Get out of the house and enjoy some of the first feelings of fall this weekend with these free events along the light rail. Just be sure to turn back your clocks Saturday night for Daylight Saving Time and enjoy that additional hour of sleep on Sunday. The light rail will operate as usual and will not extend their service for the additional hour.
Light rail takes you from campus to Charlotte culture and events.
FREE
Friday
Enjoy an evening of art and shopping in South End at the South End First Friday Gallery Crawl and Nebel’s Alley Night Market. The Gallery Crawl is comprised of nine galleries, check out the map here, while the market will consist of 30 pop ups featuring handmade goods, décor, accessories, clothes and more. Ride the light rail down to East/West Station and you’ll be in the heart of it all. Both the market and gallery crawl run from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday
Students, if you've not yet attended a Charlotte 49ers football game this season, Saturday will have a perfect forecast for you to enjoy one! Charlotte plays Middle Tennessee State at 3:30 p.m. Niner Transit football shuttle picks up at light rail Main Station or you can get off at JW Clay station and take the pedestrian bridge over to CRI. Just like your CATS All-access pass is loaded onto your 49er Card, there's one admission ticket to every 49ers athletic event preloaded onto your card, too! Just enter from stadium gates 4 or 5, 30 minutes or more before kick-off. (Need guest tickets? Purchase those here.)
Sunday
Come show your support for the Carolina Panthers ahead of Sunday’s game against the Titans at the free Panthers on Mint street festival presented by Lowe’s. Event will feature a DJ and other live entertainment as well as food trucks and exciting sponsor activations. Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Take the light rail to Stonewall Station and walk four blocks up to Stonewall and Mint, right outside of the stadium.
No tickets to the game? Stick around in Uptown after the street festival to enjoy the annual Dia de los Muertos celebration at the Levine Museum. This free event will run from 12:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m. and feature traditional foods, arts and crafts, music and dance, face painting and sugar skull workshops. Take the light rail up to 7th Street Station and walk half a block to the Levine Museum.
photo credits: charlottecentercity.org; charlotte49ers.com; museumofthenewsouth.org