25 things to do in Charlotte this fall

Cheer for the Carolina Panthers from the stands or your living room.

If you go: The team is scheduled to play eight regular-season home games at Bank of America Stadium. Key home games include:

• Sept. 21 — Atlanta Falcons
• Oct. 12 — Dallas Cowboys
• Oct. 26 — Buffalo Bills

Go deeper: Carolina Panthers game day: Where to tailgate, park and more

Eat baklava at the Yiasou Greek Festival.

What to expect: One of Charlotte’s largest cultural events returns to Dilworth with ceremonies, performances and food, of course.

• Popular menu items include Greek pizza and souvlaki, plus desserts like loukoumades (powdered Greek doughnuts) and baklava.

If you go: The festival takes place Sept. 5-7 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 600 East Blvd.

Go deeper: Charlotte's Yiasou Greek Festival is back

Face your fears at SCarowinds.

What to expect: Every year, Carowinds transforms from “theme park” to “scream park” for its annual SCarowinds Halloween attraction. There are more than 500 monsters, ghosts and goblins roaming the park, plus haunted attractions and shows.

If you go: It runs Sept. 12-Nov. 2. Friday-Sunday 6pm-midnight.

• Tickets start at $49.99.

Surround yourself with local art at Festival In The Park.

What to expect: This three-day festival is a Charlotte tradition that started in 1964 and takes place every year at Freedom Park.

• In addition to work from more than 150 artists, there'll be live music, food and drink vendors.

If you go: Admission is free to the festival, which runs from Sept. 19-21 at 1908 East Blvd.

Go deeper: Annual festival featuring art, music and food returns to Freedom Park

Find your way out of Hall Family Farm and other corn mazes.

What to expect: Hall Family Farm has a pirates-themed corn maze that'll feature escape-room style challenges. Find your way through acres of corn-filled fun starting Sept. 19.

If you go: Tickets range from $4-$11.99.

Go deeper: 10 corn mazes to visit in and around Charlotte

Pick out the perfect pumpkin.

If you go: Pumpkin farms open soon for the season. Some local spots include Carrigan Farms, Hodges Family Farm and Bush-N-Vine Farm.

Go deeper: 12 Charlotte-area pumpkin patches to visit this fall

Harken back to ye olde times at Carolina Renaissance Festival.

What to expect: Ren Fest has been a Charlotte-area tradition since 1993. More than 1,000 artists (including 500+ interactive costumed characters) bring the fictional village of Fairhaven to life with performance stages, hands-on games and rides, an artisan marketplace and plenty of food.

If you go: The festival takes place Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 4-Nov. 23 from 9:30am-5:30pm at 16445 Poplar Tent Road.

• Day passes are $23.99 for kids ages 5 to 12 and $37.99 for adults. Parking is free.

Go deeper: 5 takeaways from the Carolina Renaissance Festival

Race on down to the ROVAL 400.

What to expect: Get ready for the sixth running of the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400. A pre-race concert is included with your ticket. 

If you go: ROVAL™ 400 is at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 3pm.

• Tickets start at $54; kids under 12 get in for $10.

Celebrate Charlotte’s Latin American culture at Hola Charlotte.

What to expect: Hola Charlotte is the Queen City’s largest Hispanic Heritage celebration. Festivities include music, food, dancing and art, so join the community in celebrating Latin American culture and all its richness.

If you go: Admission to the Uptown festival is free on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 12-6pm. 

Go deeper: 40+ Hispanic- and Latino-owned restaurants to check out in Charlotte

Pedal through Charlotte at Biketoberfest.

What to expect: This scavenger hunt-style event takes riders along a bike-friendly route through the neighborhoods of Uptown, South End and Historic West End. Following the ride will be an after-party at Triple C Brewing Co.

If you go: It'll be held on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 12pm. Register in advance. Donations are encouraged.

Marvel at the Great Elizabeth Pumpkin Wall.

What to expect: Each year, community volunteers in the Elizabeth neighborhood build a 60-foot wall lined with jack-o'-lanterns to reveal a hidden message.

If you go: The street location of the wall varies in the Elizabeth neighborhood from year to year. The lighting ceremony will be on Oct. 26.

Check out the Crossroads Cinema series at Camp North End.

What to expect: The outdoor movie series near the Ford Building will feature iconic films every Thursday at 8pm.

Upcoming screenings:

• Sept. 18: "Monsters Inc."
• Sept. 25: "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"
• Oct. 2: "Halloweentown"
• Oct. 9: "Scooby Doo"
• Oct. 16: "Beetlejuice"

Go deeper: Fall movie lineup at Camp North End

Admire art from around the world at the Charlotte International Arts Festival.

What to expect: Art installations, musical acts, vendors, multiple venues, outdoor stages and fitness classes throughout Uptown and Ballantyne's Backyard.

If you go: The festival, which runs Sept. 1-30, includes more than 200 events, many of which are free. Ticketed events start at $5.

Go deeper: What to expect at Charlotte International Arts Festival 2025

Check out Pineville's Fall Fest.

What to expect: The 27th annual festival at Jack D. Hughes Park is a family-friendly event with carnival rides and live music, plus arts and crafts.

