Top 10 Things To Do In Charlotte This Weekend

Steve
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Top 10 Things To Do In Charlotte This Weekend

This weekend is going to be incredible! There will be tons of football, live music, carnivals, curling, and more!

Here are the top 10 things happening around the Charlotte region this weekend:

#1 Professional Bull Riding

The ‘Major Leagues’ of bull riding has picked Charlotte as one of its premier stops on the national championship circuit.

The competition will take place at the Spectrum Center (formerly known as the Time Warner Cable Arena) in Uptown Charlotte on the weekend of tonight and tomorrow night (9/16-9/17).

For more information or for tickets click here.

#2 Heart, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts & Cheap Trick

heartjoancheaptrick-coming-to-charlotte

Some of the greatest bands of the past few decades are coming to Charlotte’s PNC Music Pavilion tonight (9/16) at 6:30. Heart is among the most commercially enduring hard rock bands in history. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

For more info click here.

#3 5th Annual East Coast Greek Picnic 

greek-picnic-in-charlotte

The Charlotte Greek Picnic has recognized the endless possibilities to provide an experience that will centralize, revitalize and embrace all Greek-based fraternities & sororities along the east coast. The annual event creates an atmosphere to congregate, celebrate, give back, reunite and network.

For more information or for tickets click here.

#4 Cabarrus County Fair

cabarrus-county-fair

The Cabarrus County Fair is taking place this weekend – it will include all your favorite carnival rides and some of the best and weirdest foods in the region.

For more information click here.

#5 Brad Paisley, Tyler Farr & Maddie and Tae

brad-paisley-in-charlotte

One of America’s greatest country singers is coming to the PNC Music Pavilion this coming Saturday night.

For tickets or more info click here.

#6 Charlotte Roller Girls vs. Appalachian Roller Girls

charlotte-roller-girls

Tomorrow night, September 17, will be your next chance to see the hard-hitting roller derby action that the Charlotte Roller Girls bring to the Queen City.

For more info or tickets click here.

#7 Charlotte Curling Rocktoberfest

charlotte-curling-rocktoberfest

Charlotte Curling is kicking off their 2016-17 season with two weeks of Learn to Curl events! Last year, their one-day Rocktoberfest celebration was so popular that they decided to celebrate for 14 days this season – festivities will kick off this Sunday, Sept. 18th.

For more info click here.

#8 Charlotte 49ers vs. Eastern Michigan

charlotte-uncc-home-openers

Tomorrow night the Charlotte 49ers will take on Elon for their first home game of the season. Kickoff will be at 9pm.

For more info or tickets click here.

#9 Carolina Panthers vs San Francisco 49ers

panthers stadium charlotte

The Panthers will be playing their first regular season home game this coming Sunday at 1pm vs. the 49ers.

It’s expected to be in the high 80s with clear skies for kickoff so it should be a perfect day to beat San Francisco!

Tickets are still available here (starting at $69 each).

#10 National Welcoming Week Kickoff

charlotte-welcoming-week

‘Welcoming America’ is returning to Charlotte this year for a week long series of events and festivals throughout our region to celebrate ‘National Welcoming Week’.

The focus of the events is to bring awareness to other cultures living in our city, as well as to provide a more welcoming atmosphere to people from those other cultures.

This weekend the following 5 ‘welcoming’ events will be taking place:

SANGAMITHRA FOOD STALL AT INDIA FESTIVAL
SEP 17 2016 – 10:00AM TO SEP 18 2016 – 6:00PM
Charlotte, North Carolina

Festival of India is conducted every year to showcase the culture and heritage of India. Locals gather to experience and enjoy the rich history and tasty aroma of India.

LA CELEBRACIÓN DEL ESPIRITÚ

SEP 17 2016 – TO 3:00PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

Join LaCa Projects and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.

THE 22ND FESTIVAL OF INDIA
SEP 17 2016 – 12:00PM TO SEP 18 2016 – 12:00PM
Charlotte, North Carolina

Prepare to be dazzled by the richness of Indian Culture! For the last twenty years this event has drawn thousands of visitors from the Charlotte area. This is a great family event where students will find the event educational while adults will find it entertaining.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STREET FOOD FESTIVAL

SEP 17 2016 – 12:00PM TO 6:00PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

The 3rd annual Southeast Asian Street Food Festival is a grassroots community event. Foodies, family, and community members can attend this event for free. Come hungry! All proceeds benefit the SEAC youth program, which serves low-income youth development in Charlotte.

OURBRIDGE OPEN HOUSE AND INTERNATIONAL POTLUCK

SEP 18 2016 – 3:30PM TO 7:30PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

We will celebrate Welcoming Week with the families of over 70 refugee and immigrant children! Join us for our traditional international potluck and Open House while learning about ourBRIDGE for KIDS after school and summer programs.

If you think other events should be on this list or future lists, let us know – Scott@CharlotteStories.com

Cabarrus County’s Largest Building Permit Was Just Issued For A Massive New Solar Farm

Charlotte Stories
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Cabarrus County’s Largest Building Permit Was Just Issued For A Massive New Solar Farm

midlands solar farmCabarrus County’s largest building permit this summer was for a massive new solar array to be built in in Midland, NC.

