19 free and cheap things to do in Charlotte: Spring markets, St. Patrick’s Day Festival + more
This list is curated by Charlotte on the Cheap, where you’ll find even more free and cheap things to do every day, and detailed by Denise Casalez.
Friday, March 8
Farewell Fest at Blue Blaze Brewing
Location: 528 S Turner Ave, Charlotte, NC 28208
Time: Noon-10 p.m.
Cost: Free entry
Join Blue Blaze Brewing as it says farewell to its current space before closing and celebrates eight years of serving craft brews. The Farewell Fest lasts the entire weekend of March 8-10. You can expect live music, local food trucks and, of course, Blue Blaze beer.
International Women’s Day Celebration
Location: Resident Culture Plaza Midwood, 2101 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Time: 5 p.m.
Cost: Free entry
Celebrate International Women’s Day with Resident Culture Plaza Midwood, where attendees can expect a live music performance by Hannah Matos, as well as an interactive art piece, a local mini-market, free chair massages and more.
Saturday, March 9
Location: 721 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Time: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Cost: Free
Join the McColl Center for Family Day, where you and your family can join in on a variety of creative experiences such as a printmaking lesson, painting with latex and more.
Location: Independent Picture House, 4237 Raleigh St, Charlotte, NC 28213
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Cost: Free
Spend your Saturday morning watching free cartoons at Independent Picture House. Every second Saturday of the month, you can expect free family-friendly cartoons, plus milk and cookies.
Location: Camp North End, 300 Camp Rd, Charlotte, NC 28206
Time: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: $3 for general admission, $8 for early bird admission
VTGCLT is inviting you to its Spring Market at Camp North End, where it will have over 90 local and regional vintage and handmade vendors. Hex Coffee and Free Range Brew will be on hand for a quick beverage need, and kids 12 and under enter free.
Walk, Jog or Run Along The Causeway
Location: Blue Blaze Brewing, 528 S Turner Ave, Charlotte, NC 28208
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Cost: Free
Join The Final Third CLT for its Blue Blazing goodbye run, where the group will walk, run or jog along the Causeway. This event is open to all abilities, whether you’re an experienced runner or just starting out. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are available for $5.
Old Town St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Location: 157 E Main St, Rock Hill, SC 29730
Time: 12-7 p.m.
Cost: Free entry
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early in Rock Hill during its Old Town St. Patrick’s Day Festival. There will be live music, inflatables, balloon artists and more.
Sunday, March 10
Thrift Pony CLT Vintage Market
Location: Thrift Pony, 1110 Morningside Dr Suite E, Charlotte, NC 28205
Time: 11-5 p.m.
Cost: Free entry
Head over to Thrift Pony’s parking lot for its CLT Vintage Market and browse 25 vintage, secondhand and handmade vendors. Plus, you’ll also find coffee from Revival Coffee & Ice Cream and tacos from TacoGreenGo. (Note: This event was originally scheduled for Saturday but was bumped to Sunday due to the weather forecast.)
Location: King Canary Brewing, 562 Williamson Rd, Mooresville, NC 28117
Time: 1-5 p.m.
Cost: Free entry
Celebrate the upcoming spring season with King Canary in Mooresville for its Spring Market Day. You can shop local vendors, enjoy live music, play lawn games and more.
Caricature Art with Eric Melton
Location: ClearWater Arts Center, 223 Crowell Dr NW, Concord, NC 28025
Time: 2-4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Join ClearWater Arts Center for an afternoon of caricature art. You can watch Eric Melton, a caricaturist with over 30 years of experience, curate caricatures of people and pets.
Providence Chamber Music Recital Series: Suite Strings
Location: 2810 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211
Time: 6:30 p.m
Cost: Free
Enjoy a free music series from Providence Chamber Music, which will be showcasing Suite Strings. You can expect Passacaglia in G minor for violin and cello, along with Suite No. 5 in C minor.
Monday, March 11
Women’s History Month Film Screening
Location: VisArt Video, 3104 Eastway Dr, Charlotte, NC 28205
Time: 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Celebrate Women’s History Month with VisArt Video, where there will be free film screenings. Although films haven’t been announced, there are themes and genres for certain dates. Monday’s theme is Biography.
Trivia at Lucky Dog Bark & Brew Lake Norman
Location: 19607 Statesville Rd, Cornelius, NC 28031
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Relax after work and play some trivia at Lucky Dog Bark & Brew Lake Norman. There are four rounds including general knowledge, music, true or false and a visual quiz. Test your knowledge and see if you can take the winning prize home.
Tuesday, March 12
Grab a bite at this reopened Lake Norman restaurant
Location: North Harbor Club, 100 N Harbor Pl, Davidson, NC 28036
Time: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Cost: Under $20
You can now grab a drink and bite at North Harbor Club, which reopened for service after being closed for renovations. You can grab Tacos of the Day for $18 or a Chicken Melt Sandwich for $16.
Free Evening at Schiele Museum
Location: 1500 E Garrison Blvd, Gastonia, NC 28054
Time: 4-8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Museum admission is free from 4-8 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at The Schiele Museum. Visit and discover its animals, fossils and minerals exhibitions and take part in a fun learning experience.
Wednesday, March 13
Location: 1109 Morningside Dr, Charlotte, NC 28205
Time: 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Cost: Varies
Join the crowd at The Grinning Mule for some country music karaoke. Along with karaoke and a fun, song-filled experience, you can also find food and drinks.
Location: Wooden Robot Brewery, 1440 S Tryon St UNIT 110, Charlotte, NC 28203
Time: 7 p.m.
Cost: Free entry
If you’re a big Swiftie and want to prove it, you’re in luck. Join Wooden Robot Brewery for a Taylor Swift-themed trivia night and test your knowledge about the global pop star.
Thursday, March 14
Location: Charlotte area
Time: All day
Cost: Varies
Pi day is coming up, and you already know Charlotte on the Cheap has curated a list of special deals for you to enjoy. Enjoy specials from Blaze Pizza, Baskin-Robbins and more. (Keep an eye out for more updates and deals around the Charlotte area, too.)
Get a head start on planning your Easter dinner
Location: Charlotte area
Cost: Varies
Easter is coming up fast, so why not plan ahead and check out what local Charlotte restaurants and meal services are offering. From an Easter brunch at Angeline’s to a buffet service at Church and Union and more, there’s something for everyone.
Visit Charlotte on the Cheap for an expanded list of things to do in Charlotte every day. You’ll find festivals, kids’ activities, date night ideas, art, trivia and much more. You can sign up for a daily email that will keep you in the loop.
