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Events & Festivals

Year-round happenings unique to Charlotte showcase the city at its very best. And one that attracts more than one million people to the region annually is NASCAR. Races like the Bank of America 500, NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, and Coca-Cola 600 draw fans to Lowe’s Motor Speedway – a favorite track for drivers considering more than 80% of Sprint Cup drivers call the region home. Charlotte also hosts one of the state’s most culture-laden months of the year in September: The Blues, Brews, and BBQ Festival, “Cultural Free for All” and the Charlotte Shout “Culinary Experience” bring fans from throughout the Carolinas and beyond.

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Culture

Soon to have a mile’s worth of cultural facilities all within Center City alone, it’s clear Charlotte has an ever-increasing commitment to the arts. And throughout the region, museums, historical sites, and more make for one-of-a-kind visitor experiences. Breathtaking ballets by NC Dance Theatre, awesome operas by Carolina Opera, and a wide variety of scintillating stage shows at Belk Theater or Ovens Auditorium are just a sampling of city happenings thanks to the Arts & Science Council. Renowned for its support of 62 cultural partners throughout the region, the organization ranks right up there with the best arts and culture infrastructure in the nation – second only to New York in revenue dollars.

Coming soon, The Wachovia First Street Project will add to the Center City cultural corridor. The Bechtler Museum of Contemporary Art, a new additional facility for the Mint Museum, the Harvey B. Gantt African-American Art and Cultural Center, and a 1,200-seat Knight Theatre will be among the ground-breaking facilities. Beyond Center City, neighborhoods like NoDa and South End embrace the arts with off-the-beaten-path venues that tout musical genres ranging from jazz to alt-rock and gallery crawls that show off masterpieces by local artists. Events throughout the year like Art and Soul of South End in April, Pops Symphony in the Park in June, and the Cultural Free for All in September also showcase the region’s rich cultural talents through engaging programming and performances.

Development

New developments are movin’ on in and up throughout Charlotte’s Center City as of late even though this bustling hub already brims with diversions like sumptuous steakhouses, paint-the-town red nightspots, and enriching museums and theatres. But public transit, new hotels, entertainment offerings, cultural diversions, and urban living alternatives are filling the horizon line day by day.

Dependable hotels adding to the mix include The Ritz-Carlton coming in fall 2009 and Starwood’s boutique brand – aloft, which is now open. Key developments like the EpiCentre, a mixed-use project featuring a movie theater, 20 restaurants and retailers, a bowling alley, and more, are only making the area increasingly viable for entertainment. And taking a page from efficient public transit systems in Denver and Portland, Charlotte’s light rail system connects entertainment, retail, museums, dining, and more. Expansion plans to the NoDa neighborhood and beyond are currently underway.

Dining

Charlotte is home to culinary leader Johnson & Wales University, which has had a flavorful impact on the city’s burgeoning culinary scene. Named one of the “Top 50 Cities that Sizzle” by Restaurant News Magazine, Charlotte’s menus are bursting with invigorating restaurant concepts, regional favorites done right like BBQ and fried pickles, and countless hotspots serving upscale elegance and local flavor. Visit a Bon Appétit Magazine pick for the best fried chicken around at Price’s Chicken Coop or one of Esquire Magazine’s best bars in America at Thomas Street Tavern. No matter where you dine, be sure to know that your meal will always be served with the grace and charm that characterizes this fair city.

Luxury

Lose yourself in luxury in Charlotte. The Mobil Four-Star and AAA Four-Diamond Ballantyne Resort offers elegant guest rooms, upscale dining at Gallery Restaurant, a redesigned golf course, and a spa with treatments too good to be true. The south Charlotte resort is just a short drive from South Park, the luxury destination for fashion, which offers up some of the best designer labels this side of Manhattan. Just ask Laura Vinroot Poole, owner of Capitol Clothing. Her new South Park boutique located in the Morrison complex is the only place in the region to find Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent. Over the past year, the addition of alfresco mixed-used developments like the Village of South Park and Blakeney have added to this area and attracted some of the most upscale boutiques in the Southeast.

Next fall, the first Ritz-Carlton in North Carolina will open in Center City. Synonymous with luxury, the hotel will feature 147 rooms, 12,000 square feet of meeting space, a bi-level penthouse spa, and Bulgari bath amenities. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s flavorful dining scene has become a magnet for inventive and high-end restaurant concepts thanks in part to the addition of culinary leader Johnson & Wales University. Newer additions like Chima Brazilian Steakhouse, M5 Modern Mediterranean, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar bring together cuisine that crisscross the globe. And time-tested mainstays like Bentley’s on 37 with panoramic city views, McIntosh’s with steaks cooked to perfection, and Ratcliffe on the Green with farm-to-fork fare all dish up excellence with a southern twist.

