The Weekender is proudly presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway, home of the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 on October 10. Adult tickets are $49+ and kids’ are just $10. Snag them now. 

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1

81. Partly cloudy. 6% chance of rain.

“Tunnel of Terror” Haunted Car Wash at Aquawave Express (6415 West Wilkinson Blvd.): Try not to scream while getting your car cleaned at this haunted car wash. The Belmont AquaWave Express Car Wash is transforming into a “Tunnel of Terror” starting today and running until Halloween. Expect fog, flashing lights, and a few of your favorite horror movie characters. 6:30-11pm. $22. Details.

Tuck Fest at The Whitewater Center (5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy.): Tuck Fest is a multi-day festival that celebrates the outdoor lifestyle through competitions like trail running and kayaking, exhibitions, demos, and live music. Attending the event is free, but if you would like to participate in a race/competition or all 35+ events, Tuck Fest race registration is a one-time flat fee that grants access to all races and competitions throughout the three-day festival. Oct. 1-3. Free, parking is $6. Details.

Taste of Charlotte Festival at Truist Field (324 South Mint St.): Make your way to Truist Field to sample delicious food from hundreds of Charlotte-area restaurants at the three-day Taste of Charlotte food festival. Oct. 1-3; 11am to 11pm. Free. Details.

Concert in the Courtyard at Optimist Hall (1115 North Brevard St.): Grab food from one of Optimist Hall’s 26 tenants and head to the courtyard for music from DJ Vinchy. 5-8pm. Free. Details.

First Friday Gallery Crawl in South End: Take in South End’s local art scene on an evening when galleries and shops offer extended hours, special receptions, live painting and music. 5-10pm (hours vary by gallery). Free. Details.

Pride Fest at The Yard (2433 South Blvd.): Celebrate the diversity in our local LGBTQ+ community and head to The Music Yard for DJ sets, drag shows and vendors among other festivities. 6-11pm. $10-$120. Details. 

Jazz at the Bechtler: Tribute to Jazz Piano Legend (420 South Tryon St.): Pianist Lovell Bradford joins the Ziad Jazz Quartet for an electric performance paying tribute to some of the jazz greats like Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Larry Willis and many others. 6pm & 8:15pm. $20. Details.

Breakaway Music Festival at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6570 Bruton Smith Blvd.): After more than a year of very few live and in-person music performances, Breakaway Music Festival is making up for lost time with an epic lineup of artists including headlining group The Chainsmokers, Martin Garrix, G-Eazy and Blackbear. Oct. 1-2; 7pm. $69-$124. Details.

Scarrigan Farms Haunted Trail at Carrigan Farms (1213 Oakridge Farm Hwy.): The staff at Scarrigan Farms makes it known that they will do anything to get a scare out of their guests. The 170-acre stretch of woods behind the quarry is transformed into one of the scariest haunted trails in the region. From start to finish, the trail is a little over one mile long and takes about an hour to complete. Reservations are required. 7-10pm. $30. Details.

[Related read: Spooky season guide: 12 haunted attractions within driving distance of Charlotte]

Ayrsley Retro Horror Series at Ayrsley Grand Cinemas (9110 Kings Parade Blvd.): Scary movie enthusiasts are invited to check out one of the best line-ups of 10 horror movie classics that the city has to offer. As an added bonus, the theater has reserved recliner seating plus beer and wine options available for purchase. Oct. 1 through Nov. 4; 7-9pm. $5. Details.

Trey Kennedy: The Are You For Real? Tour at Knight Theater (430 South Tryon St.): Since getting his start on Vine, writer, actor, comedian and musician Trey Kennedy has gained a dedicated fan base across every major social media channel and racked up millions of views in the process. I’m a big fan of his iconic “cool dad” and “girls during fall” impressions. 7pm & 9:30pm. $35+. Details.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2

85. Partly cloudy. 8% chance of rain.

Carolina Renaissance Festival at 16445 Poplar Tent Rd.: More than 1,000 artists (including 500+ interactive costumed characters) bring the fictional village of Fairhaven to life with performance stages, hands-on games and rides, an artisan marketplace and plenty of food. October 2 through November 21. Day passes are $17 for kids and $27 for adults. Season passes are $90 for kids, $160 for adults.

Yoga at Pinhouse (2306 Central Ave.): Yoga instructor and Dancing Lotus Yoga + Arts co-founder Jasmine Vializ will lead an energizing practice fit for all levels. Registration is required. 9-10am. $20. Details.

