# Free things to do with kids in Charlotte this week

> Yes, plenty is free with little kids in Charlotte this week: we found 16 free outings, including Mini Mozarts (Independence Regional), Falloween Festival (Steele Creek) and Haunted Tea Party (Myers Park), plus 13 library programs. Five free days and events are coming up, including two museum or zoo free days, each with its date. And three places never charge admission, like ImaginOn and Romare Bearden Park.

- Last checked: 2026-10-19
- 16 free outings this week; 5 free days and events coming up; 3 always-free places
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/charlotte/free/
- Indoor play (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/charlotte/indoor-play/index.md
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/charlotte/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/charlotte/llms.txt

## Free days and free events coming up

- **Bank of America Museums on Us weekend** at The Mint Museum (Randolph and Uptown), Charlotte Museum of History, Harvey B. Gantt Center, and Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte. When: Sat Nov 7, Sun Nov 8, Sat Dec 5 and Sun Dec 6. Price: Free general admission for Bank of America, Merrill and Private Bank cardholders (one per card, with photo ID). Only the cardholder gets in free, so bring the card and an ID. Official page: https://about.bankofamerica.com/en/making-an-impact/museums-on-us-partners (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Holiday Magic at Rea Farms** at Rea Farms, 9855 Sandy Rock Pl, Charlotte, NC 28277. When: Sat Nov 21, 2026. Time: 4–8pm (tree lighting at 7pm). Price: Free (free photos with Santa). Free Santa photos and characters from Mickey and Minnie to Frozen. Also cookie decorating, cocoa, face painting, train and carriage rides, a Buddy and Jovie story time, and man-made snow. Official page: https://www.reafarmsclt.com/events/holiday-magic-1-7tmrt-rjf54-gdx6x-r3rpm (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade**, Uptown, along Tryon Street. When: Wed Nov 25. Time: Steps off at 5:30 p.m. Free to watch from the curb along Tryon Street (reserved seats are sold separately). Official page: https://www.novanthealththanksgivingparade.com/parade-info (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Christmas Town U.S.A.** at Downtown McAdenville, McAdenville, NC. When: Dec 1–26, 2026. Time: Nightly (tree lighting Dec 1 at 5:30 p.m.). Price: Free. Walk or drive the downtown lights. Yule Log Parade Dec 10. Official page: https://townofmcadenville.org/visitors/christmas-town-usa/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **$1 EBT admission at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden** at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Belmont. When: Daytime hours, as often as you like. Price: $1 per person for up to six family members with an EBT card. In Belmont. The Prairie Castle Playground is a favorite with little kids. Official page: https://danielstoweconservancy.org/visit/ (checked 2026-10-19)

