Things to Do in Charlotte
in November.
November is the month Charlotte flips from fall to the holidays: the Hornets tip off NBA Cup play, Rod Wave and Doja Cat headline Spectrum Center, the Southern Christmas Show and Speedway Christmas open, and the 80th Thanksgiving Eve Parade marches down Tryon Street. Here is your month-long Charlotte NC events calendar, week by week, with links to every verified event page.
Jump to your weekend.
Nov 2-8.
November opens with the Emirates NBA Cup: the Hornets host the Detroit Pistons Monday night and the Boston Celtics Friday night at Spectrum Center, both in East Group C play. Rod Wave brings his Don't Look Down Tour to the arena Tuesday, the Broadway tryout of Dirty Dancing: The Musical fills the Belk Theater all week, and the Panthers host the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Detroit Pistons
The Hornets tip off November at home against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night, the first Emirates NBA Cup group game of the season at Spectrum Center. It is a classic Uptown game night, with dinner spots and parking garages within a short walk of the arena. Tickets through the Hornets and Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageRod Wave: Don't Look Down Tour
St. Petersburg rapper and singer Rod Wave brings his Don't Look Down Tour to Spectrum Center on Tuesday night with special guest Fridayy. Known for his soulful, emotionally raw blend of hip-hop and R&B, he is one of the biggest young stars in the genre, and an arena show in the heart of Uptown is a rare midweek treat. Tickets through Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageDirty Dancing: The Musical (Broadway Tryout)
The brand-new Broadway musical adaptation of Dirty Dancing, the beloved 1987 film, makes its Charlotte tryout at the Belk Theater from November 3 through 8. Expect the iconic songs, the summer-camp romance, and that famous finale lift, staged for the first time on a Broadway-bound scale. Uptown dining and theater make it an easy night out.
Official Event PageCharlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics
The Hornets host the Boston Celtics on Friday night in an Emirates NBA Cup East Group C matchup at Spectrum Center. Boston is a perennial contender, so expect a loud, high-stakes crowd and a proper Friday-night atmosphere in Uptown Charlotte. Tickets through the Hornets and Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageCharlotte Checkers vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
The Charlotte Checkers host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for AHL hockey at Bojangles Coliseum on Friday night. It is fun, affordable, family-friendly hockey at one of the most historic arenas in the South, and Friday games are a Charlotte tradition.
Official Event PageLittle Big Town
Grammy-winning country group Little Big Town brings their lush four-part harmonies to Ovens Auditorium on Saturday night, just east of Uptown. Expect the hits from Pontoon to Better Man in a warm, polished arena-theater setting. Tickets through Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageCarolina Panthers vs. Denver Broncos
The Panthers return home to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday to host the Denver Broncos. It is a classic Uptown gameday: tailgate, walk the streets around the stadium, and settle in for football before the holiday crunch begins.
Official Event PageNov 9-15.
The second week of November is when Charlotte officially turns toward the holidays: the Southern Christmas Show, one of the largest holiday shows in the region, opens Wednesday (Veterans Day) at The Park Expo and runs through November 22. The Hornets host the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday night, and EDM star John Summit headlines Spectrum Center on Saturday.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Hornets host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Spectrum Center on Monday night in another marquee Eastern Conference matchup. A midweek game in Uptown is a great reason to grab dinner and catch the teal-and-purple faithful in action. Tickets through the Hornets and Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageSouthern Christmas Show
The Southern Christmas Show opens Wednesday on Veterans Day and fills The Park Expo with 400-plus exhibitors, decorated trees, a huge marketplace, gingerbread houses, and holiday food and entertainment. It is Charlotte's biggest holiday-shopping kickoff, and a reliable tradition for families and date nights alike through November 22.
Official Event PageJohn Summit: CTRL ESCAPE Arena Tour
DJ and producer John Summit brings his CTRL ESCAPE Arena Tour to Spectrum Center on Saturday night with support from Walker & Royce. After a string of stadium-sized festival headlines, his house and tech-house sets translate perfectly to an arena floor. Expect a big, dance-forward crowd in Uptown. Tickets through Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageNov 16-22.
Mid-November is when the holiday lights start switching on across the metro. Doja Cat headlines Spectrum Center on Wednesday and the Disney Worlds Collide concert follows Thursday, Speedway Christmas opens its drive-through light display at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday night, the Southern Christmas Show wraps its run on Sunday, and the Panthers host the Ravens on Sunday afternoon. Add Whitechapel at The Fillmore on Monday and Rush's Fifty Something tour nights at Spectrum Center Friday and Sunday, and the week has something for every taste.
Whitechapel: 20th Anniversary Tour
Tennessee deathcore pioneers Whitechapel bring their 20th Anniversary Tour to The Fillmore on Monday night. Known for brutal, technically precise heaviness paired with surprising melodic turns, they pack the Music Factory room with one of the loudest shows of the month. A must for metal fans; tickets through Live Nation.
Official Event PageDoja Cat at Spectrum Center
Doja Cat brings her arena tour to Spectrum Center on Wednesday night, one of the biggest pop and hip-hop shows of the year in Charlotte. Expect the chart-topping hits, high-concept staging, and a full arena crowd in the heart of Uptown. Tickets through Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageDisney: Worlds Collide Concert
The Disney Worlds Collide concert celebrates the studio's music, films, and characters with a live orchestra and beloved songs on the Spectrum Center stage. It is a family-friendly, nostalgia-packed evening that bridges Halloween and the holidays. Tickets through Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageRush: Fifty Something Tour
Rush's Fifty Something tour, with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson at the helm, makes a two-night stop at Spectrum Center on Friday, November 20 and Sunday, November 22. The set lists reach deep into one of rock's most beloved catalogs, from the prog epics to the radio anthems, backed by a massive light show. Two chances to catch a legendary band in Uptown; tickets through Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageSpeedway Christmas Opens
Speedway Christmas turns the massive Charlotte Motor Speedway into a four-mile drive-through light display on Friday, November 20, with millions of lights, an animated tunnel, and holiday scenes across the infield. It runs every night through January 3, and early December weekends are the most crowded, so November nights are the perfect uncrowded window.
