Happy Wednesday Smarties! I don’t know about you but I am already ready for the weekend. Spring is in full force and with that come Earth Day celebrations, Spring Festivals and Easter parties. There are plenty to choose from and the added bonus of being able to watch the Us National Canoe/Kayak National Team Trials at the Whitewater Center. This is the perfect weekend to try different events in different parts of our city. Get out, enjoy and explore!
Sport A Shirt, Share A Night
Sport-A-Shirt, Share-A-Night is a night when thousands of people at hundreds of companies across North Carolina will “sport” a $10 Ronald McDonald House t-shirt in order to “share” a stay for one night at Ronald McDonald House with a family in need. This year we will unite in wearing our $10 t-shirts on Friday, April 15, 2011.
Although it costs more than $85 to host a family for one night at Ronald McDonald House, families are asked to contribute only $10 per night for their stay. For many families, even this small amount is a financial burden. Ronald McDonald House never turns a family away due to inability to pay, and so we are inviting members of the Charlotte community to sponsor these families in need. To order a shirt, please click on the link!
Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games
Rural Hill, Huntersville
April 15-17
Answer the Call of the Clans… Find your heritage among more than 100 Scottish Clan and Family Societies… Enjoy Competitions & workshops. Scottish heavy athletics, Piping & drumming and Pipe bands and the Highland Dancing Championships. Cost is $5-$20.
Britax Fitting Station
Britax North American headquarters, 13501 South Ridge Drive
April 15, 8:00am-noon
A car seat checking station is where certified child passenger safety technicians assist you with car seat installation. There they will teach you the correct way to install your child seat, provide safety recommendations, and answer any questions that you may have. For best results, please bring: your child, your vehicle and vehicle owner’s manual, your child safety seat and all parts, accessories, and instructions, a second adult to assist with watching your child while you learn how to install your car seat . No appointment is needed, and seats from all manufacturers are welcome. Instruction lasts approximately 30 minutes per car seat. Cost is free.
Lunch with the Easter Bunny
Matthews Community Center
April 15, 11:00am-noon
Children ages 2-5 are invited to eat lunch with the Easter Bunny! Children can also do a fun craft and have their picture taken with the guest of honor. Tickets are $7 and will be available at the Matthews Community Center beginning Tuesday, March 15.
USA Canoe/Kayak National Team Trials and Spring Festival
U.S. National Whitewater Center
April 15-16, Races begin at 9:15am each day
The USNWC is kicking off the spring with a weekend of festivities. During the day, paddlers will be battling for Olympic glory as they compete in the USA Canoe/Kayak National Team Trials. As the sun starts to set on the river, we’ll kick up the jams with two massive concerts on Friday and Saturday night. Friday’s headliner is JJ Grey & Mofro and we’ll close out Saturday’s show with rockers Lucero. The Trials are free and do not require a ticket but the Spring Festival is a ticketed event and tickets are good for both Friday and Saturday nights. Music on the big Coca-Cola Zero Stage will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, and at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Lyle the Crocodile
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, ImaginOn
April 16-17, Sat., 11:00am, 1:00pm; Sun., 2:00pm
When the Primm family moves into their new apartment, they are very surprised to find Lyle the Crocodile living in the bathtub. Lyle, however, is no ordinary crocodile. He eats only Turkish caviar, can play the saxophone and has impeccable manners. Mr. and Mrs. Primm and their son Joshua quickly learn to love Lyle, but will crotchety next-door neighbor Mr. Grumps insist on sending this new member of their family off to the zoo? With toe-tapping, finger-snapping tunes, this adaptation of the picture book classic brings the world’s most loveable reptile to vibrant, joyful life onstage. Cost is $18-$24.
Kings Drive Art Walk
Sugar Creek Greenway
April 16-17, 11:00am-6:00pm
The Kings Drive Art Walk debuts Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17, in Midtown here on the new Sugar Creek Greenway along Kings Drive between E. Morehead Street and Pearle Street Bridge. The new festival will feature fine arts for sale from 40 artists in numerous mediums, including paint and drawing; sculpture; pottery; and metal, stone, wood and glass works, with one focus being local emerging artists. To round out the event, the Festival is collaborating with local performing arts groups who will showcase their talents at the adjacent Sugar Creek Greenway Amphitheatre. Musical performances during the two-day event will range from acoustical guitar to pop, soft rock, and Latin and contemporary jazz, with artists such as Tommy Lopez, The Brubakers, and the Charlotte Jazz Orchestra. Numerous cart and tent concessionaires will offer food and drink for sale along the Greenway, while the Greenway’s Central Fountain will be the site of a Beer & Wine Sipping Garden featuring craft beers from local brewery Four Friends, as well as selected fine wines.
Earth Day
Charlotte Nature Museum
April 16, 10:00am
The best place in Charlotte to celebrate Earth Day with your little ones. Plenty of green fun for everyone as we join together to celebrate our planet and learn how to positively impact the environment.
Earth Day Celebration
Anne Spring Close Greenway
April 16, 10:00am-2:00pm
Celebrate Earth Day at the Greenway! Exhibits, demonstrations, family and kid activities and live music! A full day of fun for everyone.
Easter Eggstravaganza
Stumptown Park, Matthews
April 16, 11:00am-2:00pm
Participants can play carnival games, win prizes and bounce around on inflatables. There will be pictures, music, and the annual egg hunts! Cost is $5 per child.
Simon Kidgits Club Easter Egg Hunt
The Village at SouthPark
April 16, 10:00am-noon
The entire family is invited to the mall for a day filled with activities and surprises which may include a visit from the Easter Bunny, Easter Bucket Giveaway, Easter Crafts & Fun, Giveaways, prizes and more! Cost is $5, free for Kids Club Members.
Kids Club Easter Party
Concord Mills
April 16, 11:00am-1:00pm
Simon Kidgits Club members are invited to enjoy a morning of Easter-inspired arts and crafts, and hands-on activities for the whole family a Concord Mills! Radio Disney will be on hand to provide musical entertainment, and host games and exciting prize giveaways. Not a Simon Kidgits Club member? You can sign up at Concord Mills Guest Services or online at www.SimonKidgitsClub.com. There is a $5 annual membership fee for the Kidgits Club.
Hop Into Spring
Bailey Road Park, Cornelius
April 16, 2:00pm-4:00pm
Join the Cornelius PARC Department for a fun-filled afternoon! Don’t forget to bring your basket to collect toy-filled eggs at the different activity stations. Admission to this event is FREE and recommended for families with children ages 3 to 12.
Healthy Kids Day
Morrison YMCA
April 16, 10:00am-12:00p
Join us for a day to celebrate fun, fitness and healthy lives at the Morrison Family YMCA. Free to the Community.
Sunday Fun Day: Earth Day Art
Mint Museum Uptown
April 17, 1:00pm-4:00pm
Third Sundays are family-time at the Mint Museum Uptown. Every Sunday Fun Day try out a new scavenger hunt in the museum galleries, see a performer or artist demonstration, and enjoy kid-friendly activities. Each month we’ll celebrate a new theme. See a demonstration by potter Greg Scott, N.C. Dance Theatre and other kid-friendly activities. Cost is $10.
