Charlotte's viral hot dog crawl organizer is back
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A previous year's Krampus Krawl in NoDa. The yearly event was established in 2014. Photo: Courtesy of Alex Cason Photography
The organizer behind Charlotte's viral hot dog crawl is back with another unconventional holiday celebration.
Why it matters: Olive's August hot dog crawl drew over 1,000 people and helped several local businesses achieve record sales. Now, she's channeling that success into another community-driven event across two neighborhoods.
State of play: Charlotte's Holiday Hop x Krampus Krawl is happening Saturday, Dec. 5, across Plaza Midwood and NoDa.
- The event combines a festive daytime celebration with NoDa's longstanding Krampus Krawl, organized by Matt and Mel Allen and known for its edgier take on Christmas cheer.
- More than 20 businesses will participate, with holiday-themed activities, entertainment and opportunities to give back.
- Costumes/themed attire is encouraged.
What to expect
The day will be split into two celebrations — Holiday Hop and Krampus Krawl. Here's what to expect from each.
🎅 Holiday Hop: Noon-4pm across Plaza Midwood and NoDa.
- Merry Midwood Market in Plaza Midwood featuring local vendors.
- Holiday costume contests and a fashion show at Common Market.
- A gingerbread-making competition at The Lost Plot.
- Photos with Santa and a tree lighting at The Improper Pig from 5-7pm.
👹 Krampus Krawl: Starts 5pm in NoDa.
- Live music at multiple neighborhood bars.
- Free special effects makeup.
- Free light-up Krampus horns at participating bars.
Between the lines: There will be boxes for both Toys for Tots and Second Harvest Food Bank, where crawlers can drop off donations in both neighborhoods, Olive tells Axios.
Catch up quick: Olive, who asked to be identified only by her first name, moved to Charlotte without knowing anyone about a year and a half ago.
- Looking for a way to bring people together, she created the idea of a hot dog party on TikTok. Local businesses jumped into the comments, and the idea snowballed into a citywide crawl in less than two months.
- More than 1,000 people joined in on the Aug. 1 event.
- Several neighborhood businesses reported record sales, including Common Market Plaza Midwood, which had its best sales day since the pandemic began.
The big picture: December's holiday collaboration builds on the momentum of August's hot dog crawl, while celebrating NoDa's long-running Krampus tradition.
- Plus, it's an excuse to throw on an ugly Christmas sweater, Krampus horns (or both), meet new people and shop local.
What's next: More details about participating businesses and other events will be announced. Check Olive's Instagram for the latest updates.
If you go: RSVPs via Partiful are encouraged.