## Free this week

- **Family Event: Monster Slime** at Gaston County Public Library - Union Road Branch, 5800 Union Road, Gastonia, NC 28056. When: Mon Oct 19. Time: 6pm–7pm. Price: Free. Ages: 3–99. An evening of messy monster slime-making at the library, with all supplies provided. Official page: https://www.gastonlibrary.org/ (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Family Ghost Stories** at Gaston County Public Library - TECH@Lowell Branch (Makerspace), 203 McAdenville Road, Lowell, NC 28098. When: Wed Oct 21. Time: 4pm–5pm. Price: Free. Ages: 3–99. Old-fashioned spooky stories at the library, pitched for all ages. Official page: https://www.gastonlibrary.org/ (checked 2026-10-19)
- **LEGO Club** at Mooresville Public Library - Main Library, 304 South Main Street, Mooresville, NC 28115. When: Thu Oct 22. Time: 4pm–5pm. Price: Free. Ages: 0–99. Open Lego building at the library for kids of all ages. Official page: https://www.mooresvillenc.gov/government/departments/library/index.php (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Stuffed Animal Sleepover** at Gaston County Public Library - Main Branch, 1555 East Garrison Boulevard, Gastonia, NC 28054. When: Tue Oct 20. Time: 10am. Price: Free. Ages: 4–10. Drop off a stuffed animal for a library sleepover and get photos of its adventures. Official page: https://www.gastonlibrary.org/ (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Mini Mozarts (Independence Regional)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – Independence Regional, 6000 Conference Drive , Charlotte, NC 28212. When: Mon Oct 19. Time: 9:30–10am. Price: Free. Ages: 0–3. Join the library in musical fun! This music based program geared towards babies and toddlers encourages moving and grooving with a variety of instruments and popular songs. Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6aa8177ef9ed2e0038508467 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Family Storytime (Plaza Midwood)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – Plaza Midwood, 1623 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205. When: Tue Oct 20. Time: 10:30–11am. Price: Free. Ages: 0–5. Your whole family can enjoy stories, songs, and movement activities that support early literacy skill development and help foster a love of books and reading in your child. Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a4fc1411006a63d00213512 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Family Storytime (West Boulevard)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – West Boulevard, 2157 West Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28208. When: Wed Oct 21. Time: 10:30–11am. Price: Free. Ages: 0–5. Your whole family can enjoy stories, songs, and movement activities that support early literacy skill development and help foster a love of books and reading in your child. Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a8f314b660e510bf4401703 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Preschool Storytime: Just for Me (Mountain Island)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – Mountain Island, 4420 Hoyt Galvin Way, Charlotte, NC 28214. When: Thu Oct 22. Time: 10:30–11am. Price: Free. Ages: 3–5. Provide your preschooler with an opportunity to hear stories, sing songs, and develop the skills needed to become a successful reader in this storytime developed for children ages 3-5, without a paren. Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a7f45f461e11c0051775622 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Family Storytime (ImaginOn)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – ImaginOn, 300 East Seventh Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. When: Fri Oct 23. Time: 10:30–11am. Price: Free. Ages: 0–5. Enjoy stories, songs, and movement activities that support early literacy skill development and help foster a love of books and reading in your child. Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a90318e69166f088b953a37 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Magna-Tiles Free Play (University City Regional)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – University City Regional, 5528 Waters Edge Village Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262. When: Fri Oct 23. Time: 1–4pm. Price: Free. Ages: 2–8. Drop in and build your own Magna-Tiles creation!. Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6aa02f504378382c2abf418c (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Falloween Festival (Steele Creek)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – Steele Creek, 13620 Steele Creek Road, Charlotte, NC 28273. When: Sat Oct 24. Time: 10:30am–12pm. Price: Free. Ages: 0–10. Join us for a fall and Halloween themed festival with fun crafts, games, and seasonal fun for the whole family! Costumes are encouraged by not required. Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a87788ad4b10d003007ed05 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Haunted Tea Party (Myers Park)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – Myers Park, 1361 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207. When: Sat Oct 24. Time: 1–2pm. Price: Free. Ages: 3–10. Join us in your costumes for tea, snacks, spooky crafts and games. The party will end with The Best Crow Call Contest. Show us your best crow call and compete to win!. Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6aa99a29129d8e0031f27881 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Family Storytime (Matthews)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – Matthews, 230 Matthews Station St., Matthews, NC 28105. When: Sat Oct 24. Time: 9:30–10am. Price: Free. Ages: 0–5. Your whole family can enjoy stories, songs, and movement activities that support early literacy skill development and help foster a love of books and reading in your child. Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6944791c6f926136000ba32b (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Family Storytime (Mint Hill)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – Mint Hill, 6840 Matthews - Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill, NC 28227. When: Sat Oct 24. Time: 9:30–10am. Price: Free. Ages: 0–5. Your whole family can enjoy stories, songs, and movement activities that support early literacy skill development and help foster a love of books and reading in your child. Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/690b9c1f0562322f002ec84d (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Drop-In LEGO Tables (University City Regional)** at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – University City Regional, 5528 Waters Edge Village Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262. When: Sun Oct 25. Time: 1–4pm. Price: Free. Ages: 3–10. Drop in LEGO tables. Learn mathematical concepts of sorting, building, and geometry while using LEGO building blocks. Want to be notified about future events? Subscribe to our newsletter here . Official page: https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a7cbec4b204780029926f99 (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Story Time at Park Road Books: Guardian of Lost Hollow** at Park Road Books (Park Road Shopping Center), 4139 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209. When: Sat Oct 24. Time: 10:30–11:30am. Price: Free. Ages: 2–8. The author and illustrator read their new picture book about Willow, the dragon who guards the Lost Hollow Children's Garden at Daniel Stowe. Official page: https://parkroadbooks.com/event/2026-10-24/story-time-john-searby-and-brett-blumenthal (checked 2026-10-19)

