Here’s our calendar of events and art exhibits around Charlotte. Our SouthPark neighborhood guide covers where to eat and shop. Our Spring Arts Preview has more ideas on things to do.

EVENTS + ACTIVITIES

Swan Lake
Through May 12
For the first time, Charlotte Ballet presents this famous classical ballet with Tchaikovsky’s hauntingly beautiful score brought to life by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Tickets start at $30. charlotteballet.org

Wells Fargo Championship Tee-Off Concerts
May 9 & 11 | 6 p.m.
Yacht Rock Schooner and September in the Park take the stage at Symphony Park as part of the SouthPark After 5 series presented by SouthPark Community Partners. General admission tickets start at $20, with a two-day package starting at $39. southparkafter5.com

Wells Fargo Championship
May 6-12
Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Rickie Fowler and other top players will compete for a $20 million purse as the tournament returns to Quail Hollow Club. Ticket prices vary. wellsfargochampionship.com

Hadestown
May 7-12
The Tony Award-winning musical is the modern retelling of two mythic love stories (Orpheus and Eurydice, King Hades and wife Persephone) which takes the audience on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Tickets start at $30. blumenthalarts.org

Hats in the Garden
May 15 l 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Raise your champagne glass to toast nature’s wonder at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. This annual fundraiser features a luncheon, keynote artist speaker and a legendary hat contest. Individual tickets are $300. dsbg.org/visit/hats-in-the-garden

Cheerwine Festival
May 18
This annual festival celebrates all things Cheerwine in the city where it was created back in 1917, Salisbury. Expect Cheerwine-inspired beer, crafts and food from local and regional vendors. cheerwinefest.com

The Secret Gardens of Fourth Ward
May 18-19  | 12 – 4 p.m.
Historic Fourth Ward’s annual self-guided spring tour includes food and cocktail tastings at gardens and restaurants along the way. Day-specific tickets are $30, or a weekend flex ticket is $40. fourthwardclt.org

Meck Mile
May 25
All ages and all experience levels are welcome at this inaugural race, where participants can run, walk, skip or dance their way through Memorial Stadium. The daylong festivities include food, cheer stations, live music and a kids zone. charlottesports.org/event/meck-mile

Coca-Cola 600
May 26
It’s the 65th running of this Memorial Day weekend tradition at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Expect military appreciation events, a pre-race concert by Matchbox Twenty, plus driver appearances. charlottemotorspeedway.com

Critical Mass Bike Ride
May 31 I 6:45 p.m.
Show solidarity with Charlotte’s biking community in this 2nd annual 7-mile group ride. CLT Urbanists, Sustain Charlotte and CLT Development launched the bike ride in an effort to grow support for enhanced bike lanes and infrastructure citywide. Meet at First Ward Park. 

ONGOING EVENTS

SouthPark After 5
Thursdays, April 18-May 23 | 5 – 9 p.m.
The weekly happy hour series at Symphony Park returns this spring with live music, food trucks, drinks and hands-on art
activities. The family concerts are free to attend and dog-friendly. Bring a picnic blanket or chairs. 4400 Sharon Rd. southparkafter5.com

Party in the Park
Dates vary I 1-5 p.m.
The party returns to the lawn at Mint Museum Randolph one Sunday a month through fall. Enjoy free museum admission, food trucks and live music on the terrace. There’s also a cash bar. Dates are as follows: May 19, June 30, Sept. 29, Oct. 29. mintmuseum.org

Fridays at Camp North End
Through November
Take in the sunset or relax with friends as you explore Camp North End’s food and music scene. Listen to a DJ pumping tunes at Ford Green or bands jamming out in the Boileryard while you stroll, eat and shop across all three districts. Fridays, 5 – 10 p.m. (music is 6 – 9 p.m.). camp.nc/friday-night-music

Wednesday Night Live
Wednesdays from 5-9 p.m.
The Mint Museum, The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and the Knight Theater are partnering in this weekly event series featuring free admission and live entertainment. Visit mintmuseum.org for the programming schedule and updates.

First Friday South End Gallery Crawl
Galleries and shops offer extended hours, special receptions, live painting and music along the Rail Trail on the first Friday of each month. southendclt.org

Carolina Fine Art Sip & Shop
The Cotswold Village gallery hosts a sip & shop every first Friday of the month in partnership with Butler’s Pantry. carolinafineart.com

MUSEUMS + GALLERIES

Charlotte: Moving Forward, Looking Back
Now open
This wide-ranging exhibition at Levine Museum of the New South highlights key industries, struggles for equality, the impact of immigration and Charlotte’s identity as part of the New South. Admission is free. 401 S. Tryon St., museumofthenewsouth.org

Artist Caroline Boykin

Le Pointe by Caroline Boykin
The Raleigh artist’s newest body of work is on view at Anne Neilson Fine Art. In Le Pointe, square and rectangular forms “represent the boxes we put ourselves in; the boxes that we as a society place each other in” and allow viewers to interpret the works through the artist’s use of color interaction, texture and mark-making. 721 Governor Morrison St., Ste. 180. anneneilsonfineart.com


A New Moon Rises
Now open
This new permanent exhibition reveals the grandeur and wonder of our closest celestial neighbor through stunning, large-scale photographs captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) between 2009 and 2015. Entrance is included with Discovery Place Science general admission, 301 N. Tryon St. discoveryplace.org

The Hive @ 35
through May
Celebrate 35 years of the Hornets at Charlotte Museum of History, with a tour of classic memorabilia, interactive installations and plenty of nostalgia for the NBA team that put the Queen City on the map. The exhibit is included with regular museum admission, $10 for adults. 3500 Shamrock Drive. charlottemuseum.org

A Superlative Palette: Contemporary Black Women Artists
through Aug. 25
This exhibition curated by Dexter Wimberly brings together the work of twelve generation-defining, contemporary Black women artists from around the world. Their work has redefined artistic expression while advocating for social justice, equality, and empowerment. ganttcenter.org

Don’t forget to check out our SouthPark neighborhood guide and Spring Arts Preview.

— compiled by SouthPark magazine staff

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