animals and more family fun.

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Celebrate Mother’s Day by taking Mom to brunch. Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 14, 2023. We’re putting together a list of restaurants in the Charlotte area where you can get Mother’s Day Brunch for $35 or under per person. (That doesn’t mean you can’t spend more at these restaurants!)

We’re including...

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Free Comic Book Day is back on Saturday, May 6, 2023! On Free Comic Book Day, participating stores give away free comic books to guests, and some host additional activities, like sketches from artists, and more. Libraries also participate.

Below is a list of stores and libraries in the Charlotte area that are participating in Free Comic Book...

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Dallas Lavender Lane, 937 Old Willis School Road, Dallas, is hosting its Hippie Festival on May 6th and 7th, 2023, from 12 to 7 p.m. each day.

Tickets are $12.99 for individual day passes and $19.99 for a weekend pass.

Purchase here.

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Carolina Crawls is presenting three bar crawls for Cinco de Mayo in 2023.

¡Fiesta Crawl! takes place in South End, NoDa and Plaza Midwood. All of the crawls take place on May 5 and May 6, 2023, from 5 to 10 p.m.

Facebook event.

Find a big list of Cinco de Mayo events in Charlotte.

Your ticket covers you for both nights. The cost is $5 per...

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Birkdale Village is hosting an outdoor music series, Live Under the Oaks, on Fridays from April 7th to October 27th, 2023, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This is a free concert series.

Birkdale Village is at Birkdale Commons Parkway and Sam Furr Road, Huntersville.

A bar will be onsite in the designated area provided by Red Rocks Cafe. Please bring...

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Cabot Creamery has a new food truck — the Cabot Cruiser — that’s making stops on the East Coast to offer customers FREE sample of some of their products.

Some of the bites you might be able to sample at these events are pimento grilled cheese, mac and cheese and cheddar lace tacos. At all the events listed below, the free food...

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The City of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, is presenting a FREE summer concert series once a month (except July and August) from May to October, 2023.

The concerts take place at 6 p.m., at Patriots Park, 220 South Railroad Avenue, Kings Mountain.

In addition, there will be a Cruise-In on these nights as well. Local car enthusiasts will line...

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Quail Corners Shopping Center, 8500 Park Road, Charlotte, celebrating the PGA and the Queen City’s love of golf at Putt & Play.

This free family event takes place Friday, May 5, 2023, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 3 to 7 p.m.

There will be a DJ and golf activities for the whole family.

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Cabarrus County Active Living and Parks is presenting Roly Poly Fest on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Rob Wallace Park, 12900 Bethel School Road, Midland, NC.

Family-friendly, fun, and free, this event is a day full of “get outside and play” activities…Roly-Poly Rumbles, Races, Rolling, and Bowling, and much, much...

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Kings Drive Art Walk returns on Saturday, May 6th, and Sunday, May 7th, 2023. Kings Drive Art Walk is the spring counterpart to the fall’s Festival in the Park.

Check out this big list of spring festivals in the Charlotte area!

It takes place on Little Sugar...

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Bring the family to Movie Night at Ebenezer Park, 4490 Boatshore Road, Rock Hill, South Carolina, for free family-friendly movies.

There’s no admission charge for the movie, and no reservations are required. Parking is first-come, first-serve.

These events were announced on Ebenezer Park’s Facebook page.

Check out this big list...

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Challenge yourself at the annual Goat Island Games on May 6th, 2023, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Goat Island Park, 141 8th Avenue, Cramerton.

Enjoy a full day filled with events open to the whole family. Most activities are free, but some have a fee.

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Birkdale Village, at Birkdale Commons Parkway and Sam Furr Road, Huntersville, shows a variety of sports events and tournaments on its 10×18 LED Screen.

It’s free to watch. First come, first serve seating. Coolers are prohibited. There are many opportunities to purchase food in Birkdale.

This could be a great option if...

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Hello Huntersville, the annual music and arts festival, is returning in 2023.

Check out this big list of spring festivals in the Charlotte area!

It will take place Sunday, May 7th, 2023, from 12 to 6 p.m. at Veterans Park at Main and Maxwell Streets in Huntersville.

This festival features live music, art, food trucks, splatter art, an ice...

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Taiji Matthews is offering free Tai Chi classes at Stumptown Park, 120 S Trade Street, Matthews, NC.

Tai Chi is a mind-body exercise characterized by slow, gentle, whole body coordinated movement. The practice is associated with improved balance, cognitive function, joint mobility, and more.

Check out a big list of free...

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Jiggy with the Piggy Festival is a longstanding favorite in Kannapolis and returns May 4th to 7th, 2023. It features the Jiggy 5K, over 100 arts & crafts vendors, free concerts, fireworks, and a People’s Choice pork tasting.

Over 100 Kansas City Barbeque Society judges will be here to...

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Stonecrest Summer Concert Series takes place every Friday and Saturday April 21 to September 9, 2023. The concerts take place from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Fountain Stage.

