Truist Field is transforming into a winter wonderland for the annual Light the Knights Festival. | Photo via Charlotte Knights
Lucky you. You just found CLTtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events to plan for that are taking place throughout the Queen City each month.
So, take out your calendar and text all your friends to plan your month.
Team Captain Vicky Bruce scored the first goal ever for Carolina Ascent in their inaugural home opener.
Photo via Carolina Ascent
Sports
Charlotte Checkers Calder Cup Playoffs | TBA | Various times | Bojangles Coliseum | $10+ | The Checkers will play two Eastern Conference Finals games at home.
Savannah Bananas | Friday, June 6-Saturday, June 7 | 7 p.m. | Bank of America Stadium | $140+ | Prepare to laugh, sing, and dance during the “most entertaining game of baseball.”
Carolina Ascent FC | Sunday, June 8 + Saturday, June 14 | 7 p.m. | American Legion Memorial Stadium | $16+ | The Ascent will compete to win the first-ever USL Super League Final game at home.
Dancers Rees Launer and Anna Mains can be seen in various Charlotte Ballet productions.
Photo by Taylor Jones via Charlotte Ballet
Theater
“Charlotte Squawks: 20th Censure-y Squawks” | June 5-28 | Various times | Booth Playhouse | $39+ | Laugh at jokes only Charlotteans will get during this annual comedy/musical.
FLIP: Choreographic Workshops | June 5-14 | Various times | Center for Dance | $41+ | Eleven dancers become choreographers for select shows.
In-Person Class: Fresh Handmade Pasta | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Monday Night Brewing - Garden Co. | $64 | Wow your friends and family after attending this class to learn the technique behind handmade pasta.
West 22nd | 8 p.m. | Neighborhood Theatre | $22+ | Jam to this up-and-coming indie rock band as they bring their set to the Queen City.
“Shucked” | Tuesday, May 27-Sunday, June 1 | 7:30 p.m. | Belk Theater | $40+ | The Tony Award-winning musical will kick off its week in the Queen City with a toe-tapping score and plenty of laughs.
Paint Your Pet with Monet & Chardonnay | 5:30 p.m. | NoDa Brewing Company | $59 | No skill is required to paint a portrait of your pup with wine in hand.
Halsey: For My Last Trick | 7 p.m. | PNC Music Pavilion | $40+ | It’s not a “New Americana,” it’s just Halsey bringing a rocking show to the Queen City.
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Pacaso’s platform offers easy purchase, ownership, and enjoyment of luxury vacation homes. | Photo by Pacaso
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Memorial Day, a federal holiday, meaning civic offices, most state offices, banks, and public libraries will be closed. Observe the day by attending the ceremony at Gethsemane Cemetery and Memorial Gardens today at 10 a.m. The guest speaker will be Hedy Taube, a World War II survivor.
Coming Soon
Fontana di Vino is planning to open a second restaurant in Davidson just one week after opening in Myers Park. The restaurant will be outside the former Davidson Ice House building, offering a mozzarella bar and a variety of Italian favorites. (The Charlotte Observer)
Announced
Tapas restaurant The Iberian Pig is opening a location at 110 East in South End by mid-2026. The Atlanta-based restaurant serves a selection of Spanish meats and cheeses + paella, stuffed peppers, empanadas, and vegetarian options. We’ll keep you posted when opening is announced. (Charlotte Business Journal)
Mansion Monday
How would you like a taste of California in the Queen City?Check out this six-bedroom home in Foxcroft, with 12-ft ceilings, glass walls, a private pool, courtyard entrance, and a four-car garage. Fun fact: You’ll find automatic screens on the covered porch.
The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners will hold a straw vote on Thursday, May 29 in regards to the county budget proposal. The proposed budget includes a 0.96-cent property tax increase. Adoption is expected on June 3. (WCNC)
Travel
Cleared for takeoff. Avelo Airlines launched its new route from Concord to Long Island, NY. The flight will travel twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays, with one-way fares starting at $49. (WCNC)
Try This
Dive, dive, dive.CLTtoday got a first look at OceanXperience, the new immersive underwater exhibition at Discovery Place Science. The exhibition opens today and features tracking missions, a VR lab, and submersible simulations + is included in regular admission. It’s open through Sept. 7.
Sports
The Hornets continue to boost Miles Bridges a franchise leader. What does that mean on the court? Go beyond the scoreboard for the biggest stories on the Charlotte Hornetswith Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Number
$50,300. That’s the average salary of a bachelor’s degree holder in Charlotte. But for grads of the award-winning MBA program at Wake Forest University? That average salary skyrockets to just over $150,000. Learn more.*
Biz
Skip the calls — with our self-service ad portal, you’re just a few clicks away from showing off to the whole city. Advertising made so easy, it’s practically your new side hustle.
$2.80 per share is almost gone. Top firms like SoftBank have already invested in Pacaso, the startup disrupting a $1.3 trillion real estate market. Now, after 41% YoY gross profit growth, they recently reserved the Nasdaq ticker $PCSO. Until Thursday, you can invest for just $2.80/share.†‡‡*
Category
Active
👟 Ready to run
The Around the Crown 10K draws thousands of runners to Uptown Charlotte every September. | Photo by Samuel Martin via Around the Crown 10K
Cruising through South End, it’s common to catch a cluster of runners jogging by. The Queen City holds a strong running culture, bringing people together who enjoy staying active and building community any day of the week.
We’ve compiled a list of upcoming summertime races + weekly running groups you can join across the city. So lace up your shoes and ready, set, go:
🏁 Upcoming races
NoDa 5K | Saturday, May 31 | 6 p.m. | NoDa Brewing | $40+ | Dash through the historic arts and entertainment district before celebrating with craft beer and food.
MMRF Walk/Run | Saturday, May 31 | 8 a.m. | McAlpine Park | Free | Join the MMRF Team for Cures community to raise awareness for a cure for multiple myeloma patients.
River Jam Trail Race | Second Thursday, May-September | 6:30 p.m. | US National Whitewater Center | $25 | Run off-road in this 5K or 10K-ish trail race every month through September.
Did you see the “Paint Your Pet” event going on Wednesday? You can scroll up to reread it. I did similar activity a few years ago, and the painting of my corgi is still on my wall today. It’s a great way to freeze a moment in time with your pup!
‡This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals. Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.
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