Weekender: 28 fun and festive things to do in Charlotte this weekend

The Weekender is proudly presented by Speedway Christmas. Charlotte Motor Speedway’s drive-through holiday light show is open seven nights a week with The Grinch featured as the drive-in movie this weekend.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3

76. Sunny. 6% chance of rain.

VTGCLT Pop at The Metropolitan: Shop a selection of handmade and vintage items from more than 90 local and regional vendors. Select dates and times now through December 22; 10am to 7pm. Free. Details.

OMB Christmas Market: Weekend 2 at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten: Head to the Biergarten for weekend 2 of OMB’s German Christmas Village. Expect a lineup of more than 40 vendors, holiday music, tons of lights, seasonal drinks like spiced wine and hot cocoa, and of course delicious German fare. Dec. 3-5; 11am to 10pm. Free. Details.

Ice Skating at the Whitewater Center: The seasonal ice skating rink has an all-new ice skating trail in the Upper Pond — increasing the total size of the rink to more than 24,000 square feet. Skate rentals are included in the ticket price. 5-10pm (holiday hours). $25 day pass, $6 parking. Details.

[Related story: Ice skating is back at Whitewater Center, but not in Uptown]

Nutrient Rich: A Small Works Show Opening Day at Goodyear Arts: Join Goodyear Arts for the second annual Nutrient Rich showcase — a collection of 100+ small individual artworks created by 25 artists of the Goodyear Arts Collective. 6pm. Free. Details.

Ballantyne Movie Series in the Cullman Building Parking Lot: Drive in to enjoy an outdoor screening of the holiday classic, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” There will be food from the International Truck of Tacos food truck and wine and brews from Sycamore Brewing. Tickets are per-vehicle and proceeds benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. 6-9pm. $20. Details.

The Elf On The Shelf: A Christmas Musical at Ovens Auditorium: This show transports the audiences to the North Pole to get a glimpse into the magical lives of Santa’s elves. 6pm. $34.75-$89.75. Details.

Christmas Tree Lighting at Optimist Hall: Ring in the holiday season Optimist Hall-style. Bring your friends and family out to enjoy live music from DJ Vinchy, s’more roasting over the fire pits and even a build-your-own hot chocolate bar leading up to the tree lighting at 6:30pm. Optimist Hall is also hosting a toy drive where visitors are invited to bring an unwrapped toy for children in need through December 12. 6pm-9pm. Free. Details.

Leaves of Love Gathering at The Music Yard: Have you ever experienced music that doesn’t fit into one particular genre? That’s the vibe from self-proclaimed genre-less musician, TÂCHES. 6-11pm. $10-$150. Details.

Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Pull up to the Speedway to see a display of four million lights illuminate this four-mile course. Expect hundreds of creative light displays synchronized to Christmas-themed music that you can listen to from your car’s radio. Now through January 2; 6-10pm. $30+. Details.

A Mean Girls Christmas Drag Show at NoDa Brewing Co.: Join NoDa brewing for a fun and festive night of drag games and a drag show while doing good for the community. There’s no charge for the show since 10% of taproom draft beer proceeds will benefit the National Brain Tumor Society. 7-9pm. Free. Details.

The Nutcracker at Belk Theater: One of the best holiday traditions in the city is back on stage at the Belk Theater. The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra accompanies the Charlotte Ballet with musical selections composed by Tchaikovsky. Dec. 3-26; 7:30pm. $25-$114. Details.

The Singing Christmas Tree at Gateway Village (900 W. Trade St.): The Annual Singing Christmas Tree returns for its 67th anniversary. There will be special guest appearances from the Chris Thompson Cultural Ensemble Dancers, Grey Seal Puppets, and, of course, the fabulous Tree Band. Dec. 3-5; times vary. $30+. Details.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4

72. Partly cloudy. 6% chance of rain.

Pajamas All Day 5K & 10K at Blakeney Professional Park: This race may be bright and early, but the good news is that you can keep your pjs on. Choose between a 5K and 10K route then reward yourself with music, food and plenty of fun activities. All event proceeds will go to the Move For Jenn Foundation. 8:30am. $40. Details.

Metropolitan Market at The Metropolitan: Find handmade gifts for the whole family while shopping from more than 70 local artists and small businesses at Metropolitan Market. 10am to 4pm. Free. Details.

