04.05.2024

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Today’s Weather

🌮 Taking it to the StrEATs

Prepare to eat during Charlotte StrEATs

A Charlotte chef smiling on stage during the Charlotte StrEATs Festival Neighborhood Cook-Off in 2023.

Be sure to come hungry for Charlotte StrEATs Festival, part of Charlotte SHOUT! | Photo via Ryan Allen

Expect mouthwatering food, delicious drinks, great company, celebrity sightings, and local chefs during this year’s Charlotte StrEATs Festival.

The annual event, hosted by Unpretentious Palate and Carben Events, immerses you in the Queen City’s culinary scene. “Our main goal is for everybody to get a taste of Charlotte and the different neighborhoods that are represented,” says Casey Wilson, owner of Carben Events.

Two people smiling and enjoying a cocktail outside during the VIP Tasting Tour during Charlotte StrEATs. — Charlotte StrEATs Festival Neighborhood Cook-Off in 2023.
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Photo via Ryan Allen

The Tasting Tour returns to StrEATs on Saturday, April 13. From 12 to 3 p.m., ticketed guests can walk through Gateway Village, sampling menu and cocktail items from city restaurants. “If you are a foodie, and a cocktail or just beverage enthusiast, Saturday is your day,” says Wilson.

If you happen to attend during the VIP tasting tour at 11 a.m., you may see this year’s special celebrity guest, Chef Aarón Sánchez, also sampling what our restaurants have to offer. Pro tip: the tasting tour sells out, so buy your tickets ASAP.

Chef Aaron Sanchez is smiling and stirring contents in a pot while in a kitchen with brick walls and a gas stovetop. — Chef Aaron Sanchez is expected to emcee the Neighborhood Cook-Off contest and attend the VIP Tasting Tour. Previous years’ celebrity chefs and guests include Amanda Freitag and Alex Guarnaschelli.
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Photo provided by Charlotte StrEATs Festival

On Sunday, April 14, entry to the festival is free and features the main event: a neighborhood cook-off + artisan market featuring local products like baked goods, juice, honey, and cheese. Sánchez will emcee the cook-off with that same Food Network flare. Editor’s note: halfway through the schedule, Chef Aarón will also do a cooking demo.

In addition to the neighborhood cook-offs and tasting tour, expect to see a variety of food trucks:

“We have six different food trucks that’ll be out there on Sunday. It’s rare that you see these particular six in one spot, so we’re excited to show them off,” says Wilson.

The StrEATs festival ends at 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 14. Come hungry, leave happy.

Asked

Which food truck would you sample first?

A. Boujee Soul Food Truck
B. CFT Bistro
C. Chop Chop Red Pot
D. Cutting Board CLT
E. Katsu Kart
F. Ve-Go

Have some (foodie) fun

Events

Friday, April 5

Carolina BBQ Festival 2024 | Friday, April 5- Saturday, April 6 | 6 p.m. | Victoria Yards, 209 E. 7th St., Charlotte | $75-$199 | A smoking-hot event to enjoy delicious barbecue prepared by 15 skilled Carolina pitmasters.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Orlando Magic | Friday, April 5 | 7 p.m. | Spectrum Center, 333 E. Trade St., Charlotte | $16-$400+ | Enjoy a Friday night in Uptown cheering on the Hornets in an electric atmosphere.
Tchaikovsky & Brahms | Friday, April 5 | 7:30 p.m. | Belk Theatre, 130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte | $22-$132 | Acclaimed cellist Sterling Elliott joins the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra to perform the work of composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

Saturday, April 6

Charlotte RaceFest Half Marathon, 10K, 10K Relay | Saturday, April 6 | 7:30-11:30 a.m. | SouthPark Mall, 4325 Barclay Downs Dr., Charlotte | $55-$100 | Race through Charlotte’s neighborhoods in this two-decade-long tradition.
Empanada Fest 2024 | Saturday, April 6 | 12-6 p.m. | Boileryard at Camp North End, 300 Camp Rd., Charlotte | Free | Vendors and food trucks will be serving mouth-watering empanadas from several countries.
2024 Charlotte Brewfest | Saturday, April 6 | 1-5 p.m. | South End Station Parking Lot, 1435 S. Tryon St., Charlotte | $25-$50 | Celebrate National Beer Day with a glass at the city’s signature beer festival.
Charlotte Chocolate, Wine & Whiskey Festival | Saturday, April 6 | 7-11 p.m. | Discovery Place Science, 301 N. Tryon St., Charlotte | $90 | Savor desserts, charcuterie, wine, and liquor in a festival celebrating flavor.

