The season has quickly shifted from summer to fall. The air is crisp, the colors outside are changing to oranges, reds and browns, all things pumpkin are hitting the shelves and stores, the hustle and bustle of football is back on everyone’s brains; all signs that fall is here! Below are some activities to plan for and do this fall season!
Do you like finding your way through mazes?? Get lost at Amazing Maize Maze at Rural Hill and other corn mazes. Huntersville is home to this corn maze which is one of the largest corn mazes in the Southeast. This has been a family tradition since 1998 and is a must-try activity this fall! It is more than seven acres of corn-filled fun running from September 16th-October 28th. The maze will be open on weekends from 10AM-5PM. The popular night mazes will also return this year, starting in October from 6:30PM-9PM, providing even more of a challenge to those who are up for it!
Step into Medieval times at the Carolina Renaissance Festival. Ren Fest has been a Charlotte-area tradition since 1993. More than 1,000 artists (including 500+ interactive costumed characters) bring the fictional village of Fairhaven to life with performance stages, hands-on games and rides, an artisan marketplace and plenty of food. Ren Festival runs Saturdays and Sundays, September 30th-November 19th from 9:30AM-5:30PM. Day passes are $20 for kids ages 5 to 12 and $32 for adults. Parking is free.
Celebrate Charlotte’s Latin American culture at Hola Charlotte. Hola Charlotte is the Queen City’s largest Hispanic Heritage celebration. Festivities include music, food, dancing and art. Go join the community in celebrating Latin American culture and all its richness. The festival runs October 7th, 12PM-6PM and is free to enter.
Did you know there was such a thing as Biketoberfest? This scavenger hunt-style event takes riders along a bike-friendly route through the neighborhoods of Uptown, South End, and Historic West End. Biketoberfest invites participants to bike, walk and use public transportation throughout the city to visit curated destinations while collecting stamps in an event passport. The more stamps you collect, the greater chance you have of winning some amazing prizes at the afterparty with live music, giveaways, and an exclusive collaboration beer with Triple C Brewing Co! Tickets are $30-$40.
Catch performances from top artists at the Breakaway Music Festival. The festival has an epic lineup of artists including headliners Porter Robinson and Flume. The festival is September 29th-30th at the zMAX Dragway at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, located at 6570 Bruton Smith Boulevard. Two-day passes start at $154.
Bring your appetite and pallet for wine for the Bayhaven Food and Wine Festival. The BayHaven Food & Wine Festival will return for a third year October 4th-8th to celebrate Black chefs and industry experts from Charlotte and beyond. By celebrating Black foodways and the industry members who make them possible, the festival will honor the diaspora, foster education, and create meaningful and joyous moments of celebration. There are five ticketed events, each offering unique culinary experiences at different venues in Uptown and west Charlotte. Tickets range from $100-$190, depending on the event. Multi-event tickets start at $202.
Go to Rich and Bennett’s Halloween Bar Crawl. Charlotte’s legendary bar crawl is back for its 22nd year with 25+ locations involved throughout Uptown Charlotte and drink specials at each of the bars. It goes down October 28th with check-in beginning at 1PM. The cost is $10-$25 (depending when you purchase tickets) and includes drink specials, event koozie, giveaways, fun swag, costume contest, and automatically enters you into a raffle to win prizes.
Make a day trip to visit Windy Hill Orchard and Cidery. Windy Hill is less than an hour outside the city, making it the closest orchard to Charlotte. They have apple picking, hayrides, a hard cider bar, and their famous fried apple cider donuts. You can P\ick-your-own apples for $7 for a quarter peck bag (4-6 pounds). To pick apples, everyone must have their own reservation and pre-purchased bag to enter the orchard. Windy Hill is located at 1860 Black Highway in York, South Carolina. Their farm stand is open Thursday through Sunday 10AM-6PM. The cider bar is open Friday from 12PM-7PM and Saturday and Sunday 10AM-6PM.
Watch hot air balloons take to the sky at the Carolina Balloonfest. Head over to 260 Hangar Drive in Statesville for the second-oldest balloon festival in the country. Dozens of colorful balloons will take to the sky October 20th-22nd. Tickets are $15-$45.
Take in the beautiful views as some of our local vineyards surrounding Charlotte. As the weather cools down, now is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a glass of wine while overlooking a vineyard. Douglas Vineyards and Rocky River Vineyards are Charlotte’s closest vineyards, located about 30 minutes outside of the city. Cauble Creek Vineyard, Treehouse Vineyards, Davasté Vineyards, and Veronét Vineyards & Winery are about 40 minutes outside of the city.
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