15 don’t-miss arts events this fall.
For the past 53 years, Festival in the Park has been bringing live music, local art, and great food to Charlotte natives and visitors alike. Held every year in Freedom Park, this festival is free to attend and designed to get the community engaged in the arts. From face painting to dance performances, magic shows to the Kings Drive Art Walk, Festival in the Park is a must-see for locals. This year, it’s happening Sept. 22-24.
The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center presents Sounds on the Square, a time of live music and good company. Each week will feature a different performer with a different musical style. Previous entertainers have specialized in hip hop, country rock, jazz, and classical music. Held at Spirit Square (345 N. College St.), this event is always free and starts at 7 p.m. every Friday night through Aug. 25.
Charlotte Symphony Opening Night
This concert, featuring world-renowned pianist Lang Lang, kicks off the 86th season of the Charlotte Symphony. Directed by Christopher Warren-Green, the Charlotte Symphony will be playing Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto and two pieces by Strauss Jr. at Belk Theater. The performance is on Sept. 12 and starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $49 to $249.
Celebrate the art of spoken word with this event, hosted by SlamCharlotte. For $10 at the McGlohon Theater, you can hear, watch, and experience the creativity of slam poetry. The current Slammaster of SlamCharlotte is ranked 13th in the world. The monthly poetry slams start on Sept. 15 at 8 p.m.
Coming to Charlotte straight from London’s West End, The Simon & Garfunkel Story will be at the Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Oct. 1. This concert-style theater show is critically acclaimed and has been seen by over 250,000 people around the world. Don’t miss out on their original songs, live band, and incredible video and photo projection. Tickets start at $25.
Perfect for kids and adults alike, the Broadway musical Finding Neverland is coming to Charlotte’s Belk Theater. Based on the critically acclaimed film of the same name, it portrays the story of playwright J.M. Barrie’s search for inspiration and how a friendship with four young brothers and their widowed mother led to the creation of Peter Pan. Tickets start at $25, and opening night is Oct. 3.
From the page to the stage, this theatrical adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s famous portrayal of a dystopian world is a must-see this fall. In Guy Montag’s society, books are illegal and it is his job as a fireman to burn any literature he finds. But soon he meets people who make him question what he thinks he knows, and everything changes. Three Bone Theatre presents this powerful drama at Duke Energy Theater. Tickets are $22 in advance and opening night is 8 p.m. Nov. 2.
Get ready to be astonished when you see Mat Lavore perform at the Duke Energy Theater. He specializes in swallowing needles, hypnosis, reading minds, and predicting the future. The show is recommended for ages 13 and older, and features 90 minutes of spellbinding magic. Tickets are $35 for general admission and $45 for front row. Lavore performs for one night only on Nov. 25.
