Come See Me Festival (Rock Hill)
Rock Hill's annual ten-day festival packs in 60+ events across the city, and a chunk of them are kid-friendly. Worth crossing the state line for if you've never been.
📍 Various locations, Rock Hill SC
🕒 April 16 to 25, varies by event
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: The Glencairn Garden frog hunt and the parade are the two with the biggest little-kid payoff. Check the schedule and pick one or two anchor events instead of trying to do it all.
Cost: Free to attend (some ticketed events)
See the Schedule
Charlotte SHOUT! (Final Days)
The mega-festival wraps Sunday 4/19, so this is your last chance to catch the public art installations on The Green and around Uptown. The rubber duck Easter egg is the unofficial winner with my toddler.
📍 Uptown Charlotte
🕒 Through Sunday, April 19
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: Park in the deck at The Green (425 S. Tryon) and walk the installations from there. You can knock out most of the big-art moments in under an hour.
Cost: Free
Check It Out
Strawberry Picking at Hall Family Farm
Strawberry season is here and Hall Family Farm is open for u-pick daily. No admission fee to pick, play on the free playground, or order from Hall's Kitchen. Ticketed activities like the hayride, Kid Zone, and ropes courses are also available.
📍 Hall Family Farm
🕒 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (hot food and activities open 12:30 p.m. on weekdays)
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Call or text 704-562-4021 before you go. They close u-pick mid-day when berries need time to ripen, and they try to give an hour's notice.
Cost: Free admission, strawberries $4/lb, ticketed activities extra
Check Picking Conditions
Preschool Ballet Classes
Free ballet class for preschoolers at Mallard Creek Rec Center. It's imaginative games and simple steps, not a recital track. And it's free, so if your kid hates it, you're out nothing but 45 minutes.
📍 Mallard Creek Recreation Center, 2530 Johnston Oehler Rd
🕒 9:30 – 10:15 a.m.
👶 Best For: Preschoolers (ages 3–6)
💡 Parent Tip: "Twirl, leap, and dance" is the marketing version. The reality is more like controlled chaos with occasional graceful moments. Still fun!
Cost: Free
Worth A Try!
Toddler Time at Big Air
Open jump for the little ones with a calmer, slower-paced vibe than the regular sessions. If your toddler has energy to burn and you've already done every playground in a 10-mile radius, this works.
📍 Big Air Charlotte, 2408 Sardis Road North
🕒 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: Toddlers (ages ~1–3)
💡 Parent Tip: Grip socks are required!
Cost: $23+
Get Tickets
Storytime in the Park: Squirrel Lake Park
Matthews Library staff does storytime outside with stories, songs, and movement activities. Same format as last week, same great park for running around after.
📍 Squirrel Lake Park, 1631 Pleasant Plains Rd, Matthews
🕒 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Bring something to sit on. Storytime will be cancelled if the weather doesn't cooperate. Call 704-416-5000 ext. 2 if you're unsure.
Cost: Free
See Details
South Park After 5: Coconut Groove Band
Symphony Park kicks off its Thursday spring series with live music, food trucks, and hands-on art activities. It runs every Thursday through May 21, so if this Thursday doesn't work, there are five more.
📍 Symphony Park, 4400 Sharon Rd.
🕒 5 to 9pm
👶 Best For: All ages (dog-friendly too)
💡 Parent Tip: Bring a blanket and chairs. Outside food is allowed, but coolers and outside drinks are not, ABC law. Get there before 6 if you want a good lawn spot.
Cost: Free
Plan Your Visit
Betty Bookworms: Storytime + Coffee
Weekly storytime at Betty on Thomas Ave. Kids get books and songs, you get coffee. Honestly the coffee is the main draw.
📍 Betty by Moxie Mercantile, 1219 Thomas Ave
🕒 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
👶 Best For: Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers
💡 Parent Tip: Get your coffee first, then settle in. It's a much better experience caffeinated.
Cost: Free
Check It Out
Free Breastfeeding Support Group
A free group for postpartum breastfeeding moms led by a licensed therapist from Charlotte Parent Therapy. Babies are welcome, toddlers have to stay home, and you can ask the questions you've been Googling at 3 a.m.
📍 New Mom School Ballantyne
🕒 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: Breastfeeding moms
💡 Parent Tip: Space is limited, so register before you forget.
Cost: Free
Register Here
Learning for Littles
A free 45-minute outdoor nature program for toddlers and their grown-ups: read-aloud story, puppets, and a hands-on activity at the Trailhead Store picnic area. No registration. Just show up.
📍 Daniel Stowe Conservancy
🕒 9 - 9:45am.
