Today’s Smarty Scoop is proudly sponsored by our friends at Charlotte Ballet – featuring Nutcracker!
Join Clara on her dreamy journey through the Land of Sweets with dancing snowflakes, delicious treats and, of course, the majestic Sugar Plum Fairy. It’s surely a show you don’t want to miss! Tickets can be purchased online.
McAdenville Christmas Light Display
From I-85 South, take exit 26 in Belmont and enter Wesleyan Drive from Highway 74.
From I-85 North, take exit 22 and enter Main Street on Highway 7 from Lwell.
Both Church Street and Academy Street are closed to traffic.
Summary: Visitors can expect a Town that shines with holiday cheer December 1 – 26, from 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM. Whether you choose to drive through town or park to take a stroll with friends and family, you will thoroughly enjoy the festivities of Christmas Town. Listen to the sounds of the season as bells play Christmas carols while you visit our historic downtown area. We hope our quaint little town creates Christmas memories to cherish forever. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We recommend you read the planning a trip document prior to visiting.
Polar Express Train Ride
The North Carolina Transportation
1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer, NC
See website for schedule and to buy tickets, reservations required
Summary: Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, families are sure to enjoy their trip to the North Pole, complete with hot chocolate and cookies served on board the train. Passengers are entertained by a reading of Chris Van Allsburg’s classic, The Polar Express. Upon arrival at the North Pole, passengers deboard to watch Santa present the first gift of Christmas. Before exiting the train at Candy Cane Lane, all passengers who BELIEVE will receive their own sleigh bell.
Light the Knights Festival & Christmas Village
Truist Field (Charlotte Knights Stadium)
324 South Mint Street, Charlotte, NC
November 23-January 6, See website for schedule
Holiday Walkthrough & Lights Show
As you stroll through the ballpark, you’ll be treated to tens of thousands of lights, beautiful Christmas trees, snow, and displays. Feel the magic of the holidays from Christmas Tree Lane to the Snowtastic Winter Wonderland.
Circle K Ice Rink
Uptown’s only regulation-size outdoor hockey rink with activities for all to enjoy, including ice skating, learn to play hockey, tournaments, figure skating, and more.
The outfield is now an ice skating rink and snow tubing hill. Plus, enjoy light shows, live entertainment, holiday treats, Christmas trees, shopping, Santa, snow, and more!
Atrium Health Levine Children’s Tubing Hill
A 6-lane, 150-foot snow tubing hill is in the outfield. Come and enjoy the winter fun with your friends and family during the holidays!
Charlotte Christmas Village
You’ll find the best local Christmas gifts as you explore our holiday market. Charlotte Christmas Village features a European menu including bratwursts, schnitzel, and strudel, along with the popular gluhwein, hot cider, beers, and hot chocolate.
The Magic of the Holidays
Ballantyne’s Backyard
11611 North Community House Road, Charlotte, NC
Open daily from 5pm-10pm, tickets are required, buy in advance
Summary: Walk Through The Magic Of The Holidays. Bring your friends and family and immerse yourself in the wonder of the season with over a million Christmas lights along a half-mile walking trail.
Scrooge The Musical
Matthews Playhouse
100 East McDowell Street, Matthews, NC
December 8-18, See website for schedule
Summary: In this timeless musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of a Christmas Eve night, after being visited by the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.
Speedway Christmas
Charlotte Motor Speedway
5555 Concord Parkway, Concord, NC
November 18-January 8, 6pm-10pm, See website for schedule, $30-40
Summary: Four million LED Christmas lights strewn across a four-mile course, with displays and lights synchronized to Christmas-themed music. The show is open rain or shine, and features synchronized lights to music on 101.3 FM.
Gingerbread Lane at Ballantyne Hotel
The Ballantyne (Hotel)
10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, Charlotte, NC
December 1-26, 11am-7pm, daily
Summary: Visit The Ballantyne to view an enchanting display of gingerbread creations from novice to professional bakers.
Birkdale on Ice
Birkdale Village
Birkdale Commons Parkway and Sam Furr Road, Huntersville, NC
November 19-January 16, See website for schedule
Summary: For the first time ever, Birkdale Village will have an ice skating rink and we can’t wait to lace up our skates with you. Guests will need to book ice skating reservations in advance to ensure a skating time slot. Walk-ups are also welcome, but we cannot guarantee you will be able to skate at that time.
We highly recommend you check the local forecast before purchasing your tickets as ice conditions may vary due to weather. However, tickets for Birkdale on Ice are refundable or transferable to an alternate date if your skate time is impacted by a possible closure.
