The Music Factory is now charging $5 to enter its parking deck. Here’s how to avoid the fee

Charlotteans had long awaited the deck’s opening. Parking was crunched at the Music Factory during construction.

But now some concertgoers are upset that Music Factory management has begun charging $5 on weekend nights and during special events to park there.

The good news: Nearby bars like VBGB and 8.2.0 will validate your parking in a nearby lot.

The bad news: No such luck for music events.

Ken Thomas, operations manager at the Music Factory, said there hasn’t been much negative feedback associated with the parking fee and said that most parking downtown is much more expensive.

But some people have been venting frustration online.

“I love the bars and concert venues in and around the Music Factory, but I’m more than happy to take my business elsewhere now that they have added $5 fee to the parking lot, that has been free for as long as I can remember,” one person wrote in a Facebook review.

“Used to love it, unfortunately you now pay $5 for the ‘privilege’ of sitting in the new garage for an hour after a show,” another wrote. “Will never pay to park here again. I have zero idea what #avidxchange is or why they apparently like to fix what’s not broken.”

Music Factory management has told angered customers on Facebook that the fee was instituted in order to keep the parking deck “clean and safe.”

VBGB has posted a notice on its Facebook page telling its patrons not to pay for parking. People who are going to one of the bars are able to park in a designated lot to the right of the big parking garage. They’ll be handed a parking ticket, which they can bring inside to get stamped with a food or drink purchase.