All Week
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
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
Thursday, April 23
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: Bourbon & Sons
Free live music, food trucks, and this week US Bank is bringing a sensory bubble activity to Symphony Park. This series runs every Thursday through May 21, but the bubble activation is this week only.
📍 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
Friday, April 24
April Showers Bring May Flowers Party
A spring-themed play event with an edible sensory bin, water table, bubbles, squishy sensory goo bags, coloring pages, and finger puppet storytime. Nannies from Twinkle Toes will be running activities.
📍 The Bunny Hive
🕒 9 to 10 AM
👶 Best For: Babies and toddlers
💡 Parent Tip: It's a tight one-hour window so arrive at 9 if you want the full experience. Bunny Hive events fill up, so check ahead before assuming you can walk in.
Cost: Free
Reserve Your Spot
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
Splash About and Explore
A free water playgroup for babies and preschoolers at Charlotte Aquatics with purposeful play stations in the water including floating toys, bubble activities, gentle slides, and pour-and-play sensory bins. This runs every Friday through the rest of 2026, so if this week doesn't work, bookmark it.
📍 Charlotte Aquatics, 7835 Little Avenue
🕒 10 to 10:30 AM
👶 Best For: 6 months to 5 years
💡 Parent Tip: Registration is required and space is limited. Do not assume you can just show up. Book it in advance like you would any class.
Cost: Free
Register Here
Tuck Fest
The Whitewater Center's biggest annual festival runs Friday through Sunday with live music, outdoor competitions, yoga classes, kids clinics, a vendor village, and all the usual Whitewater activities. Shane Smith and The Saints headline Saturday night.
📍 U.S. National Whitewater Center
🕒 Friday 10 AM to 11 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 11 PM, Sunday 8:30 AM to 7 PM
👶 Best For: All ages; the kids clinics and open lawn areas make it doable with little ones
💡 Parent Tip: Parking is $13, but admission is free. The kids clinics, yoga, and live music are all included at no extra cost. If you're bringing a stroller, go for one you don't mind getting dusty.
Cost: Free admission, $13 parking, some activity fees apply
See the Full Schedule
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
Postpartum Adjustment Support Group
A free, small-group session led by Tara Eschenbach, licensed social worker and owner of Charlotte Parent Therapy. Not a class or a lecture, just an open conversation about the realities of postpartum life with other moms who get it.
📍 New Mom School Ballantyne
🕒 12 to 1 PM
👶 Best For: Postpartum moms
💡 Parent Tip: Space is limited and registration is required so do not sit on this one. If you have a friend who just had a baby and has been struggling, this is worth sending her way.
Cost: Free
Register Here
Strawberry Picking
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
Waxhaw Sk8 Night
A mobile skate park sets up on the sport court at Waxhaw's Downtown Park for free skating, scootering, and pump track demos and competitions. All skill levels welcome with age and experience-based categories, so it's not just for kids who have been doing this for years.
📍 Waxhaw Downtown Park, 301 Givens Street, Waxhaw
🕒 5 to 7 PM
👶 Best For: Kids who skate or scooter; spectators are welcome too
💡 Parent Tip: Helmets are required to participate. Roller skates and bikes are not allowed at this event. If your kid wants to compete, sign up online beforehand rather than showing up and hoping for a spot.
Cost: Free
Check It Out
Star Party
Telescope-assisted moon and star gazing from the top of the parking deck, plus interactive stations including stomp rocket building and launching, crater making, night-sky art, and moon sizing activities. If it clouds over, they swap in a planetarium show instead.
📍 Discovery Place Science
🕒 7:30 to 9:30 PM
👶 Best For: Ages 4 and up; older kids will get more out of the telescope portion
💡 Parent Tip: This runs late for toddlers, but the stomp rockets and crafts are on Level 3 of the museum, not just up on the roof, so there are options if your kid loses interest in stargazing quickly. The rest of the museum will be closed during this event.
Cost: Free
Plan Your Visit
Outdoor Movie Night: The Sound of Music
Free outdoor movie in the Seoul Food courtyard at Mill District. This week it's The Sound of Music. Seating is first come, first served for Seoul Food customers, so order your food and claim your spot.
