Good news roundup: 6 things that made us smile this year

Wow, what a year.

It’s safe to say that 2021 was probably not the year most of us were expecting when we watched the ball drop and celebrated that 2020 was “finally” over.

Okay, but: 2021 still gave us a lot of really good news.

• That’s why we teamed up with Lineberger Orthodontics (literally the smile pros) to round up a few things that made us smile this year. 

(1) Live music came back

Photo: Michael Graff/Axios

2020 was a rough year for the city’s music scene, but live music returned to beloved venues and the Neighborhood Theatre’s infamous marquee changed from “F U COVID 19,” to “WE ARE BACK” in May.

(2) Van Gogh’s Camp North End visit

Photo: Paige Hopkins/Axios Charlotte

The traveling Immersive Van Gogh exhibit came to Charlotte this summer and quickly became a hot ticket for art lovers.

• It’s been so popular that Blumenthal Performing arts extended the show through January 2, 2022.

The exhibit transformed Camp North End’s Ford Building with over 500,000 cubic feet of projections of Van Gogh’s work.

(3) The Rolling Stones performance

Yes, but: Perhaps the best part was seeing where the stars went during their time off the stage.

Mick Jagger was spotted in Freedom Park, but the real miracle is that he had a beer at the Thirsty Beaver and no one even noticed (including the people that sat next to him, even though they had floor seats to his show the next night).

(4) Countless new businesses

It’s no secret that Charlotte’s restaurant scene is booming, but this year was really one for the books. From bakeries to breweries to putteries, we’ve welcomed a lot of new businesses to our city over the past year.

Next steps: Get some inspo for your next spot to try by browsing our Instagram.

(5) Cam’s return

In November, the Carolina Panthers announced they were bringing back Cam Newton, who had been a free agent since the Patriots released him in August.

• It was an announcement that electrified the city and surged ticket prices.

(6) Lots to look forward to

2021 was great, but we’re already looking ahead to 2022, which promises to be even busier (and, dare we say it, better) than this year.

Three big events that we’re looking forward to in the spring: Hamilton, SHOUT festival and the inaugural Charlotte FC match.

Trying to kick your smile up a notch? Hit up the pros at Lineberger Orthodontics. They offer free Smile Consults.

This content was created in partnership with Lineberger Orthodontics. Smile on, CLT.