October Happenings

The month of October proves to be one spooktacular showcase!

Treats at Taste of FreeMore with music and food in the Burger Company’s parking lot Saturday Oct 6 from 4-8 pm

It’s bon appetit at Food tour of NoDa, Dinner in the Dirt, Chili Cook Off

Join  Commonwealth Animal Hospital’s 20th Anniversary Bash for a howlin’ good time!

Tickle your funny bone with: Tom Green, Shaquille O’Neal presents All-Star Comedy Jam, Rachel Feinstein, Happy Birthday Chuckleheads

Do the monster mash at Kiss 95.1′s Grave Digger’s Ball featuring B.O.B.,Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Bonnie Raitt, Erykah Badu and Rickey Smiley, Zac Brown Band, Rush, Trisan Prettyman, Kathleen Edwards, Andrew Bird, Jackie Green, Matt & Kim, James McMurtry, Christ Knight, Alejandro Escovedo, John Michael Montgomery

Get bewitched at God of Carnage, Godspell, Sylvia, In the Heat of the Night

Fire up the cauldron at Great Grapes! Wine, Arts and Food Festival, Oktoberfest, Mecktoberfest

Cast a love spell at Charlotte Wedding Connection

Let the spirit move you with  Theresa Caputo- the Long Island Medium (Save $5 online by using promotion code “LONG”).

Be enchanted by Celtic Thunder: Voyage, Eric Johnson Electric Band, Chicago, Charlotte Symphony: Firebird!, Tim Lemmond Legacy Concert, Nick Lowe, The Macabre Masque, Tosca, The Swing Jazz series, Janis Ian and Tom Paxton, Sphinx Virtuosi, Menopause the Musical, Indigo Girls, NC Dance: Limitless, Charlotte Symphony Pops: America , Mandy Patinkin

Celebrate Halloween at these frightful venues…if you dare:  Scarowinds, Spirits Rise: a Ghost Film Series, Beyond the Grave Haunted History Tour, Horror Fest, Shake your Ghoul Thing, Night of the Living Dead Geek Gala, Halloween ComicFest at Spandex City, Elizabeth Neighborhood Pumpkin Wall, The Haunted Mill, Hoot and Howl at Carolina Raptor Center, NoDaWeen, Campground Massacre, Scarrigan’s Farm, Halloween Howler Costume Contest Bar Crawl

Run for your life at the Zombie Run Challenge

For the little goblins in your life: Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze, Bootanical, Disney on Ice, Pumpkin Patch

Other fun events: Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions, WWE RAW, Junior League’s Lights!Camera!Fashion!, Ultimate Fall Fashion Event, The Fresh Expo, Latin American Festival , Ciao, Italia Festival, Women of Faith , Bank of America 500

Fundraising Opportunities: Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, Over the Edge Charlotte, Hero Rush, Ties and Tails Gala benefitting the Humane Society, Trails for Tails, Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Classic Women’s Golf and Tennis Tournament

~Jamie Sunnycalb~

September Happenings

• Democratic National Convention
• Presidential Experience
• Cheap things to do during the Democratic National Convention, like CarolinaFest
• Want to avoid the uptown traffic? Try navigating on two wheels with Charlotte B Cycle!
• (Want to avoid the uptown traffic altogether? Get out of town!)
• Greek Festival Sept 13-16
• Festival in the Park
• Weenie Roast
• Charlotte Sunset Jazz Festival 
• Travis Tritt, the Charlie Daniels Band and Lee Brice, Kem, Kelly Clarkson and the Fray, Brad Paisley, Mary J. Blige and D’Angelo,The Offspring, Garbage and Switchfoot, Margaret Cho, Kevin Pollak, Anjelah Johnson, Shreya Ghosal, Fiona Apple
• For the kids: The Fresh Beat Band, LEGO Build, Unlimited Go-Karting at NASCAR Speedpark
• Tosco Music Party
• UNCC International Festival
• Tai chi Festival
• Festival of India
• Races like the Great Urban Race
• Light the Night Walk
• Southern Women’s Show (to celebrate their 30th anniversary, free admission for anyone born in 1982!)
• Know Your Farms Tour
• Revolutionary War Re-enactment
• Charlotte Unchained Tour with Neil Gaiman
• Yard Art Day
• Matthews Alive
• Labor Day Celebration at the US National Whitewater Center
• Green Drinks Charlotte
• Charlotte International Fashion Week
• 3rd Annual Sip and Stroll at the Epicentre
• Oktoberfest
• Woofstock
• Dilworth Home Tour
• Charlotte Auto Fair

