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Charlotte On The Cheap

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In This Issue...

See & Save with the Explore Charlotte Marketplace

Want the best way to experience the Queen City without breaking your budget? Shop the Explore Charlotte Marketplace for a pass that fits your interests with savings at popular spots.

Ready for a brewery crawl paired with special discounts? The Charlotte Brew Badge has your next round covered.

Need a blast of inspiration at some of the...

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Free and cheap things to do in Charlotte this week

What is there to do this week in Charlotte? A lot! This list includes things to do in Charlotte, and surrounding areas, this week, from Monday to Sunday.

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

We focus on free and cheap events,...

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Where are the best Christmas lights? Help us update our map!

Photo courtesy of the Queen Family

We are updating our map of pictures of spectacular Christmas lights around Charlotte! If you have a picture you’d like to be included on the map, please submit it below.

We can only include it if you took it yourself, and if you give us permission, via the form below, to use it. You’ll need to tell...

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Big discounts for Nutcracker, Impractical Jokers, Foreigner, and more

Don’t pay full price for concerts if you don’t have to! We will update this page as frequently as we can, but there will still be times when you events on this page have sold out, or the discount is no longer available, or the event is over.

We also include tickets for sports events, when there’s a discount.

Please note...

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Charlotte FC World Cup Watch Party at Romare Bearden Park Nov 21

Charlotte FC is hosting a FIFA World Cup Watch Party for the USA vs. Wales game.

The party takes place on Monday, November 21st, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Romare Bearden Park, 300 South Church Street, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Check out a big list of World Cup watch parties in Charlotte!

  • 11 a.m.: Senegal vs. Netherlands
  • 2 p.m.: USA...

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Early Black Friday deals are on Amazon now, many more added

Want to get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping? Amazon has some pretty great Early Black Friday deals available right now.

Photo: Depositphotos

Keep checking back, as they’ll be updated frequently. We are listing just a few that caught our eye, but hunt around for what you need…or want!

We’re listing items below that are...

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20+ Charlotte Area Christmas and Holiday Parades in 2022
Photo: Depositphotos

In November and December, you can find holiday and Christmas parades in every corner of the Charlotte area. Area holiday parades generally start before Thanksgiving at Concord, Monroe, and Mooresville, followed up by the biggest holiday parade of the season, the Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade in Uptown Charlotte.

...

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World Cup Watch Parties in Charlotte

The FIFA Men’s World Cup is taking place in November and December of 2022. It starts on Sunday, November 20th, with the final match taking place December 18th, 2022.

In all, 32 teams will compete in a total of 64 games in Qatar. This is the first time that a country in the Middle East is hosting the World Cup. You can see the team...

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Birkdale on Ice: Outdoor ice skating comes to Birkdale Village

For the first time ever, in 2022, you’ll be able to ice skate in Birkdale Village. Birkdale Village is at Birkdale Commons Parkway and Sam Furr Road, Huntersville, NC.

Birkdale on Ice is an outdoor skating rink on The Plaza in Birkdale Village. It will be open from November 19th, 2022, to January 16th, 2023.

To ensure a skating time...

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Sam’s Club Membership: 60% off

If you have never shopped Sam’s Club, now is a good time to start (read on for a special deal!) Part of Walmart, Sam’s Club is a membership warehouse club.

Two Deals for Sam’s Club Membership

Right now Groupon is offering two different deals for Sam’s Club membership. Read on to see which is best for you.

Option 1:...

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Incredibly low-priced photo shoots for family holiday card (2 more weekends added!)

LaLa Photography is offering an incredibly low-priced option for a holiday photo shoot. Their Holiday Headquarters is ready for sign-ups! For just $29 you get a 20 minute session that includes up to 4 children, plus adults.


UPDATE: November is sold out, and there are just a few spots left on December 3rd and 4th, so the studio has added two...

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Huge day by day guide to holiday and Christmas events around Charlotte 2022


This is a growing list of 2022 holiday events in the Charlotte area. This day by day guide will include events celebrating everything from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.

Please scroll down for a (soon to be) massive day-by-day list.

Make sure to bookmark this page, as it will be frequently updated.

And make sure to follow the links to...

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Queen City Nerve to host annual free inclusive Thanksgiving dinner

Queen City Nerve is hosting its 4th annual inclusive Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, November 24th, 2022, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Billy Sunday, 1115 N. Brevard Street, Charlotte.

Many members of the LGBTQIA+ community are excluded from family functions during the holidays. Eat, Gay, Love: Giving Thanks with Friends offers a safe,...

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Charlotte restaurants open for dine-in for Thanksgiving 2022


If cooking dinner doesn’t sound like a holiday to you, here’s a list of Charlotte area restaurants open on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 24th, 2022. Most of these restaurants have special Thanksgiving meals. Many will fill up early, so make sure to make reservations right away.

There are a few takeout options included in this...

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Buy a Costco membership and receive a $30 Digital Costco Shop Card

If you’ve been thinking about joining Costco, now is a good time to do it.

They are offering a special deal, which they rarely do. This offer is through Stacksocial.com.

Purchase a 1-Year Gold Star Membership for $60, which is the regular price, and get a $30 Digital Costco Shop Card for free.

The Digital Costco Shop Card:

  • Does not...

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Light the Knights Festival 2022 to include ice rink and snow tubing slope, as well as Charlotte Christmas Village

Here is some big news and something to look forward to for the 2022 holiday season!

Light the Knights Festival, which has taken place at Truist Field for the last two years, along with Charlotte Christmas Village, is significantly expanding its offerings for the 2022 holiday season.

It will feature regulation size ice rink on the field and a...

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Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade Nov 23 — VIP tickets are available
Photo: Patrick Schneider for Charlotte Center City Partners

Novant Health Thanksgiving Parade is scheduled for Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. It will end around 8 p.m.