📍 Seoul Food Meat Co., 421 E 26th Street, Mill District
🕒 7:30 PM
👶 Best For: Older kids and up; late for toddlers
💡 Parent Tip: No outside food or drinks allowed, so plan to order from Seoul Food. Closest light rail stop is 25th Street if you want to avoid parking altogether.
Cost: Free
Get Tickets
Saturday, April 25
Tuck Fest
The Whitewater Center's biggest annual festival runs Friday through Sunday with live music, outdoor competitions, yoga classes, kids clinics, a vendor village, and all the usual Whitewater activities. Shane Smith and The Saints headline Saturday night.
📍 U.S. National Whitewater Center
🕒 Friday 10 AM to 11 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 11 PM, Sunday 8:30 AM to 7 PM
👶 Best For: All ages; the kids clinics and open lawn areas make it doable with little ones
💡 Parent Tip: Parking is $13, but admission is free. The kids clinics, yoga, and live music are all included at no extra cost. If you're bringing a stroller, go for one you don't mind getting dusty.
Cost: Free admission, $13 parking, some activity fees apply
See the Full Schedule
Caffeine and Chrome
A free monthly car gathering at Gateway Classic Cars in Concord. Classic cars, collectibles, and daily drivers all show up. Free coffee and donuts while they last. Family and pet friendly.
📍 Gateway Classic Cars of Concord
🕒 9 AM to 12 PM
👶 Best For: Car-obsessed kids, all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Get there early if you want the free donuts. All makes and models are welcome so you do not need a classic car to show up and enjoy it.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Celebrate Dia!
El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros is a celebration of children and literacy, and ImaginOn does it right. This year features Opera Carolina performing a bilingual Mexican folktale, puppet shows, multicultural storytelling, henna art, a traditional Latin American toy exhibit, Bluey and Stitch meet-and-greets, and a book giveaway.
📍 ImaginOn, 300 E 7th Street
🕒 9 AM to 12:30 PM
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: Go early. The book giveaway and mascot lines move fast. The 7th Street parking garage is your easiest option on a Saturday morning.
Cost: Free
Find Out More
Poppy Shops Spring Sale
Pre-loved children's clothing sale at The Bunny Hive with brands like Loveshack Fancy, Little English, Baby Boden, Minnow, Bobo Choses, Sea NY, and more. Sizes newborn through kids 12/14, and this particular sale has a stronger toddler and bigger kids selection than past ones. Continues Sunday 9:30 AM to 1 PM.
📍 The Bunny Hive
🕒 9:30 AM to 5 PM Saturday, 9:30 AM to 1 PM Sunday
👶 Best For: Parents shopping for kids newborn to size 12/14
💡 Parent Tip: The best pieces go fast. Bunny Hive members got early Friday access, so Saturday morning is your first shot as a non-member. Cash, Venmo, or PayPal only so come prepared.
Cost: Free to attend
Check It Out
It Takes a Village
A free morning event at Avondale Presbyterian Church for moms, moms-to-be, and families. Local mom and baby vendors, community resources, activities for little ones, and over $5,000 in giveaways including strollers, Pack-n-Plays, play gyms, pilates classes, meal prep workshops, and more. Free ticket required to attend.
📍 Avondale Presbyterian Church, Charlotte
🕒 10 AM to 1 PM
👶 Best For: Moms, expecting moms, babies and toddlers
💡 Parent Tip: The giveaway prizes are legitimately good. Grab your free ticket before Saturday since registration is required and these events fill up.
Cost: Free
RSVP Here
Earth Day with Kids in Nature Day
Free family outdoor day at Squirrel Lake Park from HAWK, the Town of Matthews, and NC Wildlife Federation. Activities include nature hikes, STEM activities, fishing, and a scavenger hunt.
📍 Squirrel Lake Park
🕒 10 AM to 1 PM
👶 Best For: All ages, especially elementary-age kids
💡 Parent Tip: Dress for actually being outside and getting dirty. This is a real outdoors event, not a parking-lot-with-booths situation.