👶 Best For: Ages 0 - 4
💡 Parent Tip: Get there a few minutes early to snag a spot near the action. If it's pouring, they move it onto the Trailhead Store porch instead of canceling..
Cost: Free
Register Here
Spring Fun Fridays at Johnston YMCA
A free morning of storytime, crafts, games, and outdoor playground time, hosted by Yscholars. Not a drop-off, so plan to stay.
📍 Johnston YMCA
🕒 10am to 12pm
👶 Best For: Toddlers and preschoolers
💡 Parent Tip: Pack a snack. Three hours sounds short until you're in hour two with a hungry kid and no concession stand.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Strawberry Picking at Hunter Farm
Hunter Farm is officially open for the season! Strawberry picking, wagon rides, petting barn, concessions, and a market barn. Farm Fridays include live music and food trucks starting April 17.
📍 Hunter Farm, Weddington
🕒 Fridays 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Walk-ins are welcome when space allows, but turn on notifications so you know when weekday picking opens up. Kids under 2 ride free; everyone else needs a ticket for the wagon ride.
Cost: Free admission, $14/person for wagon ride to petting barn
Plan Your Visit
Earth Day Celebration at Anne Springs Close Greenway
The Greenway's 2,100 acres are free to the public on Saturday only, with main programming from 10am to 3pm: guided hikes, reptile encounters, lead-line horse rides, kayaking, and a children's farm. Kayak rentals are also free Saturday from 9am to 5pm. This is the big one if you can swing the drive to Fort Mill.
📍 Anne Springs Close Greenway, Fort Mill SC
🕒 7am to 4pm (main programming 10 to 3)
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: There are four different entrances with different activities. Lake Haigler has the reptile encounters and kayaks, Farm & Stables has the children's farm and pony rides. Pick your entrance based on your kid's age and don't try to do it all.
Cost: Free
Reserve Your Spot
Mint Hill Rodeo
A real, full-blown rodeo at McWhirter Arena. Gates open at 9am with juniors competing at 10am, slack at 3 to 5pm, and the main event at 8pm. Tickets are cash only at the gate and have been known to sell out.
📍 McWhirter Rodeo Arena, 8201 Bartlett Rd, Mint Hill
🕒 Gates open 9am, juniors 10am, main event 8pm
👶 Best For: Ages 4 and up
💡 Parent Tip: Bring cash. They are not kidding about cash only. Hit the ATM before you leave the house. The juniors session at 10am is the more kid-friendly slot if 8pm is past bedtime.
Cost: $15 adults, $5 kids 4-12, free under 3 (cash only)
See Details
STEAM Day at Carolina Raptor Center
Hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities along the Raptor Trail, with Meet a Raptor programs at 11am and 2pm and Fly-By demonstrations at noon and 1pm. Free for kids 12 and under (capacity is limited and advance ticketing is required).
📍 Carolina Raptor Center, Huntersville
🕒 10am to 3pm
👶 Best For: Ages 3 to 12
💡 Parent Tip: Show up 15 minutes before whichever raptor program you're targeting. Seating is first come, first served, and the prime spots fill fast.
Cost: Free for kids 12 and under, $16 adults
Reserve Your Spot
UNC Charlotte Robot Rumble
72 combat robots fighting in a double-elimination tournament inside an 8-foot bulletproof glass cage. Sparks will fly. Free for everyone, including non-students.
📍 Belk Gymnasium, UNC Charlotte
🕒 10am to 6pm
👶 Best For: Ages 5 and up (it's loud and intense)
💡 Parent Tip: This is a drop-in, drop-out kind of event. Catch a fight or two and bounce. The cage and noise can be a lot for sensitive kids.
Cost: Free
Check It Out
Little Explorers Mini Family Day at South Boulevard Library
A drop-in early learning event from the Levine Museum of the New South. Storytime, building blocks, spring sensory bins, mini pots to plant seeds in, and learning about Charlotte symbols. Stay as long or as little as you want.
📍 South Boulevard Library
🕒 10 to 11:30am
👶 Best For: Ages 0 to 5
💡 Parent Tip: Drop-in means no commitment, which is the best kind of event with a toddler. Pop in for 20 minutes if that's all you've got.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Socrates Academy Spring Carnival
40+ craft vendors, food trucks, bounce houses, a kids zone, and a dance team performance. Carnival energy in school-fundraiser form.
📍 Socrates Academy
🕒 10am to 2pm
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: Eat before you go or budget for food trucks. There's no quick exit once kids see the bounce houses.
Cost: Free
RSVP Here
Earth Day Festival at Davidson Town Green
A combined Earth Day and DLC NatureFest celebration: snakes, lizards, owls, bees, nature crafts, 20+ exhibits on pollinators and composting and recycling, plus free native plants while supplies last.
