Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | Aug. 12-18

CharlotteFive staff
·6 min read

Friday

Discover your new favorite burger during the 7th annual CLT Burger Week. From Aug. 12-21, more than 25 participating local restaurants including Jack Beagles, French Quarter Tavern, Kid Cashew, The Local and Oh My Soul will showcase specialty burgers for just $6.Multiple locations. https://bit.ly/3Q670Jr

[RELATED: Ultimate burger guide: Where to find 100+ best burgers in the Charlotte region]

Enjoy free tastings and vote for your favorite Black-owned food truck at the third and final round of “Crownin: QC’s Black Food Truck Competition,” sponsored by the nonprofit Black Business Owners of Charlotte and Carolina-based Duke’s Mayonnaise. The winners of Friday’s round will move on to compete on a national stage during the Duke’s Mayo Classic Fanfest on Sept. 3, where first and second-place winners receive grants of $6,000 and $2,000, respectively. 3-5 p.m. Free. West Complex, 1600 W. Trade St. https://bit.ly/3Sy4JZr

Help choose the best Black-owned food truck at Crownin: QC’s Black Food Truck Competition on Aug. 12.
Help choose the best Black-owned food truck at Crownin: QC’s Black Food Truck Competition on Aug. 12.

Saturday

Kick off your Charlotte Pride Month experience with 2019 and 2022 National Entertainer of the Year Buff Faye and her Divas for Charlotte’s longest-running drag brunch. Tickets include Buff Faye’s “Delicious Divas” Drag Show and family-style brunch for your table. Drinks, cash bar and gratuity are not included in the ticket price. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $35 + fees. Purchase tickets online. Gilde Brewery, 3530 Dewitt Lane. https://bit.ly/3QbmLiy

For more Charlotte Pride fun, join Black Ty Events and Susanna_tothepeople for a luxe picnic experience dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community featuring food, bottomless mimosas, lawn games, activities and more. Come dressed in your favorite color of the rainbow. 3-5:30 p.m. $35 + fees. Purchase tickets online. Freedom Park, 1415 Princeton Ave. https://bit.ly/3Qu6XXV

Munch away at the Sazon de Charlotte Food Truck Festival. Browse the choices among the Latin-owned food trucks while you enjoy live music and family friendly activities. Noon-5 p.m. Quest Center at Latta Nature Preserve, 6345 Sample Road, Huntersville. https://bit.ly/3SE3xDS

Put on your summer dress or seersucker suit and most stylish sneakers for “Seersuckers & Sundresses 2022 Sneaker Edition,” hosted by the Gastonia/Shelby Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. The event will feature a dinner buffet, cash bar, cigar lounge, silent auction and live music from DJ Tramere. 7 p.m.-midnight $65 + fees. Purchase tickets online. Gastonia Conference Center, 145 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way. https://bit.ly/3bHBTVL

Sunday

Enjoy Sunday breakfast or brunch at The Neighborhood Café, a cozy, newly renovated restaurant in Huntersville that recently opened in the former Café 100 space. While the name has changed and new items have been added to the menu, the kitchen staff and inviting vibe, as well as many of the original café’s favorite dishes such as its crab cake or filet benedict, remain the same. 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The Neighborhood Café, 100 Huntersville-Concord Road. https://bit.ly/3zBO4vf

A breakfast burrito at The Neighborhood Café.
A breakfast burrito at The Neighborhood Café.

Monday

Treat yourself to a supersized, gooey chocolate chip cookie at Villani’s Bakery, recently named North Carolina’s best chocolate chip cookie on Yelp’s best chocolate chip cookie in every state list. Villani’s Bakery, 901 Pecan Ave. https://bit.ly/3SvH8IF

The chocoate chip cookies from Villani are much larger than average (peanut butter cookie for scale).
The chocoate chip cookies from Villani are much larger than average (peanut butter cookie for scale).