Cost: Free
See Details
Community Earth Day Festival
A free community festival on the South Lawn with beekeeping demos, composting education, wildlife rescue exhibits, animal ambassadors you can actually meet in person, free tree sapling giveaways, and kids crafts and activities.
📍 Sardis Presbyterian Church, 6100 Sardis Road
🕒 10 AM to 1 PM
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: Grab a free tree sapling to take home. If you just planted seeds with your kids this week for Earth Day, this is a natural follow-up activity to keep the momentum going.
Cost: Free
Plan Your Visit
Paws in the Park
A free dog-friendly event at Pineville Lake Park benefiting Charlotte Black Dogs, spotlighting pups up for adoption, especially black dogs who are statistically less likely to get adopted. Features food trucks, vendors, entertainment, dog contests, and the Chairmen of the Board performing live from 1 to 3 PM.
📍 Pineville Lake Park, 1000 Johnston Drive, Pineville
🕒 10 AM to 3 PM
👶 Best For: All ages, especially dog-obsessed kids
💡 Parent Tip: Dog contests start at noon at the stage and are free to enter. Categories include best trick, best dressed, and largest dog. If your dog has any talents or a ridiculous wardrobe, today is their day.
Cost: Free
Get the Details
Spring Fling Festival
Spring-themed activities, interactive games, and custom sunglass making for kids at Grow Cafe. Three time slots available so you can pick what works around nap time.
📍 Grow Cafe
🕒 11 AM to 1 PM, 1 to 3 PM, or 3 to 5 PM
👶 Best For: Toddlers and preschoolers
💡 Parent Tip: Siblings are 50% off. All three sessions are the same activities, so just pick the one that lines up best with your schedule and don't overthink it.
Cost: $25
Grab Your Spot
Lake Norman BookPalooza
A book festival at Liberty Park with 50-plus authors signing and selling books, 35-plus vendors and artisans, face painting, fairy hair, a chance to read to a rescue dog, food trucks, and a DJ. Worth the drive up if you have a reader at home.
📍 Liberty Park, Lake Norman
🕒 11 AM to 4 PM
👶 Best For: Kids who love books, ages 4 and up
💡 Parent Tip: The read-to-a-rescue-dog activity is exactly as sweet as it sounds and is great for kids building reading confidence out loud. Budget for book purchases since the author booths are the main draw.
Cost: Free
Learn More
Community Heroes Festival
A free festival at Carolina Beer Temple benefiting Claire's Army and Go Jen Go. Meet superhero characters, do hero crafts and games, bounce house, face painting, photo booth, DJ, and food from El Jarocho Food Truck and Two Scoops Creamery. Kids, adults, and dogs are all encouraged to come in costume.
📍 Carolina Beer Temple
🕒 12 to 4 PM
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: Lean into the costume request. Kids in superhero costumes at an outdoor spring festival is objectively a great Saturday afternoon, and it benefits two really worthwhile local organizations.
Cost: Free
Read More
International Circus and Dance Celebration
Free performances and workshops at Berewick Recreation Center featuring Bollywood dance, hula, breakdancing, trapeze, juggling, and plate spinning. The workshop component lets kids try circus and dance skills themselves, not just watch. Registration required.
📍 Berewick Recreation Center
🕒 12 to 4 PM
👶 Best For: Ages 4 and up
💡 Parent Tip: Registration is required so do not just show up and assume you can get in. Handle that before the weekend.
Cost: Free
Register Here
4th Annual TreeFest
Free tree seedlings, tree-themed crafts, arboriculture activities, an eco-market with local environmentally focused organizations, and a DJ at Noda Brewing. A good excuse to grab a free tree and feel like you actually did something for Earth Day weekend.
📍 Noda Brewing
🕒 2 to 5 PM
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: Get there before they run out of seedlings. If you grabbed one at the Sardis festival this morning, congratulations, you now have two trees and a whole thing to do with your kids this weekend.
