Why South End's Rail Trail Clean Up should be your next social outing
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After the first hour, everyone heads to a local spot for free food and drinks. We went to The Union for September's meetup. Photo: Mike Martelette/South End Social
There's another way to meet new people in Charlotte and no, it's not a run club.
Why it matters: With more than 100 people moving to the Charlotte area every day, many are eager to make connections. Enter South End's Rail Trail Clean Up — a way to socialize and keep our growing city looking its best.
How it works: The clean-up is made up of all volunteers and runs from 10am-1pm on the third Saturday of each month.
- Participants check at the New Bern St. Light Rail Station between 10am-11am to grab cleaning supplies provided by Keep Charlotte Beautiful.
What to expect: You'll spend an hour or so picking up litter along the Rail Trail. Afterward, everyone heads to a local spot for an hour of socializing, giveaways and free food and beer.
Flashback: Mike Martelette, founder of South End Social, launched the Rail Trail clean-up six years ago and has been hosting monthly meetups ever since.
Zoom out: The clean-up is backed by sponsors including U.S. Bank, South End CLT, and local law firm Skufca Law.
What's next: Clean-ups are held on the third Saturday of every month with a break in the winter. The next is scheduled for Saturday, October 19, from 10am-1pm.
- RSVP here — it's optional but encouraged.
- The final clean-up of the year will be Saturday, Nov. 23 and will resume in March with new partnerships, including breweries like HopFly, Wooden Robot, and Resident Culture.
I attended September's clean-up, and here's why I think it should be your next social outing:
Meet new people and do good.
Even if you don't live in South End, chances are you've used the Rail Trail —whether for a morning run, a stroll through a vendor market, or a visit to one of the local businesses.
- This meet-up offers a way to give back by helping to keep one of Charlotte's most popular spots clean, all while making new connections.
- The clean-up is self-paced, so whether you mingle with others along the rail trail or save your energy for the volunteer gathering afterward, just be sure to bring your social battery.
Eat, drink and win prizes.
Each meet-up wraps up with a volunteer appreciation event at a local spot — which is essentially an extra hour of socializing with free food and drinks and a raffle.
Yes, and: The raffle has around 30 prizes. Odds are, you'll walk away with something.
- Prizes include month-long gym memberships, gift cards to local businesses like Vinyl, meal prep services, wellness packages and more.
Pets are welcome to join
If you usually take your dog for a Saturday morning walk on the Rail Trail, bring them along for the clean-up.
- You'll both get to socialize and exercise — it's a win-win.
Go deeper: 12 best ways to make friends in Charlotte