If you’re anything like me, you keep writing “May” on anything that requires a date even though we are going full speed ahead in June. Before we know it, summer is going to fly by and it will be Labor Day weekend. Let Scoop hold you accountable to your best summer yet with a full guide on what not to miss before September comes. Need a little extra motivation? Check out GetOffline, a curated website of content that physically allows you to “check off” events on your list and creates a scrapbook of the pictures you take all summer long. Here’s what on our bucket list for Summer 2017:
June
TopGolf Experience
TopGolf Charlotte is now officially open on Arrowood Road. Enjoy a day of family fun featuring 100+ private driving range bays, a full service restaurant with multiple bars for mom and dad, over 200 HDTV’s, a rooftop terrace with a fire pit, and live music every Friday and Saturday night. TopGolf is also hosting lessons and summer camps to keep your kid’s boredom at bay all summer long.
Charlotte Symphony Summer Pops
Summer Pops is back – this year, don’t miss it. The Charlotte Symphony will keep you grooving with a range of music including Hollywood Hits, Star Wars, and Patriotic favorites every Sunday. Check out their full line-up here. Can’t make it this summer? Check out Charlotte Symphony’s live performance of Harry Potter’s soundtrack on October 20 with the movie playing on a big screen in the background. It’s the Sorcerer’s Stone like you’ve never seen it before.
All American Mondays, Thirsty Thursdays, and Fireworks Fridays with the Knights
The Charlotte Knights are your all inclusive guide to fun this summer. Offering $1 hotdogs on Mondays, $3 beer on Thursdays and fireworks every Friday night, tickets start at just $10. Game schedules can be found online and with one of the best ways to view Charlotte’s skyline, it is a not to miss this summer.
Open Swim at The Quarry at Carrigan Farms
Located in Mooresville, The Quarry at Carrigan Farms is a natural, spring fed quarry open for public swimming every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from June 13 through August 24, 2017, 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM. On Saturday evening, June 17, a special open swim will be hosted from 4:00 PM until 9:00 PM. This evening open swim is by advance reservation only and will include a meal of grilled quarry burgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers, sweet watermelon slices, potato chips and sweet tea, water and soft drinks. Cost for this special open swim is $23 per person for those ages four and above. Those ages three and under are free with a parent, but still need a reservation. Note: Advance reservations are only required for this particular open swim. READ MORE HERE.
The Wyeths: Three Generations, Works from the BOA Collection
Mint Museum RANDOLPH through Aug 13 2017 / Don’t miss this exhibition at the Randolph Mint location, “a testament to the profound artistic impact made by the Wyeth family, providing a window onto the careers of five of the family’s artists through more than fifty remarkable paintings & drawings.”
Kayak the Catawba
You can go anytime, but the Spider Lily viewing is best in early June at the Landsford Canal State park and available with a specific tour even for non-kayakers. You’ll be “met at the main park at Landsford, get you situated in your boats, and send you on your self-guided paddle. Paddle upstream as far as you want, then paddle back down to the park where you put in. There is very little current and lots of water, so the upstream paddle is very, very easy. This is perfect for canoes, great for beginners, and is a nice paddling workout for experienced paddlers. Children of all ages are welcome on this float with their parents – any experience level is perfect. This trip is essentially a “round trip” with no need for a shuttle. Single kayaks are $40.00, Tandem kayaks are $50.00.”
July
Hit One of Our 15 Nearby Nature Preserves
Have a day or weekend of outdoor fun for hiking, fishing, exploring and even camping. Reedy Creek, McDowell, and Latta Plantation Nature Preserves offer way too much to do for us to list, plus there are 12 other smaller preserves with hiking and more. Read all about them HERE. If that’s just too much nature for you, then try this….
Hike or Bike all the “Almost 40 miles” of greenway right here in our fair city.
Maybe before it gets too hot outside though. MAP HERE.
Do the Way2Go Clean Commute Challenge
Sustain Charlotte has partnered with Charlotte Area Transit System and Charlotte Air Awareness to co-host the Clean Commute Challenge that will run from June 1st through July 31st. Carpool, vanpool, ride transit, bike, walk, or telecommute to work for your chance to win great prizes like a Kindle Voyage, Fitbit Blaze, and more. Log 10 clean commute roundtrips and you’ll be entered in the grand prize drawing for a Home Automation Kit with a Nest Thermostat, Google Home, and Apple Watch. For official rules on entering and prize descriptions, please visit the Charlotte Air Awareness.