Taste of Charlotte Pink Cupcake Run/Walk & Breast Cancer Lap at Truist Field: Breast Cancer Survivors, Thrivers and Fighters are invited to walk a lap around Truist Field. Participants will receive a t-shirt. 10:45-11am. Free. Details.

Salata Grand Opening Celebration at 601 S. Tryon St. #131: The grand opening festivities continue at Salata and visitors are invited to join wellness influencer Emily Breeze for a free fitness class. 10am. Free. Details.

Yoga & Mimosas at Ballantyne Park (11405 Community House Rd.): This relaxing yoga flow will use DropSound, noise-isolating headphones to help you tune out distractions and focus on your breath. Following class, enjoy mimosas to jumpstart your weekend. Registration required. 10-11am. $15. Details.

Wine & Food Festival at Symphony Park (4400 Sharon Rd.): General admission tickets give you access to more than 100 international wines, beer and spirits, wine specials, food trucks and other family-friendly activities like bounce houses. 11am to 6pm. $39-$69. Details.

Apollo: When We Went to the Moon Exhibit at Discovery Place: Head to Discovery Place to experience the first moon landing through a collection of more than 100 artifacts and objects from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center archives. 12:30pm. Details.

Pumkingfest 2021 Brewers at 4001 Yancey (4001-A, Yancey Rd.): The “Pumpking” brews are back on tap and to celebrate, there will be Axe Throwing from Chuck It Axes, pumpkin carving ($15), and a pumpkin drop, plus live music starting at 1pm. 11am. Details.

October Front Porch Sundays at Sycamore (2161 Hawkins St.): Support local businesses by shopping their pop-ups at Sycamore Brewing’s Front Porch Sundays. There’s live music, food trucks, dozens of awesome vendors and of course cold craft beer. 11am to 4pm. Free. Details.

Pumpkin Patch at Truist Field (9324 South Mint St.): For one day only, Truist Field is turning into a pumpkin patch with thousands of pumpkins to choose from. Stick around after picking out your pumpkin for Taste of Charlotte on the concourse. Noon to 8pm. $10-$20. Details.

Moo & Brew Craft Beer, Burger and Music Festival at AvidXchange Music Factory: It’s a craft beer, burger and music festival all sandwiched into one fun event. Festivities include unlimited tastings of more than 75 local, regional and national breweries, a burger competition between 15 Queen City restaurants plus plenty of live music. 12:30-8:30pm. $50-$60. Details.

[Related story: 20 biggest events in Charlotte this year, including Charlotte Shout and Ren Fest]

Rock Out Against Hunger at The Music Yard (2433 South Blvd.): Spend an evening rocking out to music from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. 100% of ticket proceeds will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. 7-10pm. $10-$120. Details.

Randy Rainbow The Pink Glasses Tour at Belk Theater: Two-time Emmy-nominated singer, writer, and comedian Randy Rainbow will give his take on some of today’s hottest topics. He’ll be joined by some of Broadway’s finest musicians, Marc Shaiman (from Hairspray, Mary Poppins Returns) and Alan Menken (from Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast). 8pm. $35-$175. Details.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3

86. Partly cloudy. 11% chance of rain.

Yoga & Brunch at el Thrifty (1115 North Brevard St.): Start your Sunday with flexibility enhancing yoga flow on the patio of el Thrifty. Stay after to sip and socialize. Bring a mat and some water. 10am to noon. Free, donations appreciated. Details.

Lady Gaga Drag Brunch by The Vanity House at Hot Taco: The queens of The Vanity House will turn out Hot Taco with their performances honoring the mother monster herself, Lady Gaga. 11am. $10. Details.

Gameday at Skiptown (222 Rampart St.): Bring your pup to run and play around the dog park while you watch the Panthers take on the Dallas Cowboys. There will be eight large tv screens broadcasting the game plus a selection of beer, White Claw and mimosa buckets. 11am to 8pm. Details.

Gameday at The Yard (2433 South Blvd.): Watch the Panthers game on The Music Yard’s big screen. There will be drink specials, food and music from DJ Kyle Genesis during commercials. Noon to 8:30pm. Free. Details.

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Check out more upcoming events on our Event Board. Hosting an event? Reach more Charlotteans through an Event Listing, which includes placement on our Event Board and in our weekday newsletter. Have a scoop about a cool event? Email [email protected].

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