Looking for fresh, fun activities to fill your stay-at-home weekend? We’ve got just the thing. Read on for activities you can do safely outside of your home and others where you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own sofa.
OPENING UP
Per North Carolina’s phase one opening mandates, a number of businesses and parks can now re-open. View our ongoing round-up of open local retail businesses here. With proper social distancing and precautions, here are a few activities you may safely partake in this coming weekend:
Select State Parks and Trails
NC state parks and many trails are now open for safe use, including nearby Crowder’s Mountain. Visitor centers, exhibits, meeting rooms, community buildings, picnic shelters, and retail areas remain closed.
Uptown Farmers Market
300 S. DAVIDSON ST
Opening Saturday, May 16th, 8am – 12:30pm, with all social distancing guidelines and hygiene requirements considered best practices. Please come visit the vendors in person for a wide array of fresh produce, meats, fish, coffee, tea, baked goods, and other delicious foods.
Pre-orders still available, check with individual vendors to arrange pick-up at market.
More Farmers Markets scoop on who is open, closed & by appointment here.
SouthPark Mall
Select stores are now open at SouthPark Mall. They’re taking safety precautions like reduced occupancy, social distancing and enhanced sanitizing and disinfecting. View all protocols here.
U.S. National Whitewater Center
At the whitewater center, trails and limited activities are now open for guests to use with social distancing measures and enhanced sanitation practices in place. Please check trail status prior to your visit. Food and beverage offerings open for to-go offerings.
Roam the streets
No, seriously. The city has closed several streets to traffic to expand the area we can get out and walk or exercise safely. Read more about the Shared Streets program here.
VIRTUAL EVENTS
HEALTH & FITNESS
Virtual Yoga in the P̶a̶r̶k̶ Home
May 16
Tune in via live stream for free vinyasa yoga classes every Saturday led by instructors from Synergy Yoga & Wellness. All skill levels are welcome.
River Jam Run: Virtual Edition
May 14-20
Lace up and hit the trails to compete against yourself and others in the River Jam Run: Virtual Edition. Starting at midnight on the second Thursday of May and June, runners will have one week to compete for the top spot in either the 5K or 10K division.
Burn Boot Camp Virtual 5K
May 16 | 10 am
Join in this virtual 5k on a route of your choice to support the Burn Scholarship Fund. Participants get a Burn Nation shirt and goodie bag.
LIVE Rooftop Habitual Yoga
May 16 | 10:30 am
Each week, tune in to Facebook Live for an all-levels yoga flow session led by Nikki Seward.
SkillPop: Get Started Running
May 16 | 10 am
Want to take up running? Learn tips and running basics from Brian Mister, Race Director of Around the Crown 10k, in this virtual SkillPop class. $15.
SkillPop: Meditation Basics
May 18 | 7 pm
Learn all about meditation and its benefits from Sarah Olin, yogi and coach, in this virtual class and workshop. $20.
JUST FOR FUN
Craft Night IN! | Beer-tiful Stitches w/Crowned Sparrow Co. & Town Brewing
May 13 | 6:30 pm
Town Brewing and Crowned Sparrow Co. team up for a hoop embroidery class you can do at home. Enjoy home delivery of all the materials you need and a Crowley if your favorite brew.
CLT After Dark
May 14 | 10 pm
CLT After Dark returns for another week of virtual variety show fun from host and local musician Noel Freidlinem and well-known guests.
Virtually Hilarious with Beerly Funny – A Live Comedy Show
May 14 | 8 pm
Don’t miss this live virtual stand-up comedy show featuring comedians Dwight Simmons of Indiana and Jordan Scott Huggins of NYC by way of NC. Hosted by Beerly Funny Chief Comedic Officer Lauren Ansley. Space is limited to 100 registrants. Advance RSVPs are required.
iStream Digital Concert Series
May 15 | 6 pm
Tune in to Opera Carolina’s livestream series, with this edition featuring live music from Opera Carolina artist Robert Harrelson (baritone).
Step into the drawing room of Classic Black
On demand from The Mint Museum
Enjoy a virtual, curator-led tour of Wedgwood vases and decorative items found in the third gallery of the exhibition Classic Black: The Basalt Sculpture of Wedgwood and His Contemporaries.
Virtual Beer Tasting
May 15 | 7 pm
Join the brewers and owners of Amor Artis Brewing for a virtual beer tasting featuring a tasting crowler pack you can pick up ahead of time.