📍 Davidson Town Green
🕒 10am to 1pm
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: Walk or bike if you can. You'll get entered in a raffle, and parking around the Town Green gets tight on event days.
Cost: Free
Plan Your Visit
Earth Day at the Gateway Trail (Kings Mountain)
The City of Kings Mountain throws a real party for Earth Day: live zoo animals from Circle M, dinosaurs, a drum circle, a music jamboree, plus a release of 300 painted lady butterflies. Worth the drive if you've got a wildlife kid.
📍 Kings Mountain Gateway Trail
🕒 11am to 3pm
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: Park across the street from the trailhead or along Quarry Road. The main lot fills up early.
Cost: Free
See Details
Spring Scene: Snack & Play at Grow Cafe
A spring-themed Snacktivity where kids build their own graham cracker creation with cream cheese, pretzels, strawberries, blueberries, mango, and kiwi. Aprons and gloves provided. Three timed sessions.
📍 Grow Cafe
🕒 11 to 12, 12 to 1, or 1 to 2
👶 Best For: Toddlers and preschoolers
💡 Parent Tip: Book the earliest slot if your kid is the type who melts down by 1pm. The 11am session also gives you the longest runway for the rest of your Saturday.
Cost: $30
Register Here
Free Summer Camp Open House at Kidcreate Studio
Camp recon disguised as a play date. Pick up a camp coupon, register your kids before favorites fill, and let them make a craft and draw on the mural wall while you do it.
📍 Kidcreate Studio
🕒 11:30am to 2:30pm
👶 Best For: Ages 3 to 9
💡 Parent Tip: Bring your calendar. The point of an open house is to register before camps fill up, and you don't want to try to do that math from memory.
Cost: Free
Reserve Your Spot
Eco Dome Prototype (Charlotte SHOUT!)
A SHOUT! installation at First Ward Park: a massive ceramic planter with raised Adinkra iconography, filled with soil and a live plant. Touchable and unusual.
📍 First Ward Park
🕒 12 to 1:30pm
👶 Best For: Curious kids of all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Pair this with the splash pad and playground at First Ward. Easy way to turn a 30-minute art moment into a full Uptown morning.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Learn About Your Neighborhood (Charlotte SHOUT!)
A SHOUT! event where you punch in your address and explore interactive data about your neighborhood: housing, schools, environment, safety. More fascinating than it sounds, especially if you're newer to Charlotte.
📍 Dubois Center
🕒 12 to 3pm
👶 Best For: School-aged kids and adults
💡 Parent Tip: This is more of a parent activity than a kid activity. Bring older kids who like maps and data. Skip if you've got toddlers.
Cost: Free
Check It Out
Charlotte Folk Music Festival
Three music stages of acoustic artists, food trucks, vendors, and dance demonstrations. For the kids: a giant inflatable slide, face painting, and an instrument petting zoo. Bring your own instrument and join one of three jams (Celtic, Old Time, or Bluegrass).
📍 St. Martin's Episcopal Church
🕒 12 to 6pm
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: The instrument petting zoo is the under-5 highlight. If you have a music-curious kid, this is a no-brainer.
Cost: $10 donation per adult, kids under 16 free
Get Tickets
Street SHOUT! on The Green
Puppets (Lee Zimmerman), juggling (Gravity Check), and bubbles (Soap Bubble Circus) all afternoon and evening. Repeats Friday and Sunday too, but Saturday is the longest run.
📍 The Green, 425 S. Tryon Street
🕒 1 to 8pm (with a 4 to 5pm break)
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: The bubble setup is the under-3 jackpot. Go in the 1pm slot if naps still rule your life.
Cost: Free
Plan Your Visit
Pickin' on the Porch at Daniel Stowe
Free Saturday afternoon live music on the Trailhead Store porch, with food, coffee, wine, and beer available. Easy add-on if you're already at the gardens.
📍 Daniel Stowe Conservancy
🕒 2 to 4pm
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: Make it a full afternoon. Hit the new Adventure Trail and playground first, then end at the porch with a glass of something.
Cost: Free
See Details
Belmont Movies in the Park: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
Outdoor movie night under the stars with a jumbo screen at Stowe Park Pavilion. Free arcade games and cornhole, plus popcorn and candy for sale. The 1989 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids holds up better than you'd think.
📍 Stowe Park Pavilion, 24 South Main Street, Belmont
🕒 8pm
👶 Best For: Ages 4 and up
💡 Parent Tip: Pack blankets and bug spray. April nights still get chilly once the sun's down, and the bugs do not care that it's only April.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Strawberry Picking at Hunter Farm
Hunter Farm opens for the season this weekend. Strawberry picking, wagon rides, petting barn, concessions, and a market barn. Farm Fridays include live music and food trucks starting April 17.