It will be the county’s first large-scale solar farm, and one of the largest in the state.

Strata Solar LLC was issued a $3.5 million building permit for a 95.5 acre solar panel installation on a piece of land that was previously zoned for agriculture.

The new farm will produce 22 megawatts, enough energy to fully power about 3,000 homes per year. This clean energy will offset more than 1 billion total pounds of CO2 in our atmosphere.

They project that the farm will last at least 50 years without needing major repairs and upgrades.

Please share;

New Laws Effective October 1st Give Cyclists More Freedom and Safety in Charlotte

Charlotte Stories
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New Laws Effective October 1st Give Cyclists More Freedom and Safety in Charlotte
via Richard Masoner
via Richard Masoner

A new North Carolina law, effective on October 1st, will give cyclists more freedom and motorists more clarity as to how to share the road with bikes.

The following is included in North Carolina’s new HB959 (House Bill 959):

  • Cyclist may use full lane
  • Vehicles can legally pass on a double solid line
  • Vehicles must give 4 feet when passing or it’s considered Reckless Driving

 

The new bill came about after groups like BikeWalk NC put increased pressure on state legislature to make cycling safer throughout the sate – especially given the fact that an average of 19 cyclists die and more than 600 are hurt on North Carolina streets and highways each year.

As the law currently stands, if the center line is solid white or double yellow, drivers who pass cyclists would be passing illegally.

On Oct. 1, the state law will change so drivers will have the ability to pass slower-moving bicycles or mopeds in no-passing zones – as long as the motorist gives at least 4 feet of space to the cyclist.

The new bill also includes stiffer penalties, higher fines, and a greater chance of losing your driver’s licence for violations against cyclists.

ACC Canceling Charlotte’s Football Championship Due To HB2

Steve
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ACC Canceling Charlotte’s Football Championship Due To HB2
via Flickr user 'antisocialdalek'
via Flickr user ‘antisocialdalek’

The ACC has just released a statement saying they will be pulling all their neutral site championships out of the state of North Carolina because of House Bill 2 (HB2). This includes moving the ACC championship football game that was set to be played at the Bank of America Stadium on December 3rd.

This would have been Charlotte’s 6th year of hosting the game, and it was set to be played in the Queen City every year through 2019 (and most were hoping that it would continue even beyond that).

In their official statement they note, “As members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the ACC Council of Presidents reaffirmed our collective commitment to uphold the values of equality, diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination. Every one of our 15 universities is strongly committed to these values and therefore, we will continue to host ACC Championships at campus sites. We believe North Carolina House Bill 2 is inconsistent with these values, and as a result, we will relocate all neutral site championships for the 2016-17 academic year. All locations will be announced in the future from the conference office.”

North Carolinians on both sides of HB2 are furious at the announcement. Many who want the HB2 law changed feel that punishing citizens isn’t the way to go.

The Panthers even released a statement which basically says that they’ve always allowed transgender individuals to use the bathroom which they identify with, and that they will continue to stand against discrimination of all forms at the Bank of America stadium:

Those who don’t want to see any changes made to HB2 are even more upset at the ACC leaving.

The NC Values Coalition just released the following statement: “Today there are too many politicians willing to abandon their closely held beliefs and principles in the face of adversity. People want leaders who will stand up for what is right. How much is it worth to prevent the sexual assault of one little girl in a public bathroom or locker room? That is the question that State Senator Tamara Barringer ought to ask herself. North Carolina has stopped a dangerous local government trend to sacrifice the safety, dignity, and privacy of our children in public bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers just to advance a progressive sexual agenda. The ACC and NCAA announcements are an attempt to force the State of North Carolina to sacrifice our children’s safety on the altar of political correctness, and legislators who voted to stop this trend should think twice before they abandon our children.”

We posted a poll on our Twitter, and so far, out of 600 votes, 45% agree with them leaving, and 55% think the ACC should stay:

Do you think the ACC should pull out? Please comment below with your thoughts:

Charlotte School Won First Place For Most Books Collected In State’s ‘Give Five – Read Five’ Program

Steve
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Charlotte School Won First Place For Most Books Collected In State’s ‘Give Five – Read Five’ Program

Charlotte’s Winding Springs Elementary School just took first place in the state-wide literacy program called ‘Give Five – Read Five’ by collecting and giving away 16,530 total books.

winding-springs-elementary

The statewide summer reading campaign helps thousands of public school students have access to books over the summer that they might not otherwise have have.

Throughout the spring, businesses, nonprofits, churches and even other middle and high schools collected nearly 460,000 books for students to take home and read to help them maintain literacy skills during summer break. In addition, 220,000 books were read online with the myON Reader. Through a partnership with myON, a division of Capstone, all schools were given free summer access to the personalized literacy tool for the first time this year.

