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What to Do in Charlotte This Summer

Keyanna Metts
25 June 2025

This story was updated in June 2025 to reflect this summer's events in the city.

You will have so much fun visiting our Charlotte Campus, especially in the summer! After you take your amazing JWU tour, you’ll want to get to know the surrounding city and all it has to offer. For students entering their senior year of high school, a visit to JWU could earn you grant money. If you attend an on-campus visit before December 31 of your senior year in high school and complete your JWU application, you could receive a Visit Grant of up to $5,000 annually, which automatically renews for up to four years while at JWU. Even more reason to come visit this summer!

Here are some fun things to do when you visit Charlotte.

people enjoying charlotte street festival

1. Experience the Cookout Summer Shootout

If you’re a NASCAR fan, you’ll love this cookout/racing event that runs from June 9 – July 29 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Watch future racing stars from around the world battle for the title of Summer Cookout Champion in Legend Cars and Bandoleros.

2. Visit Carowinds Amusement Park

This iconic amusement park offers a waterpark and amusement rides as well as live events and experiences for adults and families.

3. Explore the Discovery Place Science Museum

At Discovery Place Science, you can see live shows such as Science at The Stage, which consists of science experiments, demonstrations and hands-on experiences. Or, get up close experiences with the museums reptiles and animals at Nose-to-Nose. Plus, the museum has an IMAX Dome theater for an immersive movie-watching experience.

4. Celebrate at Charlotte Pride Festival

Rep your pride flag and color the town with your beautiful rainbow at Charlotte Pride Festival on August 16-17 to celebrate all things pride! You can go to a drag pageant, dance to live music and eat some delicious food at each and every vendor.

people under a rainbow parachute at a pride festival

5. Grab a bite at Urban District Market

Urban District Market is a great spot to eat with food stalls that offer plenty of options, from classic burgers and steaks to dumplings and authentic Japanese Udon. Crispy Patty has amazing sandwiches with your choice of meat or seafood on a golden crust. El Dorado offers authentic recipes from Latin America. Burger Company makes their patties by hand for the most flavorful burger.

6. Enjoy the Botanical Garden

The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden has plenty of events happening this summer. You can attend one of their summer camps to learn survival skills, hear local musicians play at the Pickin' on the Porch series on select Saturdays, or try a garden photography walk to learn new camera skills from a professional photographer.

7. Check out these summer concerts

Get excited because some big names are coming into town! At the PNC Music Pavilion, you can catch these concerts throughout the summer:

July 15: Counting Crows
July 26: OutLaw Fest with Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and more
August 5: Kesha
August 9: Dierks Bentley
and many more!

a music concert with confetti in the sky

8. Celebrate the Fourth of July in style

Join the Charlotte Symphony at Symphony Park for the Summer Pops Celebrate America concert on June 29 to start your patriotic celebrations. The evening will end with a fireworks finale. In the days leading up to July 4th, you'll have your pick of different celebrations and firework displays happening across the city, though many people like to go to Uptown for the WBTV Skyshow, which you can watch for free from Romare Bearden Park.