Cost: Free
Check It Out
Pickin' on the Porch
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
Sunday, April 26
Tuck Fest
The Whitewater Center's biggest annual festival runs Friday through Sunday with live music, outdoor competitions, yoga classes, kids clinics, a vendor village, and all the usual Whitewater activities. Shane Smith and The Saints headline Saturday night.
📍 U.S. National Whitewater Center
🕒 Friday 10 AM to 11 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 11 PM, Sunday 8:30 AM to 7 PM
👶 Best For: All ages; the kids clinics and open lawn areas make it doable with little ones
💡 Parent Tip: Parking is $13, but admission is free. The kids clinics, yoga, and live music are all included at no extra cost. If you're bringing a stroller, go for one you don't mind getting dusty.
Cost: Free admission, $13 parking, some activity fees apply
See the Full Schedule
Sundays at Atherton
The last Sunday of every month Atherton Mill becomes a market with 60-plus small businesses. This is the April edition. Good for browsing, supporting local, and grabbing lunch at one of the Mill vendors while you walk around South End.
📍 Atherton Mill, South End
🕒 11 AM to 4 PM
👶 Best For: All ages
💡 Parent Tip: The courtyard has enough open space for a toddler to move around without too much anxiety on your part. Go earlier in the day before it gets crowded and harder to navigate with a stroller.
Cost: Free to attend
See Details
STEAM Innovation Expo at UNC Charlotte
Over 100 hands-on exhibits in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math on the UNC Charlotte campus as part of the NC Science Festival. Lab tours, STEM talks, nature experiences, performances, and interactive exhibits across multiple departments.
📍 Cauble Quad, UNC Charlotte
🕒 12 to 4 PM
👶 Best For: Ages 4 and up
💡 Parent Tip: The campus is large. The expo is specifically on the Cauble Quad between Mebane Hall, the College of Health and Human Services, Barnhardt Student Activities Center, and Woodward Hall. Pull up a map before you go so you are not wandering around trying to find it with a toddler in tow.
Cost: Free
Plan Your Visit
Photo Scavenger Hunt and Book Signing at Anne Springs Close Greenway
Author Amelia Old is signing copies of 100 Things to Do in South Carolina Before You Die at the Anne Springs Close Greenway, which is actually featured in the book. The event includes a photo scavenger hunt on the trails, and entry fees are waived if you mention you are there for the event.
📍 Anne Springs Close Greenway, Domtar Forest Porch
🕒 2 to 3 PM
👶 Best For: Older kids and adults who enjoy a good trail
💡 Parent Tip: Bring a charged phone for the scavenger hunt. Make sure you actually mention the event when you arrive at entry or you will pay the regular fee.
Cost: Free with event mention at check-in
Learn More
Strawberry Picking at Hunter Farm
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
Monday, April 27
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
Storytime in the Park: Pineville Fire Department Visit
Outdoor storytime at Jack D. Hughes Memorial Park in Pineville with stories, songs, and movement activities, plus a special visit from the local fire department including a chance to walk around a fire engine. Pineville Branch Library staff run the show.
📍 Jack D. Hughes Memorial Park, Shelter 1, 513 Main Street, Pineville
🕒 10:30 to 11 AM
👶 Best For: Babies through early elementary
💡 Parent Tip: Bring a blanket or chair since seating in the shelter is limited. If the weather looks questionable, check the library's website or call 704-416-3200 by 9:15 AM since they make the call to move indoors by then. Also worth knowing that the fire engine visit is subject to emergency calls, so it could change last minute.
Cost: Free
Get Details
Tuesday, April 28
Babies on the Boardwalk
A library-hosted walking group for new parents on the UC boardwalk. The point is fresh air, light movement, and adult conversation with other people who get it. Stroller-friendly by definition.
📍 University City Regional Library
🕒 2 to 3 pm
👶 Best For: Babies and their grownups
💡 Parent Tip: If you're running late, just meet the group on the boardwalk. Weather permitting, so check the forecast before you load up.
Cost: Free
More Info
Wednesday, April 29
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
Birkdale Buds
Weekly preschool play series kicks off for the season. This week: bubble play, glitter tattoos, snacks & crafts, and an animal rescue pop-up! 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