~Jamie Sunnycalb~

June Happenings

Come check out the library’s copy of June’s Charlotte Magazine which features area lakes where you can go to beat the summer heat. Or seek out your nearest movie theatre to chill out with a blockbuster or two. Upcoming flicks include: Snow White and the Hunstmen (June 1), Prometheus (June 8), Rock of Ages (June 15) , Brave (June 22), and G.I.Joe (June 29).

Before the kids can claim boredom, Charlotte on the Cheap has an entire post devoted to entertaining the little ones all summer long.

The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center has something for everyone this month:  La Cage Aux Folles, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast , Charlotte Squawks 8 Misbehavin’, The Odd Couple(female version), 2012 Tony Awards party, Miss Coco Peru, The Screwtape Letters, Aziz Ansari

Ticketmaster is your source for hot concerts like Lady Antebellum, LMFAO, Iron Maiden, One Direction, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, and Jake Owen. Or be a cool cat at the  Uptown Jazz Fest.

Other fun activities:

Rock the Park

Sara Schaefer

Grey Matters 5K, King Tiger 5K, Summer Breeze 5K,

Signing with the Stars

Taste of Charlotte

ConCarolinas

~Jamie Sunnycalb~

May Happenings

Consider May to be music to your ears as several musical acts take center stage this month.

Food Lion Speed Street and NC Brewers and Music Festival are two not-t0-be-missed events.

Billy Currington,  The Life Story of Rick James, Styx REO Speedwagon & Ted Nugent, Jane’s Addiction, Dave Matthews Band, Rise Against, Drake, New Edition, Esperanza Spalding, Eric Hutchinson, Ingrid Michaelson, Mayer Hawthorne, Collective Soul, Neon Trees, Blake Shelton

Performing Arts:  25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee  and Rhinoceros for the kids

Cultural Events: Dragon Boat Festival

Sports: Knights Baseball

Walkathons: Arthritis Walk , Walk for Lupus, Free to Breathe

For Mother’s Day this year, treat Mom with a visit to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden for Mother’s Day in the Garden , or a Mother and Daughter Cooking Class, or a Mom’s Nite Out at South Park Mall, and even Purses with a Purpose (purchase $50 designer purses benefitting the American Cancer Society)

May is National Bike Month: Cycle Charlote, Plaza Midwood Bike Fest

Bring Fido to join other pet lovers at the Humane Society of Charlotte’s Pet Palooza (You may even spot a local celeb with their pooch) and Pet Expo

Other fun things to do: Clean and Green Festival, Microbrews Cruise at the US National Whitewater Center

~Jamie Sunnycalb~

February Happenings

I’d like to begin this post by welcoming our spring starts!

If you are new to Charlotte, this post is great place to start.

The second month of the year provides a wealth of options for things to do and see around town.

Rock out to a wide variety of musical acts: They Might be Giants , Matt Nathanson, Augustana, TOOL, Arlo Guthrie, Celtic Woman, Crazy Love, Marc Broussard, Rodney Carrington , Easton Corbin, Corey Smith

Take in a play with The Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Have Nots , In the Mood, Cuttin’ Up

Tickle your funny bone at Spamalot and Jim Gaffigan

Chocolate and Champagne Lovers Workshop at the Ritz-Carlton will surely make Valentine’s Day (February 14th) one to remember. As will Wine, Chocolate and Murder.

If you didn’t get enough heart-shaped boxes of chocolate on Valentine’s Day, you can satisfy your sweet tooth at the inaugural Sweet Tooth Festival .

For the kids: Rapunzel, Mummies of the World , Ringling Brothers Circus

Celebrate Black History Month with Black History Trivia Bowl

The next best thing to being in New Orleans for Mardi Gras is Mardi Gras at the Epicentre. Or the Masquerade Ball in NoDa.

~Jamie Sunnycalb~

December Happenings

Christmas Lights Displays

Christmastown USA Lights Display in McAdenville has been drawing a crowd for more than 50 years!