Official Event PageSouthern Christmas Show Final Weekend
The Southern Christmas Show wraps its 2026 run on the weekend of November 21-22, so this is the last chance to shop hundreds of holiday exhibitors and see the decorated-tree displays in person. Go early on Saturday for the least crowded shopping, or Sunday for a calmer close.
Official Event PageCarolina Renaissance Festival Finale
The Carolina Renaissance Festival closes its 2026 season with its final weekend in Huntersville on November 21-22. If you have not made it to the jousting, artisan stalls, and turkey legs yet this fall, this is your last chance until next year. About a 30-minute drive north of Uptown.
Official Event PageCarolina Panthers vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Panthers host the Baltimore Ravens at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the second home game of November. It is a big divisional-style matchup that pairs well with the early holiday lights around Uptown as evening falls.
Official Event PageNov 23-29.
Thanksgiving week is the anchor of Charlotte's November. The Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade marks its 80th year marching down Tryon Street on Wednesday, the Hornets host the Chicago Bulls that same night in NBA Cup play, Light the Knights opens its holiday festival at Truist Field on Wednesday, and the CPI Security Charlotte Turkey Trot fills SouthPark Mall on Thanksgiving morning. The Hornets close the holiday stretch at home against the Nets on Saturday, and Christmas Together with Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and CeCe Winans fills Bojangles Coliseum on Saturday and Sunday.
Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade
The Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade, Charlotte's most beloved holiday tradition, marks its 80th anniversary marching down Tryon Street on Wednesday evening. Expect giant balloons, marching bands, floats, and tens of thousands of spectators lining Uptown streets. Arrive early for a good curb spot and grab dinner nearby before the parade steps off.
Official Event PageLight the Knights Festival Opens
Light the Knights turns the Charlotte Knights' ballpark into a stadium-sized holiday festival, with millions of lights, a holiday village, ice skating, snow tubing, and festive food and drink. It opens Wednesday evening, November 25, and runs select nights into early January, with the Thanksgiving weekend dates among the first chances to visit.
Official Event PageCharlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls
The Hornets host the Chicago Bulls on Thanksgiving Eve at Spectrum Center, an Emirates NBA Cup group game and a classic pre-holiday night out in Uptown. Pair it with the Thanksgiving Eve Parade just a few blocks away for the full Charlotte holiday-week experience. Tickets through the Hornets and Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageCPI Security Charlotte Turkey Trot
The CPI Security Charlotte Turkey Trot is the city's favorite way to earn the feast, with 8K, 5K, and 1-mile runs starting at SouthPark Mall on Thanksgiving morning. It is family-friendly, costume-friendly, and a warm community tradition before the turkey hits the table.
Official Event PageCharlotte Hornets vs. Brooklyn Nets
The Hornets welcome the Brooklyn Nets to Spectrum Center on Saturday evening to cap the Thanksgiving holiday stretch. It is a fun, low-pressure way to spend a long weekend evening in Uptown with the family after all the turkey. Tickets through the Hornets and Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageChristmas Together with Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith & CeCe Winans
The Christmas Together tour brings Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and CeCe Winans to Bojangles Coliseum for the holiday season's premier faith-focused concert on Saturday, November 28 and Sunday, November 29. Expect carols, Christmas classics, and soaring gospel voices to officially launch the Christmas week in Charlotte. Tickets through Ticketmaster.
Official Event PageAll November.
All month long, a steady roster of markets, greenways, and final fall-color spots anchor the November calendar. These are the things to do in Charlotte NC in November that run every single week, so you can build the farmers markets, crisp walks, and early holiday visits into any weekend.
Charlotte Regional Farmers Market
The largest wholesale-to-retail market in the region stays open year-round under its covered pavilion. In November look for winter squash, sweet potatoes, pecans, local greens, apples, and early holiday baking staples, plus North Carolina specialty gifts in the surrounding shops.
Uptown & Cotswold Saturday Markets
Charlotte's weekend farmers markets keep running into November, with the Uptown Farmers Market near the Rail Trail and the Cotswold Farmers Market both offering peak fall-harvest produce, local baked goods, and food trucks. It is the perfect Saturday-morning warm-up before the holiday rush.
Little Sugar Creek Greenway & Freedom Park
November is one of the best months for Charlotte's trails: crisp air, golden light, and leaves underfoot. The Little Sugar Creek Greenway threads through the heart of the city, and Freedom Park offers a flat, lovely loop with fall color near Dilworth and Myers Park.
McDowell Nature Preserve & the Catawba
For the best of the season's final color, McDowell Nature Preserve in southwest Charlotte offers 1,100 acres of forest, lake views along Lake Wylie, and miles of easy trails. November's cool, dry days make it a perfect outdoor escape for families and dog walkers.
Keep your November calendar fresh
I update the weekly events roundup every week, so bookmark the things to do in Charlotte this week guide for the latest concerts, games, and holiday happenings, and browse the full living-in-Charlotte blog for neighborhood guides and market updates.
Spending Thanksgiving in Charlotte?
Imagine living here.
November is the month that sells Charlotte to almost every transplant who lands here: the energy, the traditions, the easy pace of life. If you are thinking about making the move, let us talk: the consultation is free, and I will help you figure out which neighborhood fits the life you actually want.