This summer, many families are looking for budget-friendly, fun activities to participate in with their loved ones and friends. If you live in or plan to visit Charlotte, North Carolina, there are a number of activities in which you can take part. From the adventurous families to those just looking for rest and relaxation, here are some activities and events to fit everyone’s needs.
A Day in Nature at the U. S. National Whitewater Center. Cost: Varies depending on age and activities selected. The U. S. National Whitewater Center, located at 820 Hawfield Road in Charlotte, is the world’s premier outdoor recreation and environmental education center. The Center offers various outdoor sports for people of all ages-all summer long.
Activities include whitewater rafting, climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, eco caching (a high-tech, educational, and interpretive treasure hunt on 307 acres), the zip line, and of course, the ability to walk and hike on miles of nature trails.
For more information on the U. S. National Whitewater Center, visit http://www.usnwc.org/.
Summer Pops 2009 – Sponsored by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Cost: Free. Held at Symphony Park (South Park) every Sunday in June and the first Friday in July (July 3rd), the free summer concert series sponsored by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is a fun time for all family members and friends. Enjoy the relaxing evening breeze at Symphony Park, while nibbling on your favorite picnic items and listening to the wonderful sounds of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
Each week, the Orchestra prepares selections centered around exciting themes such as “Going Country,” where listeners can enjoy music from such films as The Cowboys and Rodeo to a “Magical Music Night,” where the audience can enjoy songs from such films as Harry Potter, Phantom of the Opera, and Pirates of the Caribbean. At each event, preludes begin at 7 pm, while the Orchestra performs at 8:15 pm, but attendees should plan to be there early to secure a great spot on the lawn.
For more information about this event, visit www.charlottesymphony.org/Summer.asp.
Discovery Place. Cost: Varies depending on age and activities selected. The Discovery Place, located in downtown Charlotte, offers a variety of exhibits and theatres for both children and their parents to enjoy. This summer, enjoy one of Discovery Place’s newest exhibits-Circus!-which features more than 20 amazing multi-station and interactive exhibits. Circus! offers visitors a “behind-the-big-top view” of the science needed to make circus magic come to life.
In addition to the current and permanent science and technology exhibits, visitors can enjoy the Charlotte Nature Museum and watch a variety of educational and entertaining movies in the IMAX Dome Theatre, which boasts the largest screen in the Carolinas, standing three stories high and 80 feet wide.
For more information about Discovery Place, visit www.discoveryplace.org/home/discovery_place-home.php.
2009 Pet Palooza. Cost: $10 to walk; free to attend. This event is fun for the whole family-including your four-legged pals. Pet Palooza is the Humane Society of Charlotte’s annual dog walk and pet festival. More than 2,000 event participants will walk with teams of family, friends and co-workers in this special celebration of our favorite pets. Event highlights include a one-mile pet walk, vendor booths, refreshments, musical entertainment, a fido fashion show, a silent auction, and other entertainment and activities.
The Pet Palooza will be held Saturday May 30, 2009, from 8:00am – 1:00pm at Independence Park, which is located at 300 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte.
For more information on this event, visit http://humanecharlotte.donorpages.com/PetPalooza2009/.
Festival in the Park – Kids’ Day.Cost: Free. As the summer comes to an end, plan for a fun-filled day at the 45th annual Festival in the Park. The event will be held Friday, September 25, 2009, beginning at 10:00 am at Freedom Park in Charlotte.
Festival in the Park offers good music, original art and simply just great times for local families and visitors. The sounds of “big band music” can be heard drifting across Freedom Park’s lake from miles away. In addition to music, families can enjoy a variety of food prepared by local vendors, and talented artists who can create an original work of art to grace their homes or to give as the perfect gifts. This is an event everyone in the family is sure to enjoy.
For more information about Festival in the Park, visit http://www.festivalinthepark.org/.