Carolina Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway has 3 million lights over 4 miles of track.

Lights on the Square Tree Lighting in uptown

Christmas Wonderland of Lights at Zootastic Park of Lake Norman

2nd Annual Holiday Central in Plaza Midwood where Santa will arrive in a vintage red Cadillac!

Outdoor Activities

Ice Skating uptown

Sounds of the Season

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Magic of Christmas

Handel’s Messiah

The Singing Christmas Tree

Drummer Boy

Songs of the Seasons

Jim Brickman’s A Christmas Celebration

Not so Acoustic Christmas with CAKE 

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Seasonal Productions

Nutcracker

A Christmas Carol

CHAPS! A Jingle Jangle Christmas

Live from WVL Radio Theatre: It’s a Wonderful Life

A Tuna Christmas

The Birth

Happy Holidays by the Jami Masters School of Dance

Kid-friendly

Holiday Tea at the Ritz-Carlton (gingerbread house viewing until December 27th)

The Singing Christmas Tree for KIDS

Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells

The Velveteen Rabbit

Christmas at the Billy Graham Library

Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra  

Events outside Charlotte

A Huntersville Christmas

Arts at the Abbey: Annual Holiday Concert  Belmont Abbey, NC

Holiday Lights at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Christmasville in Rock Hill

Christmas in Cramerton

Kannapolis Christmas

Waxhaw Christmas Parade

Fort Mill Christmas Parade

Polar Express  Bryson City, NC

Christmas at Biltmore Asheville, NC

National Gingerbread House Competition and Display Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC

Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia, SC

Cookies and Cocoa with Santa Spencer, NC

Santa on the Chimney Chimney Rock, NC

Salem Christmas  Winston-Salem, NC

Tanglewood Festival of Lights Clemmons, NC

Scandinavian Christmas Fair Raleigh, NC

New Year’s Eve

First Night Charlotte

The Charlotte School of Law Library wishes you and yours a safe and happy holiday season!

~Jamie Sunnycalb~

Welcome to Charlotte!

Whether you are a native of the Queen City or new to the area, we’ve compiled a list of how you can enjoy all that North Carolina’s most populous city has to offer.

Sporting Events: Panthers Football, Knights Baseball, Bobcats Basketball, Checkers Hockey, NASCAR, Charlotte Roller Derby, Charlotte Hounds, Charlotte Eagles , Charlotte Lady Eagles, Carolina Speed, Charlotte Rugby Football Club

Concerts : Time Warner Cable Arena, Ovens Auditorium (site of our Graduation 2009) Bojangles Coliseum, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, NC Music Factory , Visulite Theatre, Neighborhood Theatre , Double Door Inn

Performances, Plays and Musicals: Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Opera Carolina , Charlotte Symphony , Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, Theatre Charlotte,Knight Theatre (site of our 2011 Graduation), Comedy Zone

Art, History and Culture: Mint Museum, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Levine Museum of the New South, Harvey B. Gantt Center, McColl Center for Visual Art , Billy Graham Library , The Light Factory , Carolinas Aviation Museum,  gallery crawls , NASCAR Hall of Fame , Charlotte History Museum

Get into Nature at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden , the Charlotte Nature Museum or the Carolinas Raptor Center . Go for a hike at  Crowders Mountain.

For kids of all ages: Discovery Place, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte,  Imaginon:the Joe and Joan Martin Center, Carowinds , Lazy 5 Ranch

Shopping in and around Charlotte: South Park Mall, Northlake Mall , Carolina Place Mall, Concord Mills Mall, Birkdale Village , Westfield Eastridge Shopping Mall

Parks&Recreation: Freedom Park, Frazier Park, Park Road Park , area Greenways. YMCA, Whitewater Center

Dining:

Morehead Street: Pinky’s Westside Grill, Burger Company, Picante Mexican Grill, Savor, Open Kitchen, Dilworth Neighborhood Grill, Art’s BBQ

Wilkinson Blvd: Dairy Queen, Bar-B-Q King, Subway (located inside the Super Wal-Mart), Little Caesars, Burger King

Freedom Drive: COOK-OUT, Showmars, McDonald’s, KFC, Captain D’s, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s

