Neighborhoods all over Charlotte offer lots of options for deeply-planned and spur-of-the-moment activities for day or night out. Whether you’re looking for something free, budget-friendly, or totally splurge-worthy, here are a few ideas for partnered outings in Charlotte.
FREE
Outdoor movie night (Camp North End)
Camp North End hosts a free outdoor throwback movie night every Thursday in October. The event happens rain or shine, at Crossroads Cinema near their Ford Building.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and movies begin at 7:30 p.m. Here’s the movie schedule for this month:
- 10/6 – Jumanji
- 10/13 – Ghostbusters
- 10/20 – The Addam Family
- 10/27 – Hocus Pocus
Location: Camp North End’s Ford Building, 1774 Statesville Ave.
Price: FREE
Experience art together (Uptown)
The Mint Museum offers free admission on Wednesday evenings between 5 and 9 p.m. Art lovers and creative crushes are welcome to take in both local and international artists at one of the largest art institutions in the Carolinas.
Location: 500 S Tryon Street
Hours: 5 – 9 p.m
Price: FREE
Have a fresh air date (Fort Mill, S.C.)
Anne Springs Close Greenway has free admission on Thursday evenings from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Fort Mill, SC. Bring a partner to the greenway for fresh air and conversation. Chat and observe nature along one of their scenic hiking trails. Afterward, you might choose to grab beer or coffee and at the greenway restaurant, Gateway Canteen.
Location: 2573 Lake Haigler Drive, Rock Hill, S.C.
Hours: Thursdays, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Price: FREE
BUDGET-FRIENDLY
Grab coffee at a vintage bookstore (Charlotte’s West End)
Archive CLT is a Black-owned and inspired vintage cafe where local artists and entrepreneurs love to hang during the day. The cafe sells ethically-sourced coffee, locally-made treats, and specialty drinks like lattes and hot tea. The atmosphere is relaxed and is perfect for a first date meeting or casual outing with someone well-known.
Location: 2023 Beatties Ford Road, Suite D
Hours: Mon-Fri, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat-Sun, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Total cost for this date: About $20
Visit a local pumpkin patch (Mooresville, N.C)
Make a reservation online at Carrigan Farms to go to the pumpkin patch with your partner. Hop on a hayride, find the perfect pumpkin, and hit up the food track for some fall treats. Reservations start at 10 a.m.
Carrigan Farms becomes Scarrigan Farms on weekends in October for heart-racing frights.
Location: 1261 Oak Ridge Farm Hwy , (Intersection of 150 & 152), Mooresville, NC 28115
Hours vary.
Total cost for this date: About $30
Try a partnered workout (Camp North End)
You vs. Yourself (YvY), a Black-owned fitness center in Camp North End, hosts workout classes on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Drop into a class with your partner to work up a sweat or spark friendly competition. Classes like yoga and dance cardio are a great alternative to the usual night out.
Location: 1701 N. Graham St., Suite 112.
Class times vary.
Total cost for this date: About $40
SPLURGE-WORTHY
Book a couples massage (at home)
Angelic Touch Therapeutic Massage is a Black-owned mobile massage therapy service. Book a couples massage at home to unwind and renew your bodies. After the massage, stay in your robes and order pizza from a locally-owned spot, like Bird Pizzeria, and cue up a movie for the ultimate “Netflix and Chill.”
Total cost of the date: About $250
Get tickets to the opera (Uptown)
Opera Carolina’s 2022/2023 season has several shows worth seeing. This fall, Tosca, a passionate opera by Giacomo Puccini, is playing through the month of October. The show focuses on lust and betrayal, perfect conversation starters for a date night. If you and your date have never been to an opera performance before, take each other and share the experience! Enhance the experience by making a dinner reservation at a nearby restaurant in Uptown, like Forchetta.
Location: Belk Theater, 130 N Tryon Street
Total cost of the date: About $400
Staycation at the boardwalk (University area)
The Shoppes at University Place, commonly called “the boardwalk”, is a great place to plan a staycation. Combine dinner, paddle boats in the early evening, a few glasses of wine, and an overnight stay in a suite at the Hilton Charlotte University Place to create the ultimate splurge-worthy experience. Begin the date by going for a paddle boat ride together then try a few starters and entree favorites at Boardwalk Billy’s. Once dinner is done, enjoy views of the lake and conversation on the patio at Wine Vault. End your night by staycationing in one of the Hilton’s grand suites, like the one-bedroom lake view suite.
Location: J.M. Keynes Drive, University area
Total cost of the date: About $400
Article’s main image, Movie Night at Camp North End via @corrine.photo
