CHARLOTTE, N.C. —
West End Food Truck Friday @ Blue Blaze Brewing
Start the weekend off right with good eats at West End’s installation of Food Truck Friday at Blue Blaze Brewing. Bring your friends, family and pets out for amazing food from local food trucks and eateries, live music and great brews. The event will go from 4-9 p.m. on Friday, July 9 and entry is free. Find more information here.
FabFest @ Belk Theater & Spirit Square
Here’s your chance to experience the Fab Five like never before. Come out to FabFest: Charlotte’s Beatles Festival, a two-day event featuring two evening concerts at Belk Theater in Uptown Charlotte and a day of live music, memorabilia, speakers and activities at Spirit Square. The event will run on Friday and Saturday evenings. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here.
Diva Royale Drag Queen Show in NoDa
Get ready for a night of iconic performances from some legendary divas at the Diva Royale Drag Queen Show in NoDa. Get up close and personal with your host and her drag queen guests like Beyoncé, Sia, Madonna, Adele, Nicki Minaj, and more. The event goes down Saturday, July 10 starting at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased here.
Concert in the Courtyard @ Optimist Hall
Bring your family and friends out for good eats at Optimist Hall and live music at golden hour at Concert in the Courtyard. This weekend’s show will feature Oceanic and runs from 6-8 p.m. Saturday. The concert is free, and more information can be found here.
HBCU Pride Nation Brunch @ 1501 South Mint
HBCU alumni are invited to celebrate and fellowship with classmates and fellow alumni at HBCU Pride Nation’s Brunch event happening this Sunday at 1501 South Mint. The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. and is free for members at 1501; non-members can pay $10 for entry and a year-long membership. Find more information here.
Queen Charlotte Fair near Charlotte Motor Speedway
This weekend is the last chance to bring the family out to the Queen Charlotte Fair, featuring epic rides, magic shows, a wall of death, and all the funnel cake you can eat. The fair will be open all weekend long from 4-11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. concluding Sunday. Tickets for kids five and under are free; adult tickets are $12 and can be purchased here.
Ongoing Events
River Jam @ Whitewater Center
Spend a weekend at the U.S. National Whitewater Center getting active and jamming out to local and up and comings acts at River Jam. Elonzo Wesley is set to take the stage Friday, followed by Hedonistas on Saturday, and Big Daddy Love will close Sunday. All events are free; see more details here.
Immersive Van Gogh @ Camp North End
Bring the whole family out to experience the lauded Immersive Van Gogh exhibit at Camp North End this Father’s Day weekend. The exhibit features 500,000 cubic feet of monumental projections animating Vincent van Gogh’s oeuvre. The event will run through Sept. 12. Tickets start at $39 and can be purchased here.
Live Under The Oaks @ Birkdale Village
Kick your weekend off with live music at the Grove at Birkdale Village every Friday evening from April to October this year. This week’s performer is the Smokin’ Gunn Band, and the event will feature an onsite bar provided by Red Rocks Cafe. The event is free and will run from 6-8 p.m. Find more information here.
Markets + More
Queen City weekends always provide a surplus of vendor markets for Charlotteans to get their pick at fresh and locally sourced products. This weekend’s open markets include Nothing Major Market at The Music Yard on Sunday, Simi Soap Pop-up at 7th Street Public Market on Friday, Markets at 11 in Ballantyne’s Backyard, Open Mrkt Street Expo, the University City Farmer’s Market, and the Southend Farmers’ Market, all happening this Saturday.