Skating and Lights at Whitewater Center
U.S. National Whitewater Center
5000 Whitewater Center Parkway, Charlotte, NC
Lights
The all-new Lights installation is entered through a tunnel that depicts the history of the Whitewater Center. The Lights installation is on a half mile trail on the woods. It consists of 45 giant illuminated spheres, each representing a feature of the Whitewater Center, like Climbing, Build Your Own Boat, Tuck Fest, the Whitewater Film Series and more.
Skating
Once again the Upper Pond of the whitewater channel has been converted into a 24,000 square foot ice skating rink. It includes two ice trails and two free skate zones. In the middle there’s an on-ice Airstream that serves hot and cold beverages. Off ice, sandwiches, salads, soup, drinks and desserts are also available for purchase. Enjoy skating or just relaxing by the fires watching skating.
Vintage Charlotte (VTGCLT) Pop
The Metropolitan
1111 Metropolitan Av, Charlotte, NC
Select days between November 11-December 23, see website for schedule
Summary: VTGCLT Pop is a pop-up shop that will feature products from 90+ of the best local and regional vintage and handmade vendors.
Santa’s Wonderland with Free Pictures
November 6-December 24, all day
Cabela’s
1000 Cabela Drive, Fort Mill, SC, reservations required
Santa’s Wonderland with free Pictures
Bass Pro Shops
November 6-December 24, all day
Concord Mills Mall, Concord, NC, reservations required
Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
To present the best in the performing arts and in partnership with others, share and employ the arts as a major catalyst to strengthen education, build community cohesiveness and advance economic growth.
Click here for complete schedule for all theaters.
Charlotte Panthers
Bank of America Stadium
800 S. Mint Street, Charlotte, NC
Click here for 2022 Schedule.
Discovery Place Science
301 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC
See website for schedule, tickets must be purchased in advance online
Summary: Discovery Place Science is an innovative, hands-on Museum that encourages scientific exploration and creativity. Don’t forget to check out the new IMAX experience, IMAX® with Laser technology—a next-generation laser projection system and 12-channel sound system exclusive to IMAX theaters—is immersive by design. Developed from the ground up to deliver crystal clear, lifelike images and precision sound for a moviegoing experience unlike anything else.
Discovery Place Nature
1658 Sterling Road, Charlotte, NC
See website for schedule, tickets must be purchased in advance online
Summary: Discovery Place Nature offers visitors the chance to get close to wildlife and experience nature through hands-on programming, exhibits and classes.
Discovery Place Kids
105 Gilead Road, Huntersville, NC
See website for schedule, tickets must be purchased in advance online
Summary: Discovery Place Kids is a regional children’s museum featuring developmentally-appropriate experiences that encourage interactive learning through imagination and fun, with locations in Huntersville and Rockingham.
Uptown Farmers’ Market
300 S. Davidson Street, Charlotte, NC
Every Saturday April 16-December 10
Summary: 300 S. Davidson street is in the 4.5 acre front parking lot of First Baptist Charlotte, one of the Uptown Farmers Market sponsors. It provides an ideal location for the more than 110,000 residents that live within a 3 mile radius of the market’s site, as well as ample parking for those that visit from around the expanding Charlotte area.
South End Gallery Crawl
Historic South End
Summary: South End is home to a vast array of art in all forms: fine art galleries offering everything from the realist to the experimental, colorful public murals, larger-than-life installations on the Rail Trail and dozens of studio spaces where artists and artisans dream and create.
Take in the local art scene on South End First Friday–an evening when galleries and shops offer extended hours, special receptions, live painting and music. Build in a visit to any of the neighborhood’s restaurants and breweries, and it’s a whole night out!
South End Market at Atherton Mill
2140 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC
Every Saturday, 8am-1pm, Free
Summary: You can find everything from local produce to fresh fish to handmade pasta, and so much more! With live music on one end and a string of local farmers and creatives along the trail, this hub boasts the vibrant energy that we all long for to kick off our weekend. Plus, you can make a day of it by exploring all that Atherton Mill has to offer! There is free parking for shoppers at the Atherton Mill garage, or take the light rail to East/West Blvd Station!
Kids Skate Free
Kate’s Skate – Indian Trial
14500 E. Independence Blvd, Indian Trail, NC
See website for schedule
Summary: Sign up your kids to skate during Kate’s Skating Rink Kids Skate Free, offered on select days/times during the week.
The Schiele Museum of Natural History
1500 East Garrison Blvd, Gastonia, NC
Summary: The Schiele Museum of Natural History is now open! The museum is committed to inspiring curiosity and understanding of science and the natural world through exceptional educational programs, exhibits, and research. To see a list of events and plan your visit, click here.
Mecklenburg County Library Virtual Events
Free Virtual Events
Summary: Join Charlotte Mecklenburg Library every week for a wide range of virtual programming for children, teens and adults. Daily appointments for Reading Buddies and Tutoring and Enrichment for school-age children can be accessed by clicking here.