“I am so pleased that in its fourth year, the Give Five – Read Five program continues to grow and incorporate new avenues for providing elementary students with books,” State Superintendent June Atkinson said. “I applaud the participating schools, their supporting communities, and partners like myON and MetaMetrics for their continued hard work and dedication to reducing summer learning loss in North Carolina.”

Atkinson first launched Give Five – Read Five in 2013 as a way to help local districts reduce summer learning loss. Since the campaign’s beginning, nearly 1.5 million new and gently used books have been sent home with students as a part of Give Five – Read Five and similar efforts. This year alone, 137 schools across 48 districts and one charter school collected nearly 460,000 new and gently used books.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction awards prizes to schools in four different size divisions that collected the most books in independent Give Five – Read Five campaigns. The following four winners will receive a one-year subscription to a school-wide literacy tool:

  • Overall Winner: Winding Springs Elementary (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools), 16,530 books collected, awarded a one-year school license to a personalized literacy program from myON
  • Small School Winner: Aberdeen Primary (Moore County Schools), 10,399 books collected, awarded a one-year school license to Reading Horizons
  • Medium School Winner: Union Elementary (Cleveland County Schools), 5,782 books collected, awarded a one-year school license to Reading Horizons
  • Large School Winner: Don D. Steed Elementary (Hoke County Schools), 10,527 books collected, awarded a one-year site license to literacy software from Achieve3000

For more information and a complete list of Give Five – Read Five participants, visit the Give Five – Read Five website or contact NCDPI Communications at 919.807.3450.

Historic Downtown Fort Mill Is About To Get A New Brewery

Charlotte Stories
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Historic Downtown Fort Mill Is About To Get A New Brewery

Historic downtown Fort Mill is about to get it’s first small-batch commercial brewery, as well as another new restaurant.

Kuester Commercial Development firm just announced that a letter of intent has been submitted by a brewery for 3,100 square feet in a building they are redeveloping at the corner of Main St. and Confederate St.

fort-mill-brewery-2

The new brewery will also include a restaurant and is being headed up by Will Bigham, the owner of the Pizza Peel, The Improper Pig, as well as the Flying Biscuit Cafe.

According to another press release, Kuester Commercial is also redeveloping a large section of historic downtown, known as ‘the Old Centre Theatre’.

What do you think about the redevelopment of historic downtown Fort Mill?

Charlotte Is Hosting Over A Dozen Festivals And Events To Celebrate National Welcoming Week

Steve Peters
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0
Charlotte Is Hosting Over A Dozen Festivals And Events To Celebrate National Welcoming Week

charlotte-international-festival‘Welcoming America’ is returning to Charlotte this year for a week long series of events and festivals throughout our region to celebrate ‘National Welcoming Week’.

The focus of the events is to bring awareness to other cultures living in our city, as well as to provide a more welcoming atmosphere to people from those other cultures.

The mission of Welcoming America includes, “…leading a movement of inclusive communities across the nation becoming more prosperous by making everyone who lives there feel like they belong.”

photo-2-credit-national-welcoming-weekLocal organizations and nonprofits across the Charlotte region now have over a dozen events are planned for Charlotte’s Welcoming Week.

Here are a few of the biggest events that are coming up:

SANGAMITHRA FOOD STALL AT INDIA FESTIVAL
SEP 17 2016 – 10:00AM TO SEP 18 2016 – 6:00PM
Charlotte, North Carolina

Festival of India is conducted every year to showcase the culture and heritage of India. Locals gather to experience and enjoy the rich history and tasty aroma of India.

LA CELEBRACIÓN DEL ESPIRITÚ

SEP 17 2016 – TO 3:00PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

Join LaCa Projects and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.

THE 22ND FESTIVAL OF INDIA
SEP 17 2016 – 12:00PM TO SEP 18 2016 – 12:00PM
Charlotte, North Carolina

Prepare to be dazzled by the richness of Indian Culture! For the last twenty years this event has drawn thousands of visitors from the Charlotte area. This is a great family event where students will find the event educational while adults will find it entertaining.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STREET FOOD FESTIVAL

SEP 17 2016 – 12:00PM TO 6:00PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

The 3rd annual Southeast Asian Street Food Festival is a grassroots community event. Foodies, family, and community members can attend this event for free. Come hungry! All proceeds benefit the SEAC youth program, which serves low-income youth development in Charlotte.

OURBRIDGE OPEN HOUSE AND INTERNATIONAL POTLUCK

SEP 18 2016 – 3:30PM TO 7:30PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

We will celebrate Welcoming Week with the families of over 70 refugee and immigrant children! Join us for our traditional international potluck and Open House while learning about ourBRIDGE for KIDS after school and summer programs.

UNC CHARLOTTE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

SEP 24 2016 – 10:00AM TO 6:00PM

Charlotte, North Carolina

The UNC Charlotte International Festival is a celebration of people, places, and culture vibrantly displayed through exhibition booths arranged in colorful marketplace style representing the cultures of more than 50 nations.

You can find out more information or see a list of all the events here on their website.