This Uptown Guide sponsored by Charlotte Center City and the Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade
Be a queen and impress your out of town guests with the ultimate Uptown Charlotte itinerary. Melt their travel woes and let our city do its thing.
Don’t just take them around Charlotte. Show them Uptown. Showcase Charlotte’s heart and invite them in. Give them a ticket to Uptown. Maybe even the key.
They won’t want to leave.
Wednesday. Arrival.
Help them recover from the hectic travel and slow things down at The Mint Museum with the Studio Drift exhibit. Bringing everyone together is the philosophy behind its creation. Thanksgiving is the ideal time to take it in. FREE Wednesday evening.
Uptown lights are twinkly and bright. Walk them through 4th ward for a welcome meal at Al Mike’s. Alexander Michaels is where everyone knows your name. Settle into a wooden booth and introduce your charmed life.
Friends coming to visit with kiddos in tow? Make them thankful for your cool factor with the Ivey’s Family Fun Package. 4 tix to Discovery Place, Cookies & Milk Delivery, and unlimited in-room movie rental? Let’s all stay.
Not up for running on your holiday? No kids in tow? Here’s turkey trot everyone can embrace — the bar crawl kind. They will hug you. They will thank you. They will want to sleep in. But….
Thanksgiving is Here. Thursday.
Parade your friends. Show them how Uptown does Thanksgiving morning. It’s a holiday and it deserves pomp & circumstance. VIP tix here. Show them how Uptown parades. We have 72 years of practice after all.
Christmas Village is the perfect post parade, pre meal, pre football stop for the whole gang. Head to 7th & N. Tryon Street for all the festivities. Thurs – Sat: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. GO after the parade. It will be open til 5.
EAT. Head to 5Church for THE 3-course Uptown Feast. Details here. Bourbon Bisque. Yes, please.
Book your table online.
Also see: Scoop’s Guide For other options when you aren’t cooking.
Uptown owns ice-skating during the holidays. How lucky are we? Share away at Holiday on Ice. Show them how it’s done in Charlotte. Ice cold? Ice cold.
Black Carolina Blue Friday
Let them sleep in. Then brunch so hard at The Asbury. Bacon all around. Make them reservations ahead of time. Scramble.
Discovery Place Science. All positives here. Teach those out-of-towners a few things. Bond.
Historic Landmark and the best tapas in town? Poplar Bar is quintessential Uptown. Small plate style. Learn something along with them.
Spend Friday night with the Mcallister’s at the Charlotte Symphony. KEVIN!
SaturSTAY and Play
Saturday morning should be spent wandering. And then at Blis Gift Boutique Uptown in Founder’s Hall. Show off and support all your fave local small businesses for Small Business Saturday.
Lunch inside 7th Street Market is a must. Pick your passion. Good eats and a jump on holiday shopping. Oh, and your peeps can get themselves their own Charlotte gear and stuff — like us cool kids.
Grab the light rail and head to New Bern Station for an afternoon of shopping and fun at South End’s Small Business Saturday. 150 local shops, 70 places to eat and drink, and free trolley rides throughout the district. ALL THE SCOOP here.
Tree lighting at the NASCAR Hall of Fame is where you need to be at 5pm on Saturday the 30th. Get lit.
Need to slow things down? Get warm by popping into the BOA Plaza Retail Mall. Great spot for a bathroom break and a break from the chill.
Here’s hoping for one of those classic pink sunsets from Merchant & Trade. DJ Pink Diamond will be encouraging it to happen on Saturday night. Eat a meal. Enjoy a cocktail. Catch up with those loved ones. Have those visitors rethinking their hometowns.
Uptown Sunday Funday
Leave your guests wanting more…miles. Work off the weekend with a Sunday morning bike ride. Show them Bank of America Stadium. Score points.
Panther Up before the Redskins game and join the excitement, whether you have tickets or not. Pre-game and game on at most Uptown eateries. Try the Panthers Backyard Bash with all-you-can-eat wings, burgers and brats along with a cash bar, live entertainment and appearances by Panthers legends – $75 for adults and $50 for children ages 12 and under. Opens two and a half hours prior to kickoff and closes 30 minutes before each regular season home game.
Or clear the haze. Here are a few different bands playing Uptown the holiday weekend. Even on Sunday.
Maybe the Hip Hop Nutcracker could be their jam. Make it happen December 1st before they head out.
Or get them racing off with the full experience at NASCAR Hall of Fame. You win.
Send them on their way back home knowing you showed off the best of Uptown – your town. Be proud.
Oh, and no worries…they’ll be back.