Cookie Exchange Class at Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen: Participants in this class will be grouped into tables of six and each table will create and different cookie and exchange it with another table at the end of class. 10am to noon. $65. Details.

StarMed Community Holiday Party at Eastland StarMed Clinic: Get photos with Santa, enjoy free food truck bites plus music and raffle prizes every hour. StarMed will also offer COVID-19 vaccinations on-site for adults and children ages 5 and up. Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson will be available. 11am to 3pm. Free. Details.

Shop Small Saturdays at The Design Center: More than 30 vendors will line the alleys of the design center for the second Shop Small Saturday of the season. Shop for people on your holiday lists, or treat yourself to something. 11am to 4pm. Free. Details.

Winter Garland Workshop at Covet Atelier: Create your own winter garland using herbs, dried citrus and greenery. 11am to 1pm. $25. Details.

Bourbon + Decoys at Orvis SouthPark: This exhibit aims to showcase a variety of bird decoys created by renowned artists that have been featured on the pages of Garden & Gun magazine. There will be specialty cocktails and tasting experiences featuring Blade and Bow bourbon. Noon to 5pm. Free, RSVP required. Details.

Work For Your Beer’s 5th Birthday Party at Divine Barrel Brewing: In honor of turning five, Work for your Beer, a women-owned fitness and beer blog is hosting a party at Divine Barrel Brewing with giveaways, craft beer and light bites. Plus the first 50 guests will get a free beer. 1-5pm. Free. Details.

[Related story: 15 Charlotte YouTubers to binge-watch today]

Doggy Pictures with Santa at D9 Brewing Uptown: Bring your pup to take a picture with Santa and shop for gifts and treats that your four-legged friend will enjoy! All proceeds from donations will benefit Family Addition Rescue. 2-5pm. Free, donations appreciated. Details.

Black-Owned Pop Up Shop at Town Brewing Company: Support local Black businesses and shop from a selection of 18 vendors at this Black-owned business pop-up. 2-6pm. Free. Details.

Mistletoe Market Opening Day at Camp North End: Camp North End is once again transforming into a winter wonderland for the holiday season. Mistletoe Market will feature a Market Street with more than 25 local and regional vendors curated by Vintage Charlotte (VTGCLT), larger-than-life festive decor throughout the 76-acre property designed by Studio Cultivate, igloos and a hangout space at Camp North Pole, an outdoor biergarten, an indoor lounge with holiday movie screenings and much more. 4-8pm. Free. Details.

Repeal Day at The Vintage: On this day in history 88 years ago, Prohibition ended in the United States. To celebrate, The Vintage is hosting a Repeal Day party complete with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres reminiscent of the period (think Vespers, Manhattans and shrimp cocktails). Guests are encouraged to dress to impress, 1920/30s style. 8:30pm. $35 for members; $45 for non-members. Details.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5

61. Mostly cloudy. 6% chance of rain.

A Very Vanity Christmas Drag Brunch: Jingle bell rock with the queens of Vanity House for this Christmas-themed drag brunch. Costumes are encouraged and prizes will be given away for the best costumes. 11am. $15. Details.

Front Porch Sunday at Sycamore Brewing. Shop from more than 60 local businesses at the last Front Porch Sunday of 2021. 11am to 4pm. Free. Details.

Poptopia at Victoria Yards: Enjoy a pop-up shopping experience in the middle of Uptown at Poptopia. There will be a variety of small shops and vendors offering gifts and stocking stuffers like hot cocoa bombs, candles and more. The event will also have activities like ornament-making and family portraits. 1-5pm. Free. Details.

Prohibition Repeal Celebration at The Artisan’s Palate: The Artisan’s Palate and Whiskey Women Charlotte are partnering to host a roaring ’20s-inspired party to celebrate the repeal of prohibition. Tickets include chef-curated appetizers with a Great Gatsby flair. Prohibition-era cocktails will also be available for purchase. Event proceeds will go to Lily Pad Haven, a nonprofit organization that provides housing for survivors of human trafficking. 6pm. $35. Details.

Editor’s note: We’ve corrected this story to show that Front Porch Sundays takes place at Sycamore Brewing (2161 Hawkins St.), not Atherton Mill.

Check out more upcoming events on our Event Board. Hosting an event? Reach more Charlotteans through an Event Listing, which includes placement on our Event Board and in our weekday newsletter. Have a scoop about a cool event? Email [email protected].

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