Region Focused Wine Tasting: Veneto
May 16 | 4-6 pm
Take a deep dive into the Veneto region of Italy In this virtual wine tasting from the professionals at Cicchetti. Learn about the popular winemaking region and the grape varietals it’s known for. $20.
Adult Art at Home: Secret Window Books
May 16 | 2 pm
Join Arts Plus for an Art At Home Workshop for Adults that explores the art of bookmaking at home.
Virtual Cornelius Jazz Festival
May 16 | 5 pm
Music lovers can tune in from the safety and comfort of their own living rooms for a great evening filled with jazz and soul provided by Calvin Edwards, Holly Hopkins Jazz and the Eli Yacinthe Band. Cornelius PARC will be livestreaming these performances through their Facebook page, 6-8 p.m. Pickup beer and food from vendors ahead of the live streaming. While food and beverage purchases are optional, please note that proceeds from these sales will benefit the Smithville CommUNITY Coalition’s Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program.
Seafood Saturday at The Unknown Farmers’ Market
May 16 | 2-8 pm
Craving fresh seafood? Pre-order NC Soft Shell Crab, Scallops, Morehead City Oysters, Pamlico Sound Shrimp or fish, then stop by Unknown Brewing to pick it up to take home.
FOR THE FAMILY
Energy Talk With Leah
On demand from Discovery Place Science
The Discovery Place Science team talks about all types of energy and how to look for examples around the house in this on-demand video.
Listen and Move Storytime on Live
May 18 and May 20
Tune in on Facebook for a live storytime including stories, songs and movement that build fine motor skills.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Virtual Wine Classes from Corkbuzz
Sip and learn from your own home at Corkbuzz brings their fun and education wine classes to you via Zoom. Upcoming classes include:
- Southern Italy | May 14
- Southern France: Languedoc-Roussillon | May 15
- Perfect Pairings: Cheese and Wine | May 16
Watercolor Fern Prints
May 14 | 5 pm
Local watercolorist and calligrapher Ali Loncar-Bridges leads this online workshop covering basic watercolor techniques while creating a frame-worthy fern print to take home and show off. $20.
Meet the Cheesemaker: Prodigal | Workshop Livestream
May 15 | 6 pm
Go behind the scenes to explore the cheesemaking process and enjoy a cheese tasting with Rachel Klebaur, owner and head cheesemonger at Orrman’s Cheese Shop. The workshop package includes everything you need for one guest to participate.
Virtual Museum: The Charlotte History Toolkit
May 15 | 12 pm
Join historian Tom Hanchett and J. Michael Moore for a live workshop exploring the brand new Charlotte History Toolkit, designed to help you explore the history of your own neighborhood and city.
SkillPop: Growing Through the Enneagram
May 15 | 5 pm
Local experts Justin & Torre Mower of The Social Enneagram move beyond beginner level content and take a more in-depth look at the enneagram, including wings, integration and disintegration for each type. $20.
Connected Art Workshop: Make a Geometric Pattern
May 16 | 10 am
Charlotte-based artist Paul Farmer will guide participants through the process of creating their own geometric pattern, from drawing a design, learning basic color theory and transforming a simple motif into a detailed pattern on paper. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members, per participant.
The Art and Science of Pressed Plants
May 16 | 10:30 am
Join Amy Tipton to learn about the Art and Science of the Pressed Plant. There will be a $15 ($10 for members) online workshop at 10 a.m., followed by a free lecture at 1 pm.
Virtual Painting Class: Peekaboo Elephant
May 16 | 3 pm
Painting with a Twist will lead this live virtual event where you can create your own masterpiece from the comfort of your home. Registration closes May 14.
Duck Donuts Virtual Donut Making Workshop
May 16 | 4 pm
Discover just how Duck Donuts makes their warm and made-to-order fresh donuts in this workshop in partnership with Feast Food Tours & Culinary Events. The workshop includes a dozen donuts: half made by Duck’s Donuts and half made by you after the workshop. $55 per package with contactless doorstep delivery.
Virtual Cooking Class: Fresh One-Pan Dishes
May 19 | 4 pm
In this virtual class, Chef Alyssa will cover convenient one-pan dishes including Crispy-Skin Chicken with Rice and Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon-Caper-Butter Sauce. Chef Alyssa will also show additions you can make to these dishes including blistered tomatoes, leafy greens and potatoes. $15.
Lunch & Learn: Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
May 20 | 12 pm
In this special edition of our Lunch & Learn series, Charlotte Readers Podcast host Landis Wade chats with Scott Syfert, co-founder of the May 20th Society, about his search for the truth about the legendary Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.
