Things to Do in
Charlotte This Week.
October 19 through October 25, 2026. This is the week the NBA regular season tips off in Charlotte, the Renaissance Festival gets into full Halloween swing, and the whole metro starts easing toward the 31st. The Charlotte Hornets open their home schedule at Spectrum Center, the Charlotte Symphony brings its Fright at the Knight and Spooktacular programs to Knight Theater, haunted attractions are running nightly, and the Carolina Renaissance Festival leans into Halloween Daze & Spooky Knights this weekend. Scarves on, pumpkins out, and a city full of things to do.
There is a distinct pre-Halloween buzz across Charlotte this week. The big midweek draw is the Charlotte Hornets regular season home opener at the renovated Spectrum Center, while the Charlotte Symphony offers both Fright at the Knight and its family Spooktacular at Knight Theater. If you are looking for things to do in Charlotte this weekend, the Carolina Renaissance Festival in Huntersville celebrates Halloween Daze & Spooky Knights, and Boo at the Zoo makes a great day trip to Asheboro. Add in haunted attractions, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and peak fall farmers markets, and you have a wonderfully spooky, golden week in the Queen City.
Monday through Friday.
The Charlotte Hornets regular season home opener at Spectrum Center, Charlotte Symphony's Fright at the Knight at Knight Theater, the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market's fall harvest, comedy at The Comedy Zone, live music in NoDa, and haunted attractions opening across the metro.
Charlotte Hornets Regular Season Home Opener
Spectrum Center - 333 E Trade St, Uptown
The Charlotte Hornets tip off their 2026-27 NBA regular season with a home opener at Spectrum Center this week. After a summer of renovations and a preseason that had fans buzzing, the home opener is the first game that counts. The atmosphere in Uptown on home-opener night is electric, with the renovated arena, a full slate of fan activations, and the chance to see the new-look roster for the first time. Grab tickets early at hornets.com, and pair the game with an Uptown dinner.
Charlotte Symphony: Fright at the Knight
Knight Theater - 430 S Tryon St, Uptown
As Halloween approaches, the Charlotte Symphony brings its beloved Fright at the Knight program to Knight Theater this week, pairing spooky classics and beloved film scores with a live orchestra. It is a favorite of the fall season, blending cinematic chills with the unmatched power of a full symphony in an intimate Uptown hall. Check charlottesymphony.org for the exact program, date, and tickets; these Halloween programs tend to sell well.
Charlotte Regional Farmers Market - Fall Peak at the Yorkmont Market
Charlotte Regional Farmers Market - 1801 Yorkmont Rd
The year-round Charlotte Regional Farmers Market at Yorkmont Road is at full fall peak this week. October brings crisp local apples, pumpkins, gourds, winter squash, pecans, muscadine grapes, and the last of the season's peppers and tomatoes. It is the largest wholesale-to-retail market in the region, with a covered pavilion open Wednesday through Sunday. A great midweek stop to stock up for fall baking, pumpkin decorating, and harvest tables.
Comedy Night at The Comedy Zone
The Comedy Zone Charlotte - 2208 South Blvd, Southend
The Comedy Zone keeps its regular Thursday-through-Sunday slate of stand-up going in Charlotte this week. It has been the city's flagship comedy club for decades, bringing a rotating mix of national touring headliners and local favorites to an intimate room in Southend. A midweek comedy show is a reliably fun, affordable night out, with a full menu and bar. Check comedyzonecharlotte.com for who is on stage this week.
Neighborhood Theatre: Live Music in NoDa
Neighborhood Theatre - 511 E 36th St, NoDa
NoDa's beloved Neighborhood Theatre keeps its eclectic late-October concert calendar rolling with a mix of touring and regional acts. The room is intimate, the sound is excellent, and the neighborhood around it is packed with breweries and restaurants for a full night out. It has been the beating heart of Charlotte's independent music scene for over 30 years. Check neighbourhoodtheatre.com for the lineup and showtimes.
Haunted Attractions Across the Metro
Carowinds SCarowinds (Fort Mill), Woodland Terror, and more
With Halloween just around the corner, the metro's haunted attractions are running in full force. Carowinds SCarowinds in nearby Fort Mill transforms the park into a massive scare experience most evenings, while homegrown haunts across the region offer everything from cornfield mazes to haunted woods. These attractions sell out on peak nights, so book online ahead of time. For the faint of heart, many venues offer family-friendly and low-fright options.
Saturday & Sunday.
Carolina Renaissance Festival Halloween Daze & Spooky Knights in Huntersville, Boo at the Zoo day trip, Charlotte Symphony Spooktacular, fall farms with corn mazes and pumpkin patches, Saturday farmers markets, and pre-Halloween family festivals.
