Your out-of-town wedding guests will find plenty to do in charming Charlotte, NC. From NASCAR and professional sporting events to outdoor adventures and cultural appeal, the area offers a wide range of experiences. Here are just a few – and many make great wedding party outings.
Take a tour of the Queen City
The Queen City has some great tours for entertaining and educating your guests. And a couple even makes terrific wedding party outings.
Have guests who enjoy learning about a city’s ghostly past? Book a tour with Carolina History & Haunts. They can also get a history fix with excursions offered by C-Charlotte Tours. Those who want to stretch their legs can follow Uptown’s Charlotte Liberty Walk and learn about the city’s role in the American Revolution. Or take to the streets by foot, bike, or Segway with Charlotte NC Tours. And Queen City Rides can get your guests around for tours from vans or golf carts.
Put together a wedding party or guest outing with a BYOB on the Funny Bus and enjoy standup comedy. Or get the gang together for a pub crawl with City Brew Tours. Foodies will enjoy a walking and tasting tour with Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours and a culinary class at Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen.
Experience live music, culture, and art
Charlotte offers quality symphony, opera, and ballet performances throughout the year. And the AvidXchange Music Factory is the place for live entertainment. The downtown facility offers two event venues and a wide selection of restaurants and bars.
For museum lovers, there’s a 48-hour pass that provides admission to some of the city’s finest institutions. Visit the city’s top museums with a Levine Center for the Arts Access Ticket, which includes admission to the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, and both Mint Museum locations, Uptown and Randolph.
Your guests can also take in one of the most amazing sculptures in Metalmorposis, a rotating stainless steel creation by Czech artist David Cerny. This kinetic sculpture looks like it has risen from the water and is the focal point of the Whitehall Corporate Center.
Camp North End is a beautiful combination of art, entertainment, and food if your guests are short on time. Spread over 76 acres, the location got its start in 1924 as a Ford Motor Company factory. During World War II, North Camp was a major depot and later operated for the Army’s missile development. Today it’s a home for entrepreneurial inspiration and local art and culture.
Immerse in Charlotte’s outdoor offerings
Weaving throughout Charlotte, your guests will find parks, botanical centers, greenways, lakes, and nature preserves. For the more adventurous, there are man-made rapids for testing paddling skills. And golf enthusiasts are sure to find just the right course.
Get close to nature at the Quest at Latta Nature Preserve in nearby Huntersville. After enjoying the preserve, stop by the Carolina Raptor Center to learn more about these magnificent birds. Guests can enjoy learning about birds of prey from across the globe during their walk on the Raptor Trail.
Another place to connect with nature is the Anne Springs Close Greenway, just minutes from Charlotte in Fort Mill, SC. The greenway features 36 miles of trails for running, hiking, and biking and several lakes for kayaking, paddle boarding, and fishing. You can also experience yoga in this tranquil setting.
Your guests can find a great photo opportunity in front of the colorful waterfall feature and skyline backdrop at Romare Bearden Park in Uptown. Beauty can also be found on the peaceful grounds of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens.
Looking to plan a special activity before the wedding? Then check out the US National Whitewater Center and the world’s largest man-made whitewater river. And with full-service catering and other activities, from mountain biking to yoga, you can plan a one-of-a-kind outing for you and your guests.
From the speedway to the fields, courts, and ice – Charlotte pro sports
Charlotte is synonymous with NASCAR. The city is home to the sport’s Hall of Fame and definitely worth a tour by any racing fan who loves the history of the sport. And just next door in Concord is the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Each year in May, race fans gather for the Coca-Cola 600. And what better way to experience the track than a driving experience.
The Queen City also boasts five professional sports teams. Your guests can take their pick from football with the Carolina Panthers, basketball with the Charlotte Hornets, minor league baseball with the Knights, a new soccer team in the Charlotte FC, and watch some of the NHL’s top prospects with the Charlotte Checkers.
Charlotte is one of the most charming and diverse cities with plenty to see and do. To find more offerings, be sure to check out “101 Fun Things to Do in Charlotte”.