📍 Hunter Farm, Weddington
🕒 Fridays 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Walk-ins are welcome when space allows, but turn on notifications so you know when weekday picking opens up. Kids under 2 ride free; everyone else needs a ticket for the wagon ride.
Cost: Free admission, $14/person for wagon ride to petting barn
Plan Your Visit
Discover Uptown's Birds (Charlotte SHOUT!)
A guided 30-minute bird walk with Dr. Sara Gagné, urban ecologist and author of Nature at Your Door. The last day of SHOUT! and a quiet way to spend an hour outside.
📍 First Ward Park
🕒 3:30 to 4:30pm
👶 Best For: Ages 4 and up
💡 Parent Tip: Bring binoculars if you have them, even kid-sized ones. Makes the whole walk way more engaging for little ones.
Cost: Free
RSVP Here
Nature Book and Look
A drop-in nature program for preschoolers with a book, a short activity, and some time outside. Each week is a different topic. This is a really gentle way to get little ones into nature without any pressure.
📍 McDowell Nature Preserve
🕒 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: preschoolers
💡 Parent Tip: It's drop-in, so no commitment if your Monday morning goes sideways. Just show up if you can.
Cost: Free
See This Week's Topic
Baby & Toddler Prom
Yes, that's the actual name. A morning dance party for the under-3 set with a photography station (trained photographer on site), craft table, sensory play, bubbles on the dance floor, and "limo" rides in wagons. Bring the dress-up clothes.
📍 Pineville Branch Library
🕒 10am to 11:30am
👶 Best For: Ages 0-36months
💡 Parent Tip: It's drop-in, so no pressure to stay the whole time. Get there closer to 10 if you want the photo station before the line builds. Photo waivers are on site.
Cost: Free
More Info
Learning for Littles
A free 45-minute outdoor nature program for toddlers and their grown-ups: read-aloud story, puppets, and a hands-on activity at the Trailhead Store picnic area. No registration. Just show up.
📍 Daniel Stowe Conservancy
🕒 9 - 9:45am.
👶 Best For: Ages 0 - 4
💡 Parent Tip: Get there a few minutes early to snag a spot near the action. If it's pouring, they move it onto the Trailhead Store porch instead of canceling..
Cost: Free
Register Here
Mom Walk Collective Clothes Swap
Bring gently used kids' clothes (preemie to 5T) and maternity pieces, take what you need. Donations not required to attend. Hosted by The Mom Walk Collective at one of the better Matthews-area parks.
📍 Squirrel Lake Park
🕒 10:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: Expecting moms and parents of kids preemie to 5T
💡 Parent Tip: Wash and sort by size before you bring stuff in. Drop-off ahead of time is also an option if you can't make it day-of, message the host on Instagram for details.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Little Learners
A short nature activity for little ones at the Wildwoods area of Whitewater Center. The class itself is solid, but the real win is using it as an excuse to explore Wildwoods after.
📍 Wildwoods at Whitewater Center
🕒 10:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: ages 1–5
💡 Parent Tip: Bring shoes they can get dirty. You'll end up in mud, guaranteed.
Cost: $5/child, adults free (included with some passes)
Register Here
Little Groovers Lab at Grow Cafe
A 40-minute movement class for toddlers from Tiffany Creative Collective Dance Company. Music, movement, and imagination, designed for the 1.5 to 5 set.
📍 Grow Cafe
🕒 10 to 10:40am
👶 Best For: Ages 1.5 to 5
💡 Parent Tip: This is a great low-stakes way to test whether your kid is ready for a structured class. 40 minutes is the sweet spot.
Cost: $20
Reserve Your Spot
Birkdale Buds
Weekly preschool play series kicks off for the season. This week: decorate your own flower pot, sensory bins, balloon twisters, and snacks. Free, no registration, just show up.
📍 Birkdale Village, The Plaza
🕒 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: preschool age
💡 Parent Tip: Crafts and activities are while supplies last, so earlier is better. Parking is available near Regal, Dick's, and Midwood Smokehouse.
Cost: Free
Show Up
Earth Day Celebration on the Farm at McLawland Farms
McLawland Farms hosts a celebration during the East Charlotte Farmers' Market: local vendors, horticulture and cooking demos, and kids' activities focused on local agriculture. The actual Earth Day, on a working farm.
📍 McLawland Farms, 8632 Reedy Creek Road
🕒 3 to 6:30pm
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: Hit this on the way home from work or school. The 3pm start is unusually accommodating for working parents.
Cost: Free to attend
See Details