Carolina Renaissance Festival: Halloween Daze & Spooky Knights
16445 Poplar Tent Rd, Huntersville
The Carolina Renaissance Festival in Huntersville leans all the way into the season this weekend with its Halloween Daze & Spooky Knights theme. Alongside the usual jousting tournaments, artisan shops, comedy acts, and period performers, expect Halloween-themed fun that makes this one of the most family-friendly weekends of the fall. Kids 12 and under often get in free with a paying adult on these special weekends. The weather in late October is ideal, and the 25-acre village of Fairhaven is at peak fall color. It runs weekends through November 22.
Boo at the Zoo - North Carolina Zoo
North Carolina Zoo - 4401 Zoo Pkwy, Asheboro (a 90-minute day trip from Charlotte)
For a memorable fall day trip, head to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, about 90 minutes east of Charlotte, for Boo at the Zoo. The family Halloween favorite features trick-or-treating through the zoo, games, a costume contest, and pumpkins scattered through the animal habitats. It runs the final two weekends of October, with wristbands sold same-day only on top of zoo admission. Check nczoo.org for the full schedule before you go.
Falls Festival Weekends on the Farm: Corn Mazes & Pumpkin Patches
Hodges Family Farm - Charlotte; Patterson Farm - Mt Ulla
East and west of Charlotte, the region's fall farms are in their final stretch of prime season with corn mazes, pumpkin patches, hayrides, and seasonal photo spots. Hodges Family Farm on the east side of Charlotte offers a giant corn maze and fall activities close to town, while Patterson Farm in nearby Mt Ulla is a favorite for sunflower fields, mazes, and farm animals. With Halloween just a week away, this is a prime weekend to go, so arrive early to beat the crowds.
Charlotte Symphony: Spooktacular Family Concert
Knight Theater - 430 S Tryon St, Uptown
The Charlotte Symphony's family-friendly Spooktacular is a late-October tradition: kids come in costume and the orchestra plays spooky, playful classics in a relaxed, welcoming setting. It is a wonderful way to introduce young listeners to live orchestral music, and the costume-friendly atmosphere makes it feel more like a party than a concert. Check charlottesymphony.org for the exact date, showtime, and tickets.
Uptown Farmers Market & Cotswold Farmers Market
Uptown at 300 S Davidson St; Cotswold at 4921 Randolph Rd
October is peak fall-harvest season at Charlotte's Saturday markets. The Uptown Farmers Market at 300 S Davidson Street brings fresh produce, baked goods, artisan crafts, and food trucks to a walkable spot near the Rail Trail. The Cotswold Farmers Market at 4921 Randolph Road runs through October with local farms, honey, and seasonal goods. Look for crisp apples, pumpkins, muscadine grapes, and plenty of winter squash as the season winds down.
Fall Family Festivals & Pre-Halloween Celebrations
Various venues across the Charlotte metro
The weekend before Halloween is full of community harvest festivals, trunk-or-treats, and family fall celebrations across Charlotte, Fort Mill, Matthews, and Waxhaw. Many neighborhoods and churches host early trick-or-treat events and fall carnivals that are perfect for younger kids. It is the ideal low-key way to ease into Halloween week without the crowds of the 31st. Check local community calendars for what is happening near you.
Ongoing & recurring.
Carolina Renaissance Festival
Huntersville - 16445 Poplar Tent Rd
Open Saturdays and Sundays through November 22. Jousting, artisan shops, and period entertainment at one of the largest Renaissance festivals in the U.S.
Fall Farms, Corn Mazes & Pumpkin Patches
Across the Charlotte metro
Hodges Family Farm, Patterson Farm, and more open on October weekends with mazes, pumpkins, hayrides, and harvest photo spots.
Charlotte Hornets 2026-27 Season
Spectrum Center - Uptown
The NBA regular season tips off this week. Catch home games all season at the fully renovated Spectrum Center.
Charlotte Symphony Fall Season
Belk Theater & Knight Theater - Uptown
The Symphony's fall Masterworks, Pops, and Halloween family programs run through the season at the Blumenthal venues.
Charlotte Regional Farmers Market
1801 Yorkmont Rd
Open Wednesday through Sunday year-round. Fall brings apples, pumpkins, squash, pecans, and muscadine grapes.
Haunted Attractions & Halloween Events
Across the metro
SCarowinds in Fort Mill and local haunts run nightly through Halloween. Book online for peak nights.
Don't miss these.
Carolina Renaissance Festival - Halloween Daze & Spooky Knights (Sat & Sun)
The can't-miss event of the weekend. With the Halloween theme, kids 12 and under often get in free, the jousting is thrilling, and the crisp late-October weather makes for a perfect day in Fairhaven. It is one of the biggest Renaissance festivals in the country, right in our backyard.
Charlotte Hornets Regular Season Home Opener (Wed)
The games finally count this week. Home-opener night at the renovated Spectrum Center is one of the most electric evenings on Charlotte's sports calendar. Even if you are not a die-hard, the energy in Uptown is worth it.
Boo at the Zoo day trip (Sat or Sun)
A wonderful fall weekend adventure about 90 minutes east of Charlotte. Trick-or-treating through the zoo, costumes, and pumpkins in the habitats. It is the kind of memory the whole family will keep for years.
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