Sunday, April 7

Charlotte AutoFair | Sunday, April 7 | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Charlotte Motor Speedway, 5555 Concord Pkwy. S., Concord | $40 | Marvel at an array of rare classic cars “gearheads” and families can enjoy.
Sunday Brunch at the Gateway Canteen | Sunday, April 7-Sunday, Oct. 27 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Gateway Canteen at Lake Haigler Entrance, 2573 Lake Haigler Dr., Fort Mill | $12.95-$24.95 | Enjoy savory items on the buffet + a carving station and cooked-to-order egg and omelets.
Wine About Poetry | Sunday, April 7 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | The Auto Pour, 5033 South Blvd. #O, Charlotte | $10-$30 | Let your creative juices flow sharing your written words in this open mic night + wine selections for extra encouragement.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board

News Notes

Sports

Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford will step down at the end of the season. During a news conference, Clifford gave a candid explanation behind his decision. Get the biggest stories every day about the Charlotte Hornets with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.

Coming Soon

A Charlotte museum, named after pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, will open Saturday, June 1. The Sullenberger Aviation Museum will be a 105,000-sqft facility located at 4108 Minuteman Way. The museum will feature Charlotte’s history within the aviation industry. (WCNC)

Announced

Vanguard has acquired a newly constructed 91-acre campus in the University City neighborhood. The 700,000-sqft facility includes “state-of-the-art” office space. The new campus can be found on Governor Hunt Road and is expected to open in 2025. (WBTV)

Biz

West-Charlotte restaurant Counter is asking its guests to not tip its staff. Chef Sam Hart said instead of tips, guests can donate to the restaurant’s 501(c)(3) partners. (WCNC)

Development

A new development is coming to Tom Short Road Charlotte in south Charlotte. More than 900 apartments, townhomes, houses, and a middle school will be built on 125 acres of farmland. (WCNC)

Opening

All aboard. Tweetsie Railroad, the family amusement and Wild West theme park, opens for the season tomorrow, April 6. Located between Boone and Blowing Rock, visitors will enjoy nostalgic rides, a deer park zoo, live entertainment, and delicious fudge shops. (WBTV)

Drink

Raise your glasses. Cornelius-based brewery Lost Worldswill open its second taproom in Charlotte tomorrow. The brewery is at The Metropolitan in midtown. It will have award-winning craft beer, a new craft cocktail menu, an international wine list, artisan markets, and live music. (WSOC)

Concert

Carowinds announced three new acts for its summer music festival series: country music stars Russell Dickerson, Brantley Gilbert, and Brett Young. Performances will take place on multiple stages throughout the park in July and August. (WCNC)

Civic

The City of Gastonia approved $15,000 bonuses for its police officers — the highest in North Carolina history. Qualified officers would earn $7,500 upon hiring and the other $7,500 after a one-year probationary period. Gastonia Police hopes elevating its sign-on bonus will also attract more officers. (Queen City News)

Eat

Get ready to fire up your tastebuds: Hosted by Capital City Lake Murray Country, the Southeastern BBQ Showdown is happening Friday-Saturday, June 14-15 at Segra Park. Sample world-class barbecue, groove along to beats by the Band of Oz, and catch a spectacular fireworks show. See details + snag tickets.*

City

💥 Here comes the (tourism) boom

Charlotte experiencing ongoing tourism boom

Thousands of people pack the stands over a soccer field with the Uptown Charlotte skyline at night in the background.

Charlotte professional sports teams like Charlotte FC are credited for attracting thousands of out-of-town fans for games. | Photo by CLTtoday

So, what’s there to do in Charlotte? A lot.

The Transportation, Planning & Development Committee revealed new data during the Charlotte City Council meeting on April 1. The local tourism industry drew more than $7 billion to the city in 2022. Nearly 31 million people visited the region in the last year and 13.5 million of those visitors stayed overnight — 43%.

City leaders credit sporting events and major venues hosting high-profile events for fueling the increased traffic. Editor’s note: there’s plenty more on the way.

WCNC Charlotte reports the 10 days with the highest number of visits to Uptown in January and February of 2024 were mostly tied to sports and tourism venues — like the return of Charlotte FC.

Since 2021, the number of visits to Uptown in the first quarter of the year increased by 107%. What does that mean? During the peak days for Uptown, the number of visits average more than 96,000 beyond a typical day.

The Buy

Eco-friendly self-care options. Parrotfish has shampoo, conditioner, soap bars, and shower steamers that will level up your night in.

Answered

On Monday, we asked “What’s your favorite baseball game tradition?” and here’s what you said:

A photo of a hamburger in a basket, covered in sauce and condiments. — Pack some napkins. The Caroline burger is one of the savory items on this year’s menu.
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Photo by WCNC

It turns out our readers love enjoying food at the game + singing the unofficial anthem of baseball.

29% — Ballpark snacks
29% — Singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”
22% — Seventh inning stretch
11% — First pitch
3% — Mascot race
3% — Trying to catch a homerun ball

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by: Jack

From the editor:

As a Kentucky native, I’m loving all the horse-related events popping up this spring in the Carolinas — not far from Charlotte. The Tryon Steeplechase in Tryon, NC is Saturday, April 13 and the Mint Hill Rodeo in Mint Hill is Friday, April 19 - Saturday, April 20.

A line of racehorses and jockers race on a green track. — Photo by CLTtoday

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