## Always free

- **ImaginOn**, Uptown. A children's library and theater building uptown. Official page: https://www.cmlibrary.org/locations/imaginon-joe-joan-martin-center (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Romare Bearden Park**, Uptown. An uptown park with open lawns and a play area. Official page: https://beardenfoundation.org/romare-bearden-park/ (checked 2026-10-18)
- **U.S. National Whitewater Center**, West Charlotte. Whitewater rafting, trails and open space on the Catawba River. Official page: https://whitewater.org (checked 2026-10-18)

## Free library storytimes

- **Charlotte Mecklenburg Library**: Weekly at 18 locations; Monday–Saturday, mostly mornings, plus some evening sessions. Baby, toddler and preschool storytimes at branches across Mecklenburg County, with ImaginOn as the hub for kids. Gaston and York County libraries run their own. Calendar: https://www.cmlibrary.org/events
- **Iredell County Public Library**: Weekly at 3 locations; Tuesday–Friday, mostly mornings. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Baby Storytime (Thursdays 9am, Statesville Library) and Toddler Storytime (Tuesdays 11am, Troutman Branch Library), with more at Harmony Branch Library. Calendar: https://www.iredell.lib.nc.us/calendar.aspx
- **York County Library**: Weekly at 4 locations; Monday–Friday, mostly mornings. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Preschool Bookworms: Fall Session II (Mondays 10:30am, York Library) and Under 3 Storytime Tuesdays 10am (Tuesdays 10am, Fort Mill Library), with more at Clover Library and Main Library (Rock Hill). Calendar: https://www.yclibrary.org/events

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### What’s free to do with kids in Charlotte this weekend?
This week we found 16 free outings for ages 0–6, including Mini Mozarts (Independence Regional), Falloween Festival (Steele Creek), Haunted Tea Party (Myers Park) and Family Event: Monster Slime. See [free this week](https://littlesweekly.com/charlotte/free/#this-week); the list is rebuilt every Thursday.

### Are there free museum or zoo days in Charlotte?
Bank of America Museums on Us weekend: Sat Nov 7, Sun Nov 8, Sat Dec 5 and Sun Dec 6. Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade: Wed Nov 25. $1 EBT admission at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden: Daytime hours, as often as you like ($1 per person for up to six family members with an EBT card). Dates come from each venue’s own page; see [free days and free events](https://littlesweekly.com/charlotte/free/#free-days).

### What free holiday events are there for kids in Charlotte?
Holiday Magic at Rea Farms and Christmas Town U.S.A. are free this season. Dates and times are on each card under [free days and free events](https://littlesweekly.com/charlotte/free/#free-days).

### Where can we go for free any day in Charlotte?
ImaginOn, Romare Bearden Park and U.S. National Whitewater Center don’t charge admission. Some charge for parking or special exhibits; the cards say so where the place does.

### Is there free indoor play in Charlotte?
Yes: ImaginOn. See all of them on [indoor play places in Charlotte](https://littlesweekly.com/charlotte/indoor-play/#places).

### Are library storytimes free in Charlotte?
Yes. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Iredell County Public Library and York County Library run free storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Times change by branch, so check the calendar linked below.

### How do you check these free listings?
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 19, 2026, and we recheck them every Thursday for dated events and once a month for free places. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).