In addition, every Saturday from June 3 to September 9, 2023, there will be a concert at the Plaza Corner from 6 to 8 p.m.

You can see the band/artist lineup for both of these...

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Free Family Outdoor Event! Please join Historic Rosedale on Sunday, May 7, 2023, when Opera Carolina presents The Tortoise and the Hare in the gardens in full bloom. (Please note that this is a rescheduled date, because of the weather forecast.)

All ages are welcome, but space is limited.

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The first full weekend of every month, Bank of America and Merrill customers get into many museums nationwide for free.

Learn about free days at Charlotte museums!

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Charlotte Master Chorale and Charlotte Symphony are presenting Mozart’s Requiem on Sunday, May 7, 2023, at 3 p.m., at East Mecklenburg High School, 6800 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC.

Tickets are “Pay What You Want.” Don’t delay on buying your tickets, as they might sell out. It really is “Name Your Own...

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Drinking Water Week, from May 7 to 13, 2023, is a celebration of the vital role water plays in our lives.

Charlotte Water is hosting a family fun day at Quest, at Latta Nature Preserve, on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Gottaswing Charlotte offers an opportunity to those who enjoy swing-era jazz dances like Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston and others. It’s a member of Gottaswing, a swing-only dance instruction and promotion company that operates all across the country.

You don’t need to have any swing dance experience to join in, and they...

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Starlight on 22nd, at 422 E. 22nd Street, Charlotte, boasts a relaxed lounge atmosphere, and beer, wine, spirits and art.

Free parking is available in the secure gravel lot across the street, or along Brevard. It’s also close to the Parkwood and 25th Street stops on the LYNX light rail.

Starlight on...

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Great Wagon Road Distilling Co., at 610 Anderson Street (in the upper reaches of NoDa), is Mecklenburg County’s oldest distillery. It has a bar that features cocktails and food.

Upcoming Events

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Movies in the Park are returning to Stowe Park, 24 S. Main Street, Belmont. On select Saturdays, watch some classic movies.

These events are free to attend. They’re presented by Belmont Main Street / Downtown Belmont Development Association and Aurora Star Lit Cinema.

The movies will be shown on a jumbo outdoor...

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The U.S. National Whitewater River Center’s popular River Jams are free concerts take place every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening in the warm months.

The Whitewater Center is at 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway, Charlotte, North Carolina.

The concerts place Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from May to...

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Front Porch Sundays, a popular monthly vendor market, takes place the first Sunday of the month, from April to November, 2023.

This season, it’s at Atherton, at 2104 South Boulevard, Charlotte.

Enjoy shopping from 70+ local vendors and artisans, as well as food trucks, live music, interactive fun, coffee, and more. These are...

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PLEASE NOTE: We have started gathering information about 2023 Juneteenth celebrations. This article will continue to be updated.

Juneteenth is a celebration of the end of the enslavement of African-American people in the United States.

It marks the day, June 19, 1865, when the Emancipation Proclamation (which had been issued on January 1st,...

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Head to Cornelius on the 2nd Friday of the month from May to October, 2023, for the 2nd Friday Street Festival. It takes place at Oak Street Mill, 19725 Oak Street, Cornelius, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

It’s free to attend.

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Nurses Appreciation Week is May 6 to 12, 2023, and we all know that nurses deserve a ton of appreciation (all year long.) We will be updating this page with special deals that businesses are offering to nurses this week. Please make sure to follow each link for the details. The dates of the deals are not necessarily on the actual dates of Nurses...

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The Town of Waxhaw is hosting its second annual Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 17, 2022, from 12 to 4 p.m., at the Community Corner, under the water tower, at the intersection of Highway 16 and North Main Street, Waxhaw, NC.

Learn about other Juneteenth celebrations in the Charlotte area!

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Shop for Froddo Children’s Shoes at a big warehouse sale from May 19 to 25, 2023, at 1033 Zimmer Road, Fort Mill, SC.

The sale will be taking place for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day of the sale.

There will be a big selection of Froddo Children’s Shoes at 40-60% off. Sizes from prewalker to Big Kid 6.

Shop for sandals, sneakers,...

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If you’ve wanted to upgrade your kitchen appliances, make sure to check out Kitchen-Aid’s spring sale! Kitchen-Aid appliances aren’t cheap by any means, but they are high-quality and extremely durable. So, any time you can get a discount, it’s worth considering.

Here is one great deal, but you can find more on the ...

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VAPA is a non-profit organization formed in 2021 by ten arts organizations in Charlotte to create a space for artists to create, perform, and exhibit their work.

The space, the VAPA Center, opened at 700 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, in March of 2022.

The VAPA Center is hosting a wide range of arts events. You can find them listed on their ...

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Carolina Clay Matters Pottery Market takes place May 13, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at McAlpine Business Park, 8300 Monroe Road.

It’s free to attend.

Over 50 potters will exhibit beautiful new work in functional, decorative, and sculptural ceramics.

All the pieces are hand-crafted by some of NC and SC’s...

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