[go back to our main site]Charlotte, North Carolina has something for everyone. Its year-round mild climate and tourist-friendly activities and businesses make it an ideal vacation spot. 
Here’s a few sampling of events for the month of May
Fun Family Events
Carowinds, a family-friendly theme and water park, is open on weekends in May until the 19th, when the park is open 7 days a week. This amusement park has rides for every age and entertainment for the teens. Kids of all ages will love the 34,000 square foot wave pool and the numerous water slides in the 20-acre water park.
Discovery Place will keep everyone entertained: it has an aquarium, a learning lab and an IMAX 3D theater. Nearby Discover for Kids offers loads of fun activities for children from age 1 to 8. They also have daily puppet shows and story hours.
Take the kids to the Fairy Festival at the Charlotte Nature Museum on Saturday, May 18. There will be projects for fairy and hobbit house building and a live butterfly release in the Butterfly Pavilion.
Sporting Events
Catch a game between the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A baseball team of the Chicago White Sox and the Pawtucket Red Sox at Knights Stadium on May 10. Check their schedule for other game dates in May.
Lacrosse fans can watch the Charlotte Hounds, a professional major league lacrosse team, play the Rochester Rattlers at the American Legion Memorial Stadium on May 11.
Racing enthusiasts will want to go to the Tar Heel BMX Nationals Pro Series on May 10 to May 12.
Arts and Crafts
Plan to attend the 5th annual Charlotte Fine Art & Craft Show on May 10. Held at the Convention Center, this juried show features handcrafted art and paintings by world-renowned artists and artisans.
Art (and music) lovers will also enjoy the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Go for the great collection of modern art, and try to visit on Friday, May 3, when the Ziad Jazz Quartet performs. The Bechtler is located in the Levine Center for the Arts where you can also visit the Gantt Center for African-American Arts and the Mint Museum.
Charlotte also has a diverse and exciting art district—enjoy the gallery crawl on the 1rst and 3rd Fridays during the month of May. And you won’t want to miss Carolina’s Got Art!, the annual juried arts show at the Elder Gallery.
Music
There are plenty of concerts in May, and you can also treat yourself to a day at the 3rd Annual North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival located in nearby Huntersville. Taste some great micro brews and chill out to some fabulous bluegrass. Camping is available.
From the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra to the Charlotte Children’s Choir Youth Chorale Spring Concert to the Smashing Pumpkins, you’ll be sure to find live musical performances to suit everyone’s tastes.
You might also want to check out the LEAF musical festival in Black Mountain that takes place May 9-12. It’s about a two hour drive from Charlotte, but it is well worth the trip to see the eclectic lineup of famous musicians.
Whether you decide to take a wildflower walk, a canoe nature trip, a gallery stroll, a rollicking day at an amusement park, take the free Charlotte Community Garden Tour or kick back and enjoy a concert by Crosby, Stills and Nash, you’ll never run out of fun things to do this May in Charlotte.
