Arts & Entertainment for Less
Free for All
Enjoy free admission to these museums on specific days
Levine Museum of the New South
Appeals to: Southern history lovers
Free Day: Sunday
museumofthenewsouth.org
Mint Museum Randolph and Uptown
Appeals to: Art aficionados
Free Day: Tuesday, 5-9 p.m.
mintmuseum.org
ImaginOn
Appeals to: Toddlers to teens
Free Day: Every day (Tue-Sun)
imaginon.org
Wells Fargo History Museum
Appeals to: Banking history buffs
Free Day: Every day (Tue-Sat)
wellsfargohistory.com/museums
Going to see a concert at The Fillmore Charlotte or Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre? Avoid the service fees (up to $14) you’re forced to pay when buying online through Live Nation or Ticketmaster and show up in person at the box office at NC Music Factory, where there’s only a flat $5 ticket fee. 704-916-8970, fillmorecharlottenc.com
To a Crawl
Charlotte is home to two regular gallery crawls, which are a fun way to learn more about art as well as to dis- cover hidden neighborhood gems. Not only are these gallery crawls free to attend, but some of the galleries and vendors also offer com- plimentary wine and snacks during the evening event.
The NoDa Gallery Crawl takes place every first and third Friday. There aren’t many actual galleries left in NoDa, but the few that are open their doors, and other spaces become pop- up galleries for the night. Plus, many artists set up on the street. Meanwhile, a dozen or more bars and restaurants will feature live music, often for free. Start at the intersection of North Davidson and East Thirty-sixth streets and spread out from there. noda.org
The South End Gallery Crawl is held the first Friday of each month. It features fourteen art galleries (the most in the city) along Camden Road and surrounding streets, and each month there are special presen- tations and exhibit openings. southendclt.com
Connect with Culture—and Save!
A mere $50 donation to the Arts and Science Council earns you the Connect with Culture card, which pro- vides buy-one-get-one deals at more than twenty local cultural groups, including Actor’s Theatre, Theatre Charlotte, and Discovery Place. Free tickets to those three alone make up for the donation. The fund drive kicks off in January, but you can give anytime. artsandscience.org
A mere $50 donation to the Arts and Science Council earns you the Connect with Culture card, which pro- vides buy-one-get-one deals at more than twenty local cultural groups, including Actor’s Theatre, Theatre Charlotte, and Discovery Place. Free tickets to those three alone make up for the donation. The fund drive kicks off in January, but you can give anytime. artsandscience.org
In late January, Blumenthal Performing Arts will hold its annual Winter Tip Top Sale, a twenty-four-hour window offering buy-one-get-one- free tickets to more than twenty upcoming shows. blumenthalarts.org
Bank of America’s Museums on Us program offers free admission to six Charlotte museums during the first weekend of each month for BofA/Merrill Lynch card holders. museums.bankofamerica.com
- Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
- Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture
- Levine Museum of the New South
- Mint Museum Randolph
- Mint Museum Uptown
- NASCAR Hall of Fame
Heading out of town for your theater fix? Skip the lines (and avoid having to play the odds) at New York City’s TKTS booth and go to broadwaybox.com for advance deals on tickets. The site offers great discounts for Vegas shows too.
