Charlotte's Festival in the Park takes place every September in Freedom Park and offers locals and visitors a chance to celebrate the spirit of the city in a variety of ways. There's live music, great food, and a large selection of arts and crafts created by local artisans that truly capture the spirit of the area. There are also several displays of art from local, regional and even nationally recognized talents. Just be prepared for a long walk into the park, as parking spaces are at a premium and often the only one you'll find is relatively far away - just look at the walk as a chance to enjoy the scenery and bond with fellow festival-goers.
There's no excuse to not have all of your Christmas decorations in place this year thanks to the Southern Christmas Show that is held at the Park Expo and Conference Center. Every year, over 120,000 visitors walk through the doors looking for great decorating ideas for the holidays, and they find several at every turn! There are over 600 booths that offer an incredible variety of decorations, trees, ornaments, and lots more. This event has been voted the number one Christmas show in the nation, and when you experience all the activities and fun, it'll be easy to see why. .
The Carolina Renaissance Festival allows you to travel to a time when court jesters made everyone laugh instead of sitcoms, the crowd watched knights jousting against one another instead of football games, and it was actually acceptable to eat with your hands instead of using silverware. All of those activities are still possible, thanks to this festival that offers plenty to discover, like Old World arts and crafts, delicious turkey legs and plenty of fun and games. Also, several festival goers dress the part, so feel free to join in!