Charlottetowne Avenue/Kings Drive: Wendy’s, Zoe’s Kitchen, Chipotle, La Paz, Hickory Tavern, Arby’s, Subway, Pizza Hut, Original Pancake House, Mama Ricotta’s, Wok Express, Dunkin’Donuts, Maharani, Great Harvest Bread Co., Pizza Fusion, Which Wich, Trader Joe’s, Zoe’s Kitchen, Cherry Berry, Dressler’s, Pisces Sushi Bar/Lounge, Vivace, Bojangles

South Blvd: Chipotle, Luna’s Living Kitchen, Five Guys, Noodle&Company, Chick fil-A, Owen’s Bagels, Einstein Bagels,  Nova’s Bakery, Beijing Chinese, Fuel Pizza, Sub Station II, Ice House, Big Ben’s, The Liberty, Pewter Rose, Mac’s Speed Shop, McDonald’s, Burger King

South End: Phat Burrito, Price’s Chicken Coop, Pike’s Old-Fashioned Soda Shop, Common Market

7th Street: Hawthorne’s Pizza, Crisp,  Sunflour Bakery, Lupie’s Cafe , Showmars, Starbucks, Cajun Queen, Jackalope Jack’s, Philosopher’s Stone, Kennedy’s, Ho Ho Cherry House, Sub Station II, Jersey Mike’s

Elizabeth Ave: Nothing but Noodles, 1900 Mexican Grill, Cuisine Malaya, Carpe Diem, Customshop, 88 China Bistro, Elizabeth Creamery

Plaza Midwood: Whiskey Warehouse, The Penguin, The Diamond, Dish, Zada Jane’s, Soul Gastrolounge, Bistro La Bon, Midwood Smokehouse, Loco Lime, Kickstand Burgers, Intermezzo Pizzeria, Krazy Fish, Lulu, Akahana Asian Bistro,  Something Classic Cafe, Central Coffee Company , Fern, Thomas Street Tavern, Nova’s Bakery, The Peculiar Rabbit

Park Rd/Woodlawn Ave: RuSan’s, Fran’s Filling Station, Toast Cafe , Starbucks , The Flying Biscuit Cafe, Jason’s Deli, Chick fil-A, Which Wich, Sushi 101, Qdoba, Carolina Soda Shop, Subway, Bruegger’s Bagels, Fuel Pizza, Wendy’s, McDonald’s

Selwyn Avenue: Mellow Mushroom, Yoforia, Reid’s Fine Foods,

South Park: BRIO, Del Frisco’s, Ruth’s Chris, Georges Brasserie, The Cheesecake Factory, Maggiano’s, Cowfish Sushi and Burgers, PF Chang’s, Terrace Cafe, Dean and Deluca, Firebirds, California Pizza Kitchen, McCormick and Schmick’s, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Bojangles, Donato’s Pizza

Costwold: Jack in the Box, Chick fil-A, Bojangles, Table 274, Bruegger’s, Wolfman Pizza, The Pizza Peel and Taproom, Krispy Kreme, IHOP, Starbucks, Mama Fu’s Asian House, Salsarita’s, Dairy Queen, Eddie’s Place,

East Blvd:  Moe’s Southwest Grill, Bruegger’s Bagels, Big Daddy’s Burger Bar, Something Classic Café, Starbucks, Brixx, Cantina 1511, Caribou Coffee, Outback Steakhouse, Showmars, Lebowski’s, Dilworth Coffee , Smoothie King, Carolina Smoothie, JJ’s Red Hots, Crisp, Jersey Mike’s, Menchie’s, Berrybrook Farms, Copper, Thai Taste

NoDa: Amelie’s 24 hour French bakery, Cabo Fish Taco, Crepe Cellar, Growler’s Pourhouse , Salvador Deli,Revolution Pizza, The Dog Bar, Solstice Tavern, Boudreaux’s, Jack Beagles, Smelly Cat Coffeehouse

The EpiCentre: Vida Mexican Kitchen y cantina, Moe’s, Wild Wing Cafe, Enso, Jason’s Deli, Bruegger’s Bagels, Five Guys, Firehouse Subs, Libretto’s Pizzeria

Other sites to check out:

http://www.charlottesgotalot.com

www.charlottemagazine.com

www.charlotteobserver.com

www.charlotte.creativeloafing.com

www.charlotteonthecheap.com

~Jamie Sunnycalb~