Mark your calendars: 16 must-do Charlotte events in April
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
tuck-fest
We finally made it to better weather (sort of) and festival szn, and the city is celebrating with tons of fun events, from Opening Knight to the Girl Tribe Pop Up.
Opening Knight
April 4 | BB&T Ballpark | 6-10 p.m. | $9-$30 | Details
Why you should go: The Knights will be playing the Durham Bulls for this year’s season opener. And it’s Thirsty Thursday, which means $1 small sodas, $3 domestic drafts and $5 craft drafts.
Jurassic Quest
April 5-7 | The Park – Expo & Conference Center | 3-8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday & Sunday | $20-$36 + $8 parking | Details
Why you should go: There will be tons of dino-themed exhibits and activities, so it’s perfect for a family outing.
7th Year Shakedown
April 6 | Lenny Boy Brewing | 11 a.m. to midnight | $20-$36 + $8 parking | Details
Why you should go: They’ve got five music groups lined up, and they’ll be dropping new beer and kombucha releases on draft and in cans to celebrate seven years in the biz.
Third Annual Roast and Toast
April 7 | NoDa Brewing | 1-5 p.m. | Free to attend | Details
Why you should go: You can get a dozen oysters from Sea Level for $10 or a bowl of chowder for $8. Not feeling oysters? TIN Kitchen will be on site, too.
Sensoria Food & Wine
April 7 | 425 N. Kings Drive | Noon to 4 p.m. | $65-$115 | Details
Why you should go: Fourteen local chefs and 12 North Carolina Wineries are working to bring you the best in food and wine for the event. Proceeds will go toward scholarships for future Central Piedmont Community College culinary students.
April Front Porch Sundays Kickoff Market
April 7 | Sycamore Brewing | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Free | Details
Why you should go: Sunday Funday is finally back. There will be more than 65 vendors, food trucks, kombucha, beer and more.
Moo and Brew Fest 5 Ft. Everclear
April 13 | AvidXchange Music Factory | 12:30-6 p.m. | $40-$55 | Details
Why you should go: This event has the makings for a perfect day: beer, burgers and live music. You’ll get to hit up more than 50 vendors vying for the Best Burger title.
2019 Loch Norman Highland Games
April 13-14 | Rural Hill | All day | $6-$245 | Details
Why you should go: This is a huge annual event with tons of stuff for families, from bagpipe performances, Highland Dancing, a kids’ zone, historical reenactments and more. There will be beer, wine and whiskey tastings as well.
Sycamore Spring Fest 2019!
April 13 | Sycamore Brewing | Noon to 10 p.m. | Free | Details
Why you should go: It’s finally outdoor day drinking weather, and Sycamore will have beer and cider stations, Prosecco pops, Frosé, live music all day and T-shirts and koozies. They’ll have food trucks, too.
CLT Wine & Food Weekend 2019
April 24-27 | City wide | Varies | $75-$500 | Details
Why you should go: Try the best food and wine in Charlotte, all while benefiting charity. You’ll get to interact with the area’s top restaurateurs, sommeliers, chefs and other food- and wine-loving professionals.
Tuck Fest 2019
April 25-28 | USNWC | Varies | $0-$50 | Details
Why you should go: They’ve got live music and more than 35 athletic events and competitions going on throughout the weekend, and you can enter as many as you want for one price. If you don’t want to get in on the action, you can watch for free or purchase terrace tickets so you can watch from private viewing areas, have a chef-prepared meal, and participate in the cash bar.
4th Annual International Sandwich Festival
April 27 | Aldersgate Life Plan Communities | Free | $50-$375 | Details
Why you should go: There will be sandwiches and international fare from around the world, including German, Indian, Mexican, Korean, Venezuelan, Vietnamese and American. There will also be performances and live music.
Queen’s Cup Steeplechase
April 27 | Mineral Springs | 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. | $50-$375 | Details
Why you should go: Get dressed up and watch some of the most athletic thoroughbred horses race at speeds of up to 30 mph. Check out the hat contest and tailgate with mint juleps. There’s even a Jack Russell Terrier race, if you’re more of a dog person. Want to tailgate but don’t want to set up you’re own spot? Your ticket gets you access to the Treehouse tent with bottomless free beer and wine, catered lunch and access to the races.
Girl Tribe Pop Up
April 27-28 | Charlotte Convention Center | Noon to 5 p.m. | $5-$30 | Details
Why you should go: Expect a party with upbeat music, drinks, photo ops and, of course, more than 100 female-led creative businesses, including boutiques, jewelry designers, paper goods, gifts, beauty and more.
Open Streets 704
April 28 | Plaza Midwood to NoDa | 1-5 p.m. | Free | Details
Why you should go: Roughly four miles of streets will be closed to automobile traffic for the afternoon, so people can enjoy walking or biking around the neighborhoods and stopping at the event stations (focused on arts and science, family fun, going green and wellness). The idea is to get residents outside, interacting with one another and the community.
Charlotte SHOUT!
April 29 to May 11 | Uptown | Varies | Free (most attractions) | Details
Why you should go: The two-week event features more than 75 concerts, installations (including lighted seesaws and giant bunnies) and performances in Uptown’s public space and theaters. While most attractions are free, tickets will also go on sale for the larger acts closer to the festival date.