Happy Thanksgiving everyone! For those of you staying in town this weekend, I hope I have found some great events for your family to enjoy and maybe even occupy those out of town guests. For the first time my family will be enjoying the Thanksgiving Day Parade and I am very excited. We have never been in town for Thanksgiving and I just can’t pass a good parade by. Enjoy your holiday and I want to say how thankful I am for all of you, our Smarty Readers. You make Smarty Pants a joy everyday. I am also thankful for all of our many blessings, our families, friends and all of the special moments we are given. Have a great Holiday and most importantly, take the time to enjoy it.
Carolinas’ Thanksgiving Day 61st Annual Carrousel Parade
Parade route begins at Tryon at 9th, turns left onto 3rd and ends between Davidson and McDowell on 3rd.
November 27, 10:00am
Celebrate Thanksgiving this year with friends, family and a 61-year tradition. There will be floats, marching bands, dancers, musicians and entertainers. The parade will be televised on WBTV.
Charlotte SouthPark Turkey Trot 8K
November 27, Get there early if you haven’t registered.
1 Mile Fun Run – 8:30am
8K Run (4.97mi) – 9:00am
5K Walk (3.1 mi) – 9:00am
Tot Trot (26.2 yds) – 10:00am
This is a great Charlotte Tradition. Bring the family out to cheer or to participate, this is a fun way to spend the morning.
A Plantation Christmas
Historic Latta Plantation
November 28-29, 10:00am-4:00pm
Begin the Christmas season by stepping back into the 19th century. Celebrate Christmas in the 1800s as you tour the plantation house, kitchen, and slave cabin. Regular admission applies ($6 for adults, $5 for seniors (62+) and students, ages 5 and under free).
Holiday Lights at the Garden
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
November 28 – December 28, Tuesday-Sunday, 5:00pm-9:00pm, (Fri./Sat. – 10:00pm)
The family tradition continues with Holiday Lights at the Garden – a holiday event like no other. Join us at the Garden for old favorites like the orchid tree, carriage rides, visits from Santa and seasonal entertainment. A new treat for 2008 – train displays that are sure to please children of all ages. Nearly 600,000 lights are on display from the Garden’s Grand Entrance to the ponds to the spectacular formal displays in the gardens. On your return from seeing the lights you can relax in the Visitor Pavilion, enjoy a cup of cocoa and await the arrival of Santa (Tuesday – Saturday)! Cost is $5-$10.
WBT Holiday on Ice 2008
The Green – Uptown Charlotte
November 26-January 4, 12:00am-12:00pm
Tucked away in Uptown Charlotte’s most scenic park is the area’s only outdoor ice rink. There’s no better way to get in the holiday spirit than skating with your friends and family among the holiday decorations in uptown. Join us for skating and holiday cheer at WBT’s Holiday on Ice… on the Green in Uptown. Admission is $7, skate rental is $3.
Walk of the Turkey Hike
Reedy Creek Nature Center
November 28, 10:00am-11:30am
Take the family outdoors for a guided hike through Reedy Creek Nature Preserve. You’ll get up close to nature while walking off your Thanksgiving meal.
Forts and Hideouts
McDowell Nature Center
November 29, 1:00pm-4:00pm
For a child, building a fort in the woods fosters a sense of adventure, provides a sanctuary for them to retreat to, and promotes the development of analytical skills. Give your child the opportunity to practice the art and science of fort building in a safe and supervised manner. Ages 8-12. Cost is $7. For more information contact McDowell Nature Center at 704.588.5224. This course may be full and have a waitlist – please call to check.
Fall Family Festival
Carolina Raptor Center
November 29, 12:00pm-4:00pm
Come fly into autumn with Carolina Raptor Center’s newest event! It will be a fun-filled day of live raptor presentations, arts and crafts, games, having your photo taken with a raptor, and seeing one of our raptors fly! There will also be food available for purchase from Armin’s Catering and a special, one day gift shop discount of 20% off with any memberships purchased that day! Activities are free with admission. Photo with a raptor is an additional charge.
Santa House
Cotswold Village Shops
November 29, 12:00pm-4:00pm
Santa Claus will be in a house built by Habitat for Humanity at Cotswold Village Shops. There also will be events for families and hot cocoa. Events include story telling with Mrs. Claus, ornament making, face painting, magic, balloon animals and train rides. The Santa House is actually a garden shed and will be auctioned off to raise funds to support Habitat.
A Smarty heads up event – line up your sitters!! There will be an exclusive Ballantyne Shopping Event on December 4th from 6:30pm-9:00pm. Grab your girlfriends and head to Ballantyne Resort to shop vendors and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine and enter to win raffles every 10 minutes. Check out Ballantyne Shopping Event for a list of Vendors.
Don’t forget to register for our Smarty Giveaway this week:
The NC Dance Theatre is giving away a Family Four Pack, valued at $184 with Orchestra II seats (incredible seats!)! The winner can choose any performance they would like to attend. Click here to register. This giveaway ends at 11pm on Sunday, 11/30 so hurry and register! In addition, CSP readers will receive a 25% off discount on tickets for the December 12, 14, 19 and 21 performances of Nutcracker (all at 7 PM). The deadline to receive the discount is December 4. With the discount, tickets range from $15-$51.75. The discount is available online by clicking here or by using the promo code NUTCRACKERSMARTY when calling the box office (704-372-1000) or visiting the box office.
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Thanks CSP for helping to spread the word about next week’s Ballantyne Shopping Event! There are going to be a lot of unique products and great giveaways (and don’t forget the free wine!) – we look forward to seeing everyone there!