All Week
Charlotte SHOUT!
SHOUT! is still running through April 19 and there's a ridiculous amount happening this week. The StrEATs Festival on Sunday and a free musical performance for kids are the ones I'm watching, but the full guide is worth a scan because I guarantee there's something in there you didn't know about.
📍 Uptown Charlotte
🕒 April 3–19, various times
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Download the full guide and filter by date. Otherwise you'll miss things.
Cost: Free (most events)
Download the Guide
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 9
Autofair
Charlotte Motor Speedway turns into a massive automotive showcase with 50+ car clubs, specialty vehicles, vendors, and a flea market. Not the most obvious Sprout event, but if your kid is into cars (or if your partner is), this is three days of nonstop car content.
📍 Charlotte Motor Speedway
🕒 8:00 a.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Bring the stroller. This event is sprawling and little legs will give out fast.
Cost: $12+, children 12 and under free
Get Tickets
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
Free Community Night at Daniel Stowe Conservancy
Free after-hours evening at the Gardens at Stowe. Spring blooms, the new Adventure Trail, the Prairie Castle Playground, and no admission fee. This is one of those "why don't we do this more often" outings.
📍 Daniel Stowe Conservancy
🕒 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: It's free but pre-registration is required, so don't just show up. Grab your spot now.
Cost: Free
RSVP Here
Pajama Family Storytime
Wear your pajamas, bring a plush friend, and settle in for stories, songs, and cookies. Yes, cookies. They provide them. You bring the milk.
📍 SouthPark Library
🕒 6:30 – 7:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: birth to age 5
💡 Parent Tip: No registration required, but grab a ticket at the children's desk when you arrive. Bring an alternate snack if your kid has allergies.
Cost: Free
Join the Fun
Friday, April 10
Parents' Time Off: Space GLOW
Spring break drop-off art class with an outer space theme. Your kid paints asteroids and rocketships that glow in the dark. You get three hours to yourself. Everyone wins.
📍 Kiddiecade
🕒 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: ages 3–9
💡 Parent Tip: Pack a nut-free snack and drink. Kids must be fully potty-trained. Register early because these fill up.
Cost: $59
Register Here
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
Parents' Time Off: Dogs vs. Cats
Another three-hour drop-off art class, this one pet-themed. If you missed the morning session or you've got a spring break schedule to fill, here's your afternoon round.
📍 Kiddiecade
🕒 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: ages 3–9
💡 Parent Tip: Same rules as the morning class. Potty-trained, nut-free snack, and register ahead of time.
Cost: $59
Grab a Spot
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
Friday Flicks: Lilo & Stitch
Outdoor movie night under the stars with kids' activities starting at 6 p.m., followed by a dusk showing of the live-action Lilo & Stitch. Skip the theater prices and bring a blanket.
📍 Crooked Creek Park
🕒 Activities at 6:00 p.m., movie at dusk
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: The activities before the movie are the real move. Let them run it out so they'll actually sit still for Lilo & Stitch.
Cost: Free
Plan Your Night
Saturday, April 11
Growing Garden Gurus
Hands-on gardening workshop for families at Winghaven Gardens. Raised bed gardening, composting, beneficial insects, and native plants. Come ready to get dirty.
📍 Winghaven Gardens
🕒 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: ages 10 and under
💡 Parent Tip: Space is limited and registration is required. If your kid has been begging to plant something, this is the push you both need.
Cost: $25/family (members), $30/family (non-members)
Register Here
Super Saturday at ImaginOn
This is a big one. ImaginOn's Super Saturday this month is a collaboration with Charlotte SHOUT! featuring a Frozen theme. Storytime at 10:30, free Cinderella performances, puppet shows, an Alice in Wonderland puppet show, princess face painting, a meet-and-greet, and Kona Ice. Plus Disney's Frozen the Broadway Musical has ticketed shows at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
📍 ImaginOn
🕒 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: There is a LOT happening here. Arrive early for the storytime, plan around the show times, and know that face painting and supplies run out. Don't try to do everything. Pick your highlights and enjoy those.
Cost: Free (Broadway show is ticketed)
See the Full Lineup
Alicia D. Williams: Nani and the Lion
If your kids love books, don't sleep on this one. It's not every day a Newbery Honor winner does a free reading at your neighborhood bookstore. Alicia D. Williams is a Charlotte local, a Coretta Scott King award winner, and she's reading and discussing her new picture book at Park Road Books.
📍 Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road
🕒 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
👶 Best For: preschool through elementary
💡 Parent Tip: Books are available through the store if you want to grab a signed copy. Free event, no registration.
Cost: Free
See the Book
Super Mario Galaxy Movie: Sensory Friendly Screening
AMC's sensory-friendly screening means lights up, sound down, and kids can get up, dance, shout, or move around. No trailers, so the movie starts right at showtime. If traditional movie theaters feel like too much for your kid, this is how you do it.
📍 AMC Concord Mills
🕒 10:55 a.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Arrive on time. No trailers means the movie starts immediately. Children under 2 are free.