Stop by: 513 Main St. in Pineville from Oct. 16-18. Admission is free. Prices vary for the rides.

Sip on German beer at local Oktoberfest events.

Several local spots are hosting their versions of Oktoberfest.

• Enjoy traditional German fare with live music and stein-holding contests at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s annual Mecktoberfest happening four weekends: Sept. 12-14 and Sept. 19-21 in LoSo, plus Oct. 3-5 and Oct. 10-12 in Ballantyne.
• Gilde is hosting several weekends of authentic German festivities, including a stein-holding competition Sept 19-21, Sept 26-28 and Oct. 3-5.
• Lost Worlds Brewing is bringing Munich to Metropolitan with its annual Oktoberfest on Sept. 27, and it's hosting a market at its Cornelius location on Sept. 20.

Get your fill of pumpkin-flavored food.

Nothing says fall like pumpkin pie, but you’d be surprised by how many other pumpkin-flavored foods you can find around this time of year.

• For breakfast, try the Pumpkin Pancakes at Original Pancake House.
• For dinner, order a slice of pumpkin pizza from Inizio Pizza.
• For dessert, go big with Not Your Mama’s Pumpkin Pie ice cream at Two Scoops Creamery.

Catch performances from top artists at the Breakaway Music Festival.

What to expect: Breakaway Music Festival has an epic lineup of artists, including headliners Alesso, Marshmello and Fisher.

If you go: Tickets start at $115 for one day and $249.99 for both days.

• The festival is Sept. 26-27 at the zMAX Dragway (6570 Bruton Smith Blvd).

Wear your costume to Rich and Bennett’s Halloween Bar Crawl.

What to expect: More than 20 local bars will have drink specials throughout Uptown on Oct. 25.

• Plus, there'll be a costume contest at the end.

If you go: Tickets are $10-$25 and automatically enter you into a raffle to win prizes.

Go deeper: What’s next for Rich & Bennett’s world-famous pub crawls

Watch the Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade.

What to expect: A local tradition that dates back to the 1940s will return with music, performances and more.

If you go: The free event starts at 5:45pm on Wednesday, Nov. 26, in Uptown.

Hike one of the many top-notch trails within a few hours of Charlotte.

The closest hikes to Charlotte are Crowders Mountain and Morrow Mountain, but venture west a couple of hours for the best views. Here are our top three recommendations:

• Roan Highlands — Straddling the Tennessee border, you’re treated to a feast of 360-degree views within a mile of parking.
• South Mountains State Park — It’s hard to beat waterfall views, and South Mountains State Park has plenty. The High Shoal Falls Loop Trail will take you past increasingly large cascades over its 2.5-mile course.
• Grayson Highlands — Crisscrossed by the Appalachian Trail and a half-dozen well-maintained, easy-to-follow connecting trails, the area is a hiker’s paradise, with ample backcountry and developed campsites for overnight stays as well. Plus, wild ponies (!).

Go deeper: The 16 best hikes around Charlotte

Sit outside at a vineyard.

Douglas Vineyards and Rocky River Vineyards are Charlotte’s closest vineyards, located about 30 minutes outside of the city.

• Cauble Creek Vineyard, Treehouse Vineyards, Davasté Vineyards, and Veronét Vineyards & Winery are about 40 minutes outside of the city.

Go deeper: 10 scenic vineyards within an hour of Uptown

Take a road trip to the mountains.

A mountain getaway is always a great idea, but the views during the fall are especially breathtaking. The fall foliage is just one of many attractions in the popular mountain towns of Asheville and Boone.

If you go: Leaves start changing color in late September and continue through early November.

Go deeper: How to spend 24 hours in the Blue Ridge Mountains for around $300

Make a day trip to visit Windy Hill Orchard & Cidery.

What to expect: Windy Hill is less than an hour outside the city, making it the closest orchard to Charlotte. They have apple picking, hayrides, a hard cider bar, and their popular fried apple cider doughnuts.

If you go: To pick apples, everyone must have their own reservations and pre-purchased bag to enter the orchard.

Stop by: Windy Hill is located at 1860 Black Highway in York, South Carolina.

• Their farm stand is open Thursday through Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 12-6pm. The cider bar is open Friday from 12-7pm and Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 12-6pm.

Go deeper: 10 pick-your-own apple orchards within 2 hours of Charlotte

Head to Raleigh for the N.C. State Fair

What to expect: Our state fair is ranked among the top 25 fairs in the country and features live music, carnival games, rides, agricultural exhibitors and competitions.

If you go: the fair will run Oct. 16-26 at 1025 Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh.

• Tickets are $5-$11 for entry.

Go deeper: Everything you need to know about the North Carolina State Fair

Watch hot air balloons take to the sky at Carolina Balloonfest.

What to expect: Head over to Statesville for the second-oldest balloon festival in the country.

If you go: Dozens of colorful balloons will take to the sky Oct. 17-19 at 260 Hangar Dr., Statesville.

• Tickets start at $10 for kids and $15 for adults.

Editor's note: This guide was last updated Sept. 12, 2025, to reflect the season's latest details.