Most Charlotte-area suburbs will be throwing their own Halloween and fall-related parties and events but the most active town by far has to be Gaston County’s small town of Belmont.
From live music and costume contests to the first-ever Nightmare on Main Street in historic downtown, Belmont and its businesses have pulled out all the stops this autumn. Check out what will be bumping in the night (and the day) in the weeks ahead:
- Oct. 13 & 14, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day – Lost Hollow Music Fest at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Celebrate the fall season in a not-so-scary way with a full lineup of musicians steeped in bluegrass and Americana. The beer garden will be open plus an abundance of autumnal colors across the 400-acre garden.
- Oct. 21, 1-8 p.m. – Belmont Oktoberfest in Stowe Park; Fall simply isn’t complete without a few flavors of the season … in a pint glass. Gaston County breweries Rivermen Brewing Company and Cavendish Brewing Company will host the first Belmont Oktoberfest on Sunday, Oct. 21 to celebrate the area’s local beer.
- Oct. 22 & 23, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day – Bootanical at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Pumpkin Chunkin’, s’more making, a kids’ costume parade and more await at this annual two-day, family-friendly, not-so frightening, fantastic fall festival.
- Oct. 27 & 28, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day – Día de los Muertos at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Honor the Day of the Dead, a Mexican and Latin American tradition, within a festive atmosphere that includes live music, crafts, food and activities.
- Oct. 27, 3-6 p.m. – BooFest in Stowe Park; Ghosts, ghouls and goblins of all ages are invited to this annual event in historic downtown. 2018’s celebration includes food and activity vendors, a pumpkin carving contest, carnival rides, games, arts and crafts, a photo booth, costume contests and more frightful festivities.
- Oct. 27, 6-9 p.m. – Nightmare on Main Street in Downtown Belmont; Come to downtown Belmont for the boos, but stay for the brews! Nightmare on Main Street will continue the Halloween fun from BooFest with its carnival rides, adding adult beverages and live music from Java Band to the mix for an evening of dancing in the spooky streets.
- Oct. 27, 7-9 p.m. – Boos & Brews Halloween Bash at York Chester Brewing Company; Bring the kids for pumpkin carving while enjoying the tastes of this local brewery as well as live music and a costume contest at Belmont’s own York Chester Brewing Company, located along the Catawba River.
Belmont has seen a real insurgence of community involvement and activity over the past 10 years, including new parks, tons of new restaurants, and even their own brewery.
I recently filmed a short tour of the town to find out what all the excitement was about;