Tuesday

See A.R. Rahman, a composer and musician who has scored more than 150 projects in multiple languages, including the landmark scores for films including “Slumdog Millionaire” and “127 Hours.” 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $205. Purchase tickets online. Ovens Auditorium, 2700 East Independence Blvd. https://bit.ly/3P316HL

Wednesday

Get an ice cream cup or cone for a dollar, or a $15 monthly subscription, at Urban Sweets’ Pride Fundraiser. LGBTQ+ local celebrity Mia Atkins of WCNC will be scooping ice cream outside of the new ice cream spot to benefit Atkin’s chosen cause, Twirl to the World Foundation. Urban Sweets, 222 W. Blvd., Suite S114. https://bit.ly/3bIUDUJ

READ MORE: Charlotte Observer expands online accessibility with more free articles

Thursday

Join Comedy Bang! Bang! host Scott Aukerman Paul F. Tompkins and members of the “CBB All-Stars” cast for a live performance of the comedy weekly podcast. 7 p.m. Tickets start at $39.75. Purchase tickets online. Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. https://bit.ly/3d2xNru

Mark your calendar

Experience rooftop views, hors d’oeuvres, canapés tastings and rosés from around the world at Rosé Fest on the Roof at Cloud Bar. Aug. 20. 5-7 p.m. Tickets: $45 (tax and gratuity not included). Purchase tickets online. Cloud Bar by David Burke, 555 S. McDowell St. https://bit.ly/3vRCuuJ

Grab your tickets now for the Tacos ‘N Taps Festival. Get ready to taste over 60 craft beers, mezcals, margaritas and tequilas, sample over 30 different types of tacos, dance to mariachi bands, and, if you’re feeling brave, participate in hot pepper eating contests. Aug. 20. Noon-5 p.m. VIP: $75; general admission: $39; taco-only ticket: $30. Ballantyne’s Backyard, 11611 N. Community House Road. https://bit.ly/3MYUYPS

Tickets are on sale now for the inaugural Queen City Jam Sessions, a multi-day music festival from Aug. 19-21, presented by MaxxMusic and NoDa Brewing Company. See Greensky Bluegrass, Oteil and Friends, and Infamous Stringdusters and more at NoDa Brewing. A general admission three-day pass is $189. VIP passes are $299 and include express entrance, premier seating, two beers per day and private bar access. Admission is free for children under 7. Purchase tickets online. NoDa Brewing Company, 2921 N. Tryon St. https://bit.ly/3ENznYk

Charlotte International Arts Festival, Blumenthal Performing Art’s new festival kicks off this fall from Sept. 16-Oct. 2. The festival will be a celebration of imaginative visual and performing arts from international and local artists, offering something for everyone with over 200 ticketed and free events at various locations around the city. Purchase tickets online. https://bit.ly/3p7bjZ7

Get ready to fill up your coffee cup at Charlotte’s first and only craft coffee festival, No Filter Coffee Fest, returning Sept. 25 after a two-year hiatus. Formerly known as the POUR Coffee Festival, the day-long tasting event will feature over three dozen Southeastern coffee roasters, tea purveyors, local food artisans, live music and more. Tickets on sale now. $25. Purchase online. Camp North End, 300 Camp Road. https://bit.ly/3xAZnmt

Secure tickets for the Farm to Fork Picnic in the Garden on Sept. 25 at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. The event pairs more than 30 local chefs and food producers to celebrate locally sourced foods and drinks with live music and samples. Proceeds will support agriculture and food system training programs at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and farmer grants at Piedmont Culinary Guild. 4-7 p.m. Tickets are $110 or $50 for children 6-12. 6500 South New Hope Road, Belmont. https://bit.ly/3PCXUnz

The Carolina Renaissance Festival is back with several changes this year. Be sure to grab your tickets on the festival website this year, as they are date specific and limited in supply. Tickets will be available at the box office day of only if they are not sold out in advance. Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Oct. 1-Nov. 20. $32 for adults; $20 for kids (5-12); free for kids 4 and under. Purchase tickets online. 16445 Poplar Tent Road. https://bit.ly/3PaLrpZ