IHOP: Free Scary Face Pancake for Kids
Participating IHOP locations
October 24-31, See website for locations, Free
Summary: Kids create their own Scary Face Pancake for free with purchase of adult entree. 12 and under, dine-in only.
Monster Bash
Waverly Shopping Center
Providence and Audrey Kell Road, Charlotte, NC
October 28, 1pm-3pm, Free
Summary: FREE Hot Dogs:
Register at our chilling registration table and savor
FREE hot dogs from the renowned JJ’s Red Hots.
Pet Parade (1:15 PM):
Watch as our four-legged friends
strut their stuff in our Pet Parade.
Mini Pumpkin Giveaway & More:
Join in on the fun with mini pumpkin
giveaways and other ghoulish activities.
Costume Contest:
Enter our Costume Contest for
a chance to win spookily good prizes.
Live Music (3:30 PM – 7:30 PM):
As the sun sets,
KRVE will fill the air with the best jams.
Free Halloween Activities
Participating Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s stores
See website for locations
October 27-31, See website for schedule, Free
Summary: Free digital download and candy hunt throughout the store (while supplies last).
Matthews Playhouse’s Haunted Trail – Not Spooky Version
Matthews Community Center
100 McDowell Street, Matthews, NC
October 27-29, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, Free
Summary: The “Not So Spooky” trail, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., is a fun, light-hearted walk through the woods before the sun goes down and is suitable for young audiences. Costumes and interactions with characters is encouraged. During the “Not So Spooky” hour, there will also be free activities like a bounce house, trunk or treat, crafts, children’s activities and more.
Pumpkin Patch at Hodges Family Farm
Hodges Family Farm
3780 Rocky River Road, Charlotte, NC
September 23 – October 31, Daily 9am-5:30pm, Free
Summary: Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, hay bales to climb and jump on, barnyard animals, picnic areas and more!
Boollantyne
The Amp
11115 Upper Avenue, Charlotte, NC
October 27, 5pm-8:30pm, $10
Summary: Events will include kid’s costume contest, scavenger hunt, hands-on creativity booths, characters, DJ, and more.
SCarowinds
14523 Carowinds Blvd, Charlotte, NC
Summary: SCarowinds, the Carolinas’ premier Halloween event, is back with a vengeance. Among this year’s new attractions is the Procession of Nightmares parade, where all of your deepest, darkest dreams have come to life on the park’s midways.
You’ll sleep with the lights on after experiencing this new season of SCarowinds with nothing but pure fear straddling the North Carolina-South Carolina state line. Every corner has a fresh coat of fright with horrifying haunted mazes, spine-tingling scare zones, and live entertainment.
Carolina Renaissance Festival
16445 Poplar Tent Road
September 30 – November 30, See website for schedule
Summary: Time travel to the greatest party since Camelot! Take an autumn stroll through the wooded Village of Fairhaven where history comes alive with non-stop, day-long, immersive and interactive entertainments like no place else! Shop an abundance of arts and crafts in the village open-air Artisan Market!
Adventure awaits with games and rides, valiant jousting knights on horseback, majestic falconry, beautiful mermaids and fairies, friendly dragons, feasting, and so much more! Come one, come all for non-stop, day-long family adventure!
Whitewater Center
U.S. National Whitewater Center
5000 Whitewater Center Parkway, Charlotte, NC
The month of October, Free admission, $6 parking
Summary: Film Series, Ultra Trail Marathon, used bike and boat sale
Live Under the Oaks Series
Birkdale Village, Birkdale Commons Pkwy & Sam Furr Rd
April 7-October 27, 6pm-8pm, Free
Summary: Start your weekends unwinding with live musical performances in the Plaza every Friday evening from April to October. Grab your friends and family and get ready to dance the night away!
North Carolina Transportation Museum
1 Samuel Spencer Dr., Spencer NC
See website for events and activities
Summary: The NC Transportation Museum is a historic site, once home to Southern Railway’s largest steam locomotive repair facility in the southeast, and a museum featuring all types of transportation history – railroading, automotive, aviation, and more.
Blumenthal Performing Arts
We present the largest Broadway season in the Carolinas, hosting more than 18 weeks of Broadway shows annually, along with a large array of special attractions and festivals, from concerts to comedy to dance to the Charlotte Jazz Festival and much more.
We manage six theaters in the center city where the curtain goes up on more than 1,000 events annually, including performances by our 16 resident companies. More than 7.9 million people attended events in our theaters during our first 25 seasons.
We inspire kids. More than 150,000 students participate annually in our student-focused programs ranging from internships to specially priced show tickets to The Blumey Awards, which celebrates excellence in high school musical theater in our region.
Pay-to-Play at Superior Play Systems
11415 Granite St, Suite C, Charlotte, NC
See website for schedule and prices
Summary: Bring your children to a fun, creative indoor playground environment!
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.
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.