For the second year it will be taking place on Thanksgiving Eve, rather than on Thanksgiving morning. This change to a nighttime parade was introduced for the...

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Best Christmas light displays in the Charlotte area for 2022

House in Berewick

Looking for the biggest, best Christmas lights in the Charlotte area for the 2022 Christmas season? You’ve come to the right place.

This list includes professional displays, town events, and private homes.

We will have a Google map with all the light on this page, and more! To see the map, just scroll down past...

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Thanksgiving Eve Party at Pinhouse — free bowling all day, free s’mores buffet, more…

Pinhouse, at 2306 Central Avenue, Charlotte, North Carolina, is hosting their 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Eve Party on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022, from Noon to midnight.

Admission is free.

Check out a big list of things to do in Charlotte Thanksgiving Weekend!

Bowling will be completely free all day. In addition, they’ll be lighting...

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50+ things to do around Charlotte Thanksgiving Weekend 2022

Looking for something to do to get out of the house on Thanksgiving Weekend?

We are highlighting a few events you shouldn’t miss, but then, scroll down for a huge list of events we have on the calendar from Wednesday, November 23rd, through Sunday, November 27th, 2022.

On Charlotte on the Cheap we focus on free and cheap events, and...

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Free pictures with Santa at Black Lion
Photo: Depositphotos

Black Lion, 10635 Park Road, has over 68,000 square feet of unique home furnishings, gifts, home accents and more from more than 200 merchants, so it’s a great spot for holiday shopping.

We have put together a huge list of places in the Charlotte area to get free pictures with Santa!

Black Lion is offering several...

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Free holiday concerts around Charlotte 2022

Photo: Depositphotos

Celebrate the season by attending a free holiday concert in the Charlotte area in 2022. In this list you might find find traditional Christmas music, a tuba concert, community chorus concerts and more. This listed is growing every day, so please keep checking back.

These concerts take place all over the Charlotte...

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Where to get a free picture with Santa around Charlotte–a huge day-by-day list


Would you like your child to get a chance to meet Santa without having to pay for an expensive photo package? Here are a few opportunities in the Charlotte area for the 2022 Christmas season. Make sure to bring your camera. At most of these, you take your own pictures, but at some, professional photographers take the pictures.

Note: A few of...

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Where to Order Thanksgiving dinner to go in 2022 (and pies!) in Charlotte — restaurants, grocery stores and catering companies

If you prefer to leave the cooking to someone else, and focus on family (or maybe on pie), consider ordering your Thanksgiving dinner to go from a grocery store or restaurant.

Every year we put together a list of grocery stores and restaurants where you can order your meal ahead of time. In some cases, they come “ready to cook”...

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Story time and book signing with Tameka Fryer Brown at Main Street Books in Davidson

Main Street Books, 126 S Main Street, Davidson, North Carolina, is presenting a story time and book signing with author Tameka Fryer Brown. She will be sharing her new book, Twelve Dinging Doorbells.

The free event takes place Saturday, November 26th, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Find all the best (and cheapest) kids’ activities on...

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Free 7-week course–Music Production Workshop

The EXPLORE: Music Production workshop is a FREE online course for music producers and artists looking to record their own works! During this 7-week course, participants (ages 18+) will learn the art and technology of music production to create professional music compositions with equipment they have at home – a smartphone, tablet,...

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Free Songwriting Workshops with Dear Soul Music Co.

The EXPLORE: Songwriting Workshop is a 4-week course hosted by Dear Soul Music Co., sponsored by ASC Culture Blocks, a community partnership funded by Mecklenburg County.

It’s FREE. Registration is required and space is limited.

The course is for ages 18+, and takes place Wednesdays from November 30th to December 21st, 2022, at...

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Where to hear Handel’s Messiah in Charlotte in 2022 (including a discount to Charlotte Symphony’s performance)

The Christmas season is filled with music, but none exemplifies the season as much as Handel’s Messiah, especially the Christmas part. It’s become a tradition to attend a performance of The Messiah in December, and there are several chances to do so in the Charlotte area in 2022.


There’s no better way to celebrate the...

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SEA LIFE Sea of Lights returns

SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord is bringing presenting Sea of Lights. This festive holiday display features 35+ decorated Christmas trees and 20+ displays.

Photo courtesy of SEA LIFE

Check out our huge day-by-day list of holiday events in the Charlotte area! We update it every day!

Walk through the lights as you explore the 115,000-gallon Ocean...

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Sippin’ Santa: The Royal Tot transforms into a Christmas bar
The Royal Tot – Sippin Santa – Plaid Penguin – LunahZon Photography

The Royal Tot, a tiki bar at 933 Louise Avenue, Charlotte, North Carolina (in Plaza Midwood) is catching the Christmas spirit. It will hosting Sippin’ Santa through much of November and December, 2022.

Check out our huge day-by-day list of holiday...

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Where Ya Bin in Concord — shop for overstock items at a fixed price

Cabarrus County bargain hunters, get ready! Where Ya Bin opened in September of 2022, at 30 Branchview Drive, Concord, NC.

Where Ya Bin sells overstock goods and customer returns from retailers, puts them in rolling bins, and prices them all the same. You can get items for 30% to 90% off, depending on the day and your luck.

All items are...

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Charlotte’s 22nd Annual Santa Bar Crawl Dec 10

Charlotte’s 22nd Annual Santa Bar Crawl will take place in Uptown Charlotte Saturday, December 10th, 2022, from 3 p.m. until 1 a.m. the next morning.

Check out our huge day-by-day list of holiday events in the Charlotte area! We update it every day!

Your ticket gets you:

  • Free cover to 15+ bars
  • Exclusive Crawl drink specials at...

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