15 things to do in Charlotte this week: Wine festival, silent disco, Marvel exhibit + more
Friday, May 12
Strawberry Day at Charlotte Regional Farmers Market
Location: 1801 Yorkmont Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Time: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Cost: Free
Head over to the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market for a special day focused on strawberries. The Strawberry Day event will feature vendors offering fresh strawberries along with strawberry jams, baked goods, wine, candles, soaps and other berry-based goods.
North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival
Location: Historic Rural Hill, 4431 Neck Rd., Huntersville, NC 28078
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $10+
Kick off the weekend at the North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival. The two-day craft beer celebration will feature performances from 9 bands and over 40 breweries that’ll be serving up drinks all weekend. Tickets can be purchased online.
Location: PNC Music Pavilion, 707 Pavilion Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28262
Legendary pop star Janet Jackson is bringing her “Together Again Tour” to Charlotte, at the same venue she last performed in 2018. The tour will celebrate her 50th anniversary in entertainment. Rapper Ludacris will perform as her opening act. Standard lawn seating starts at $39.95.
Saturday, May 13
Location: Gaston County Public Library, 1555 E Garrison Blvd, Gastonia, NC 28054
Time: 11 a.m.
Cost: Free
Sharpen your musical skills at a free songwriting workshop hosted by Carolina Pro Musica. Bring your instruments and your ideas to bring your songs to life. No registration is required for the event.
Charlotte Dragon Boat Race and Asian Festival
Location: Ramsey Creek Park, 18441 Nantz Rd., Cornelius, NC 28031
Time: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: Free
Check out the annual Charlotte Dragon Boat Festival Race and Charlotte Asian Festival. The big event celebrates Asian culture and the over 2,000-year-old traditional Chinese water sport of dragon boat racing. The race is an open competition for anyone 15 or older. In addition to dragon boat races, the event includes live music, dance performances, signature dishes from various Asian countries and more.
Location: Ballantyne Village, 14825 Ballantyne Village Way Charlotte, NC 28277
Time: 1 p.m.
Cost: $35+
Sip and stroll through the Ballantyne Wine Festival. You’ll have the chance to try and buy regional and national wine, shop from local vendors and listen to live music. General admission tickets include wine tasting tickets and a signature tasting glass, but with VIP tickets you can get early entry into the event. Tickets are available online.
Location: Birdsong Brewing Company, 1016 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Time: 6:30-10 p.m.
Cost: Free
Jam out to your favorite songs at Birdsong Brewing’s silent disco. Put on your headphones and dance the night away on the brewery’s dance floor. There will be two disco sessions to choose from at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 14
Have a special meal for Mother’s Day
Location: Multiple
Time: Varies
Cost: Varies
Whether you have a mother, have become a mother or want to recognize the important women in your life, there are several local restaurants and food and drink services that can help you celebrate this year. Here’s our full guide for breakfast, lunch and dinner deals offered this Mother’s Day.
Mother’s Day Brunch Cocktail Class
Location: The Cocktailery, 2000 South Blvd Suite 430, Charlotte, NC 28203
Time: 12-1:30 p.m.
Cost: $110
Spend the day with the special mothers in your life putting your cocktail skills to the test. In this unique Cocktailery workshop, you’ll get to snack on brunch charcuterie boards while learning how to make three special drinks.
Monday, May 15
Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes exhibit
Location: Discovery Place Science, 301 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202
Time: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Cost: $38+
Check out the new Marvel universe exhibit at Discovery Place Science. “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes,” with more than 300 Marvel artifacts, will be open from May 14-Sept. 4. The exhibit showcases Marvel’s history and its influence on visual culture, and how Marvel influenced and drew inspiration from pop culture.
Tuesday, May 16
Location: 420 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Time: Open 24 hours
Treat yourself to breakfast, lunch or dinner at the newly reopened Midnight Diner location in uptown Charlotte. The new location includes a patio and 25 free parking spaces during the day and 75 free parking spaces after 5 p.m.
Wednesday, May 17
Location: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, 6500 S New Hope Rd, Belmont, NC 28012
Time: 12 p.m.
Cost: $200+
Enjoy a special spring lunch at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. The Hats in the Garden event will feature a champagne celebration, a luncheon and showcase artist Kirk Fanelly. Tickets can be bought individually or as a group online.
Location: The Independent Picture House, 4237 Raleigh St., Charlotte, NC 28213
Time: Multiple screen times
Cost: Varies per event
Buy tickets for the Queen City’s Annual LGBTQ Film Festival. The five-day event kicks off on Wednesday with a mix of short films on the big screen. You can find the full lineup of showings and buy tickets online.
Thursday, May 18
Location: 145 Brevard Court, Charlotte, NC 28202
Time: 6 p.m.
Cost: $5
Break out the beads and spend a night out in uptown at the May-di Gras Block Party. It’s not New Orleans, but the big event will have live music, vendors, food and drink specials and more.
Location: Bazal Gallery Lounge, 950 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28206
Time: 7 p.m.
Cost: $40
Plan ahead and buy tickets for the largest booze-free party in the country. The Roaring Social’s Great Sober Curios Party is one of 49 events that will be simultaneously taking place at the exact same time. Let loose and enjoy a night of signature zero proof cocktails and bites at Bazal Gallery Lounge. You can buy tickets online.
Mark your calendar
Location: 1213 Oak Ridge Farm Hwy, Mooresville NC 28115
When: May 20
Cost: $20+
Cool off at the Quarry at Carrigan Farms. You can now book reservations for open swim this spring and summer. Swimmers of all ages are able to spend time in the quarry and guests will also be able to catch and release fish in the ponds with their own gear. Reservations are required and can be made online.