Green Initiatives

Across Charlotte, several initiatives are underway to lighten the footprint and prove that sustainable practices are not just good intentions, but imperative ones. A city-wide Green Team was even created to identify best practices for events and sustainable initiatives. The Charlotte Convention Center follows a number of procedures that all add up including introducing biodegradable cups made from corn products, recycling paper, aluminum, and glass, bundling a variety of suppliers, and much more. As a member of the Convene Green Alliance, the facility is continuously seeking ways to cut environmental costs and show others in the industry that going green is more than just a trend.

Other facilities in the city are putting green methods into practice as well. LEED-certified buildings like the new Bank of America Corporate Center, which will house The Ritz-Carlton, and the kid-friendly ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center are making waves with innovative construction methods that pass elite standards. Facilities like the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department are set to implement green roofs, which reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. And a light rail system has seen phenomenal ridership successes since its opening in 2007. Long-range plans seek to expand this environmentally-friendly public transit option into five corridors that span the region. While making great strides with green initiatives, the region also has a strong commitment to keeping its green spaces pristine. Programs protect the gorgeous green canopies found in the city’s neighborhoods and plan for acres upon acres of additional park space.

Family Friendly

Suitable for kids big and small (that includes mom and dad), Charlotte is ready to spice up family vacations. Banking may have helped shape this city, but its ways to play add to its unforgettable appeal. A new coaster set to open at Carowinds, the rousing May and October races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and the boisterous Stanford Broadway Lights performances at NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Center show exactly why Charlotte’s got a lot. Featuring everything from firework-filled minor league baseball games to adrenaline-rushing adventures at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, Charlotte’s family-friendly attractions engage, excite, and exhilarate.

As for on-the-horizon enticements, Great Wolf Resort is putting the finishing touches on a location in Concord combining indoor water park fun, a spa to excite the senses, themed restaurants, and much more. And affordable hotels throughout Center City like the new Starwood concept, aloft, make family getaways easy on the pocketbook. Located in the mixed-use entertainment hub, The EpiCentre, if IKEA designed a hotel, this would be it. So skip the dull getaways of yesteryear and prepare for thrills, wonders, and good, plain fun.

History

Charlotte may have lots of cranes adding to the area’s skyline, but it’s certainly not short on history.  Pan for gold at the site of the nation’s very first gold rush at Reed Gold Mine.  Relive a civil rights era sit-in at a lunch counter or even stroll down a recreated main street to try on a hat in an early Belk department store at Levine Museum of the New South.  And plenty of historic sites like the Rosedale Plantation with its Civil War era docents and Historic Brattonsville with its Revolutionary War re-enactments make for interactive and educational experiences.

Sports and Recreation

Most Charlotteans like to play as hard as they work, which has shaped the city into a place where mountain-biking trails meet expertly manicured greens. Where cheering for the Carolina Panthers can be followed up by tubing along the shores of Lake Norman. And where a day of whitewater rafting is best complemented by a stroll through an oak-shaded park.

With world-famous public golf courses, pro sporting events that bring fans to their feet, and adventurous attractions clamoring for thrill seekers, you’ll see why Charlotteans enjoy playing so hard…and be ready to join them. With over 14,000 acres of parks and 19 recreational centers, green space almost outweighs the pavement in and around the city. At the U.S. National Whitewater Center, outdoor enthusiasts and nature novices can be found making waves on the largest manmade whitewater river. It also touts 11 miles of rolling hiking, biking, and running trails, flat water paddling on the Catawba River, one of the largest climbing wall surfaces in the nation, geo-caching, and a new Mega-Zip Line. 

In addition, Charlotte has more than 40 public golf courses to choose from. Whether driving the impressive wetland-shrouded 15th hole of Rocky River Golf Club or teeing off at the newly renovated championship course at Ballantyne Resort, you’ll find a lot of links to your liking. Combine that with world-class sporting facilities like Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Bank of America Stadium, and Time Warner Cable Arena, and it’s apparent that Charlotte’s got game.

Wine

Like a fine wine, North Carolina’s Piedmont vineyards have certainly gotten better with age. Nestled along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this promising grape-growing terrain has been compared to France’s celebrated Burgundy region and ranks 12th in the nation’s wine production. Area wineries like Childress Vineyards, AmberCrest Vineyards, Shelton Vineyards and Uwharrie Vineyards.

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