4th of July Festival at the US National Whitewater Center
This two day celebration features a day full of outdoor adventures, live music entertainment, yoga and the best fireworks display Charlotte has to offer. Bring your blankets and chairs and enjoy the show. Parking is just $5 and entry is free for the fireworks show. A full calendar of events can be found here. Stay for the USNWC’s first Aqua Rock Deep Water Solo Competition where climbers will make their way up the center’s unique rock wall and plummet to the splash pool below once they make it to the top.
South End Gallery Crawl
Historic South End is hosting gallery crawls the first Friday of every month. With the largest concentration of galleries in all of Charlotte, neighborhood art shops stay open late and host lively receptions featuring music, food, drinks, and local artists. As Charlotte Magazine’s deemed Best Artsy Place to Take a Date, this event is a not-to-miss this summer.
Skill Pop Classes
SkillPop was created by an NCSU grad and allows local specialists to teach classes on whatever it is they are good at whenever they want. Classes range from Makeup Tutorials to Handlettering Basics to What to Know Before Buying a House. Grab your girlfriends and sign up quickly – classes fill fast!
Shark Week at Discovery Place
You don’t have to glue yourself to the TV to celebrate Shark Week starting July 23rd. Discovery Place is hosting an ocean adventure with a daily activity schedule including arts and crafts shark hats, fossil digs, and shark dissections. Located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, Discovery Place is the perfect day trip for kids this summer.
Beyond the Fountain: Home & Garden Tour
Whether you love Charlotte, gardening or the Duke Mansion, the Beyond the Fountain Home & Garden tour is back for a its third year the weekend of July 23. The Duke Mansion is offering free tours of the historic home including many of the rooms, the 4.5 acres of grounds, and everything in between. Tours require an RSVP through this link and free valet parking is offered during the event for a stress free arrival and departure.
Barnstock Music Festival
Hit a local music festival. Barnstock is a homegrown, BYOB music fest in Huntersville on 7/22 that “aims to amplify the voices of its communities – blending of all genres of up & coming locals artists and elevating the voices of local nonprofits – there is a place for all at Barnstock.” Over 40 bands playing, headlined by The Mantras, you can bring your own everything to this fest, including your dog(s), but not your kids. You must be over 21 to attend.
August
2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow
Quail Hollow Club hosts the 2017 PGA Championship the week of August 7-13. Limited tickets are still available for Monday and Tuesday’s practice rounds online. This is an event Charlotte has been prepping for throughout the past year so whether you plan on attending or want to host the perfect viewing party at home, don’t miss this golf major – your husband will thank you.
Carolina Panthers Preseason Games
The Carolina Panthers host the Houston Texans August 9 at Bank of America Stadium Uptown for their preseason opening game. Tickets are still available online – don’t miss your opportunity to #keeppoudning as Cam, Luke and the rest of our boys gear up for their opening game Sunday, September 10 at the San Francisco 49ers stadium. Can’t make the preseason opener? The Panters play again at home on Thursday, August 31 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2017 Queen City Back to School Skate Party
Kick off the 2017-2018 school year with a one of a kind skate party at Kate’s Skate Center located in Indian Trail. This event is fun for the whole family and features a DJ, multiple live performances, radio personalities, dance battles, and many school inspired giveaways. The event takes place August 20 from 5-9pm and tickets can be purchase in advance here for only $10.
Escape the Heat in an Escape Room
There are several in the QC area now, and they’re quite the thing to do. Options like Exit Strategy, Codescape and Escape Hour offer an indoor break from the heat that will still exercise the mind. This is a perfect thing to do with work friends, or extended family, or a brewery-break couples night.
Catch a Concert at PNC Music Pavilion
PNC has a full line-up of concerts for your summer music cravings and August is no exception. Check out many artists including Florida Georgia Line on August 3, John Mayer on August 15, Luke Brian on August 18, and Matchbox Twenty with the Counting Crows on August 20. A full line up of summer events can be found here – purchase your tickets in advance or test out your negotiation skills day of at the pavilion.
Have a Drink by the Water
It can be done with a 30 minute drive, even if you don’t own your own lake house. Our favorites are to take the short trip to the Pump House in Rock Hill to enjoy the Catawba, and the patio at Port City Club on Lake Norman in Cornelius.
Other ideas to fill your summer calendar?
Take a Hike
Ride Your Bike
Catch a Waterfall
Run a Race
Taste Test Every Donut / Pizza / Burger / Ice Cream / Rose / Margarita/ Etc. in Town.
If you do this, hit us up. We can always use a post on that!
What’s on your Bucket List for Summer 2017 in the QC?
Please share in the comments below. Who knows, you may find someone else who has the same list, always better with a buddy.