Cost: $10+, children under 2 free
Get Tickets
Yoga with Your Baby
Gentle baby yoga with soft movements for little ones and mindful stretching for caregivers, followed by open playtime. This is designed for pre-walkers, so if your baby is still in that sweet spot of not being mobile yet, this is your window.
📍 SouthPark Library
🕒 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: babies 6 weeks to 17 months (not yet walking)
💡 Parent Tip: Bring a mat or towel for you and a blanket for baby. Space is limited and registration is required. Only register the adult.
Cost: Free
Reserve Your Spot
Imagination Weekend: Royal Mischief
Free character meet-and-greet with Princess Tiana, Belle, Jasmine, Captain Hook, and the Ugly Stepsisters at Cabarrus Brewing. This is run by Rice Family Community Events and it will be packed, so show up early.
📍 Cabarrus Brewing Company
🕒 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: toddlers through elementary
💡 Parent Tip: Lines cut off at 1:00 p.m. sharp. If you want your kid to meet the characters, get there well before noon.
Cost: Free
Meet the Characters
Festival of India
Folk dance, street food, henna tattoos, a kids corner, jewelry and handcrafted souvenirs, saree draping, and a vibe that's hard to beat. This is the 5th year at Stumptown Park in Matthews and it keeps getting better.
📍 Stumptown Park, Matthews
🕒 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Bring your own blanket or chair. Free admission, food is available for purchase.
Cost: Free
Get the Details
Sunday, April 12
Bumps & Bagels
Free morning for expecting moms (22+ weeks) with bagels, raffle prizes, a studio tour, and a guest speaker on navigating pregnancy and preparing for postpartum. If you're pregnant and haven't connected with other expecting moms yet, this is a low-pressure way in.
📍 New Mom School Ballantyne
🕒 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: expecting moms (22+ weeks)
💡 Parent Tip: Even if you feel like you've "done this before," the guest speaker changes each month and the connections are worth it.
Cost: Free
RSVP Here
Cambodian New Year
Live music, cultural performances, food, games, vendors, and monk blessings. Honestly the food alone is worth the trip.
📍 Cambodian Buddhist Society
🕒 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Come hungry. That's the whole tip.
Cost: Free
Check It Out
Charlotte StrEATs Festival
The 5th annual StrEATs Festival is part of Charlotte SHOUT! Neighborhood cook-off battles, an artisan market, cocktail tastings, food trucks, cooking demos, and pre-order picnic baskets. Chef Jamie Lynch of Church & Union is hosting a cooking demo and emceeing the cook-off finals.
📍 First Ward Park
🕒 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: This is more of a grownup event that happens to be family-friendly. If your kids are good eaters and enjoy wandering a market, bring them. If not, this might be a babysitter play.
Cost: Free to attend, cocktail wristbands $25 pre-sale / $30 at door
See What's On
The Trout Who Found the River
A free musical play blending live music, storytelling, and nature-inspired imagination. Three showings throughout the day. Kids get musical field journals to draw and respond to the story. This is part of Charlotte SHOUT! and it looks genuinely charming.
📍 329 S Tryon St
🕒 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: The musical field journal element makes this more interactive than a typical show, which is great for kids who can't just sit and watch.
Cost: Free
Register (Free)
Super Sunday: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Characters inspired by Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Hagrid, and community favorite Flossie the Dino at Cabarrus Brewing. If your kid missed Saturday's Royal Mischief, this is round two with a superhero twist.
📍 Cabarrus Brewing Company
🕒 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: toddlers through elementary
💡 Parent Tip: Same deal as Saturday. Come early, lines cut off at the end time.
Cost: Free
Meet the Heroes
Mother-Daughter Tea
Tea, scones, fruit, and sweet treats on the patio at Brakeman's. Daughters are encouraged to bring a favorite doll or stuffed animal, and each little guest gets a take-home treat. Two seatings available.
📍 Brakeman's Coffee
🕒 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Tickets are $15/person and available at the counter while supplies last. This will sell out, so don't wait.
Cost: $15 per person
Grab Tickets
Monday, April 13
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
Pajama Storytime: Spring Tea Party
Pajamas, stuffed animals, stories, and songs at Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library. A cozy Monday evening outing that requires zero planning.
📍 Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library
🕒 6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: This is a great low-key wind-down after a big weekend. PJs on, stuffed animal in hand, out the door.
Cost: Free
Join Us
Tuesday, April 14
Schiele Museum Free Tuesday
Free evening admission to the Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, funded by Duke Energy. If your kid has been on a school field trip here, they'll want to come back. If they haven't been yet, this is a great excuse.
📍 Schiele Museum, 1500 E. Garrison Blvd, Gastonia
🕒 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
👶 Best For: all ages
💡 Parent Tip: Power Up Learning programs are at 4:30 and 5:30 in the auditorium if you want the full experience.
Cost: Free
Reserve Free Tickets
Wednesday, April 15
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: 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
