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Charlotte Festivals and Events


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  • 3 weeks later...

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Looking forward to next week's Parade. I understand that it's the fourth largest Thanksgiving Day parade in the country (behind NYC, Chicago and Philadelphia).

I've been here three years but never had a chance to actually go before. I also think it's cool that they are ending it at the Cultural Campus!

http://www.carrouselparade.org/

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I started my Christmas decorating yesterday and felt in the mood, so here's the rundown of Holiday events in the Charlotte area through December.

CHARLOTTE TREE LIGHTING (I like that there is something on all four corners

  • Corporate Plaza @ Founder’s Hall
5:30-6pm: Jazz Trio Performance
6:00pm: Tree Lighting Ceremony
6:20pm: Official Tree Lighting
6:30pm: Nutcracker Performance
6:30-8:00pm: Jazz Music
(also within Founders Hall is The Leonard Bearstein animatronic orchestra starting Dec. 1 through the month.)

  • Disc Plaza

6:30-8:00pm: Radio Music from K104.7 your official Christmas station of Charlotte.

  • Polk Park
6:30-8:00pm: Santa Claus is in town!! Get your picture with Santa and interact with the elves as you wait for your picture to be taken with him. Balloon animals for those waiting in line.

  • Twelve @ Independence Center (Formerly The Vue Location)

6:30-8:00pm: ACC mascots meet & greet! Small stage of performances by The Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, Dickens Carolers & Strolling Performers

TWELVE Shops

  • Local Vendors set up a Holiday stores in the old VUE location in Independence Center (through December)

WBT Holidays on Ice
  • Ice Skating Rink on the Green

Holiday Jazz at the Bechtler

  • December 3rd. 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

NASCAR HOF HALLidays at the Hall.
  • Saturdays in Dec starting on the 11th. Various events on different Saturdays. See HOF website for details

Holiday Lights at Daniel Stowe Boatanical Gardens

  • Through the end of December.

Charlotte Motor Speedway's Carolina Christmas
  • See Website for details.

McAdenville Christmas Lights

  • Through Dec 26th. M-F: 5:30-9:30; Sat & Sun: 5:30 - 11:00

Blumenthal Performing Arts . Check website for details but a few performances worth noting:
  • Broadway revival of Irving Berlin's White Christmas;
  • Charlotte' NC Dance Theater's Nutcracker;
  • Charlotte Symphony's Magic of Christmas;
  • Handel's Messiah Rocks
  • My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm Home for The Holidays
  • Charlotte Symphony and Oratorio Singers of Charlotte's Handle's Messiah

Actor's Theater of Charlotte

  • Every Christmas Story Ever Told (Dec. 1-18

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

There was a parade down Tryon yesterday for MLK Day which seemed very well attended. Events planned for Monday include:

  • The City's official Celebration event which will be in the Halton Arena at CPCC from 11 -1. Dance and Musical Performances with keynote speak being Joan Higginbothum who is a black female astronaut.

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  • 1 month later...

Next week (Feb 28 - Mar 5), the annual CIAA basketball tournament is in town. Annually it generates $35-40 million for the city of Charlotte. Additionally, two weeks later the men's NCAA basketball tournament (rounds 1 and 2) is in town. Charlotte has games on Friday and Sunday.

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  • 8 months later...

I have to give props to Wells Fargo and their planners for putting on an excellent cultural celebration this past weekend. I'd go so far as to say it was the best street festival I've been to in CLT. Between Stonewall and 3rd, they made use out of every space and nook and cranny, filling the air with an incredible variety of quality music. Instead of the usual lame tent food, they had local food trucks set up along Tryon. In front of Amelie's, the street was covered with giant chalk and oil drawings.

At one point I walked down the green watching the Gantt-sponsored front porch story telling, and some incredible brass music filled up the park from up above. The brass section of the Charlotte Chamber had taken residence of one of the Ratcliffe's balconies and was playing from on high to great effect. There were also some excellent dance performances, and of course Bransford Marsalis is hard to beat.

Weirdly I never even made it into any of the museums. Go figure! Here's hoping WF decides to throw this party again next year :thumbsup:

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  • 5 weeks later...

Well Fall was a very busy month. September hosted the Greek Festival, Festival in the Park, Italian Festival. October hosted the International Festival at UNCC, Turkish Festival, Oktoberfest and the Renaissance Festival. And November was the Puerto Rican festival at La Plaza Fiesta. Hopefully next year I will remember to post this reminder before the festivals :)

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This Saturday, the Plaza-Central Merchants Association hosts their 2nd annual "Holiday Central." Late morning or midday, grab breakfast, brunch, or lunch at one of the area's various restaurants. That afternoon, shop for unique holiday gifts at various merchants, including antiques, art, fashion, gifts, and home decor. Early evening (5-8pm), check out the block party on Gordon Street. Then late evening, crawl the various bars, lounges, and diners.

While likely known best for its eats and drinks, the Plaza-Central District continues to attract a variety of small-business retailers. Those opening just within the last year include Plaza Muse, Eco-Licious, and Slate Interiors. So if you didn't make it out last weekend to shop "Small Business Saturday," this Saturday offers another chance to buy local and support Charlotte's economy.

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  • 2 years later...

From what I read (CO), First Night Charlotte had 12,500 in attendance vs Raleigh which had 100,000 for theirs.   Speaking solely of the numbers in attendance - does it seem like a poor turnout to anyone else?

 

The reason this has caught my eye is two fold.  The first is I went to one the first year it was done at the cultural campus at Tryon and I believe that night's numbers were higher.  This leads to the second point - If my memory is correct and there were more people at previous events - does any think it is because of the location change?

 

I'd be curious if anyone went this year and their take of the event at the park.   Success or should it come back to Cultural Campus?   

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I was at both this year and last, just to catch the midnight fireworks after dinner. Without looking at any numbers, this year felt bigger. The park was full and I was much farther from the stage, so I can't really see the same number of people fitting in last year's smaller space. 

 

I'm surprised that Raleigh's first night is so much bigger, but maybe it has to do with having a little more tradition and relevance to the acorn drop there and more care put into selecting the performances, whereas ours is admittedly kind of a phoned-in pep rally on a stage with an LED crown. Still fun, but also very generic.

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^We went over there after eating dinner at E2... I thought it was well done and the new Romare Bearden park was the perfect place for it. Granted there are so many other options in and around uptown for New Year's but it's nice to be somewhere that doesn't have a bar full of drunks bumping into you. 

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