I went for two days. I parked on the street which was challenging with the meters. The final day…read morehad free parking which was great. It wasn't extremely busy when I went, on purpose. I loved exploring and trying to various foods. You can buy coins in person or on line. The coins are what you have to use. I do wish the drinks were not samples as it is usually hot. I understand food samples but drinks so be regular size and allow people to purchase them. Loved the food that I tried. I will be back again. I appreciate getting out and exploring my area and learning more about local businesses.

I honestly did not love the crowds and the long lines on a 90 degree day . However, the items I did…read moremanage to Taste were good, I regretted that I did not go around 11 am before it got hot. The walking and lack of seating was truly exhausting.

This was my 2nd year in a row going and I got to bring my bestie who was in town visiting. We had a…read moreblast!!!! There were no crazy long lines while we were there, which is extremely commendable. I feel like so many Charlotte festivals oversell their events for money and then the attendees suffer because you spend all your time waiting in long lines. But this crew knew what they were doing and I thank them! Everyone we went up to for a sample was super informative and nice. We really had a blast. Definitely going again next year! Great event, great organization!

I ventured out to the South Wine & Hops Festival where I tasted some amazing wines and met some…read moregreat vendors like Leslie at Pink Daisy Candle & Body Company, and the stylish ladies from Wilder & Soul boutique. There were several representatives from the surrounding apartment buildings, and lightning patrons of the amenities at their apartment, buildings; Shaquana & Nichole from the Penrose Southend apartments (South Ends luxurious dream apartments), Tyler from SkyHouse uptown apartments which have breathtaking views from both of their 24 story high-rise apartment buildings with plenty of amenities on the top floor and Daquan from the Savoy uptown who was excited to share information about their pet friendly, mid -rise building conveniently located in the heart of Charlotte, with a resident favorite all access live podcast studio in the lower lever parking deck. A few other exceptional vendors that deserve a shoutout were Shanon from Touché Skincare, who has been making homemade products for 13 years (her products are featured at the Gantt Center and at CLT Douglas airport). One more vendor that caught my attention was Thomasina from Spa N Party; her products were so aromatic that you could smell them beyond the smell of libations Back to the wine; Shayla one of the volunteers poured me a taste of the most delightful sangria called "Pura Sangria," (which quickly sold out), but and another fave amongst the pack was the Apple Cider hops. The event was sponsored by Lenny Boy Brewery, who did a great job with this event. All of the wines and hops featured at event are served at Lenny Boys Brewery so if you didn't come out to the event, you can stop in for a taste any time.

After hearing about the Yiasou Greek Fedtival for years, my husband and I finally decided to…read moreventure to South End to see what it was all about. I can tell you that parking was one of my biggest deterrents in going. But I found three parking garages just a little over a half mile from the festival, making parking a non-issue with just a short walk - * Design Center garage - 240 Doggett St, $8 all day Sat & Sun * 100 West Worthington garage - $10 all day Sat & Sun * 110 East Blvd garage - $5 all day Sat & Sun We went early on Saturday, just after they opened. There are festival rides for the little ones, vendors/crafts, dancers and musical performers, tours, and of course, food. I was a little disappointed with the crafts. Other than the couple of vendors selling sterling silver items, most of the jewelry seemed of the quick-to-tarnish variety. I wasn't interested in purchasing any clothing, but they also had olive oil, Greek knick-knacks and home goods, and honey vendors. We decided against getting lunch there and headed straight for dessert, with the baklava sundae. This desert is HUGE, and my husband and I easily shared one. The topping was plentiful, and the ice cream was of high quality. Most of the "staff" working there are volunteers. I know this event takes a village to pull off, and we were impressed overall with the efficiency of the entire operation. While we didn't stay long, the baklava sundae alone will probably bring us back every year!

The chicken pita was bland and the fries were old. The pastry dough balls were the tasty and hot!read more

This little Yelp profile deserves an upgraded, & a recent review. This is one of the best beer…read morefestivals that Charlotte has to offer. The weather this year was perfect. Not terribly hot, but blue skies and plenty of beer. No, I don't think that beer is usually included in a weather forecast - but maybe it should be! Blue skies and 100% chance of local beer and swag. This festival seems to be very well organized and attended. You're able to camp, if that's your preference, all weekend! I did not, as I am very spoiled and like camping at home, in my house, with the A/C on - but I know that some people like it. TONS of local breweries come out for this festival and offer unlimited samples on Saturday, and you can vote for your favorite brewery! Food trucks were just up the hill, I don't know if this is the norm as this was my first time attending. A little out of the way, but not a pain. There are booths with local crafts and goodies too, if that's more your pace. Bring lots of sunscreen, as the festival takes place in an open field on Rural Hill grounds, and there's some (but not much shade). Or you can hide from the sun under one of the beer tents. Rural Hill is gorgeous, I'm glad this festival went so well this year as I know that they've been struggling with keeping events on track in the last year. This is definitely something to put on your calendar - local beers, friendly beer reps, food trucks, live music, local crafts and beautiful scenery! Win win win win win win.

Myself, some friends and several other thousands of people stopped by the 2nd annual North Carolina…read moreBrewers and Music Festival and it was a very well attended event for certain. The location of Rural Hill was a great selection for them because of all the open space it provided for people to move around. It's remote location and many acres let people pretty much have the run of the property and you didn't get that somewhat kettle'd in feeling that the Octoberfest can bring on. The food vendors they had were pretty limited with there only being a hot dog stand, hamburger stand and I believe a BBQ stand but amazingly enough they didn't seem to run out of food (while we were there) so if you wanted to grab a bite to eat there was at least food to be had. There was also the music/bands on the main stage but I'd say about 80% of the attendees were only there for the beer tasting. They seemed to do a very good job of representing a lot of North Carolina Brewers and there were probably about 12-14 tents up handing out the samples of sweet hoppy deliciousness. I gotta get on to the reason I only gave this event 3 stars though and that is because of the poor event planning that seemed to go into this with regards to being able to accommodate the large crowd they had. My friends had prepaid tickets and I decided I would just eat the additional 5$ charge and get my ticket at the gate for the beer tasting. We probably showed up at around 130 and the line for tickets was at least 150 people deep. They seemed to do a pretty good job of moving the line along but mid way through a woman came out and announced that they were no longer selling tickets for the beer sampling because they were afraid the beer vendors would run out of beer. Right then and there many people just peeled out of the line and went on their merry way to other probably anywhere else the could get a cold draft. With my friends already inside I was pretty much committed to the event or else I would have up and left myself but I figured what the hell. I'll just pay the 20$ and claim designated driver rights so my friends can have a good time. Once inside it was amazing to see the lines at the beer tents. They were probably at least 100 people in each line and moving rather slowly. I tagged along with my friends as they hit each of the tents in succession. The vendors would give you a small plastic cup and for your sample you'd have probably 4 ounces. Nothing unreasonable there or anything you wouldn't expect for a beer sampling but after you had hit one vendor you would have to immediately go to the next line and begin your wait all over again. From what I could tell they probably needed at least double the number of beer tents to support the number of people they had in attendance. We ended up leaving after the last of the free tastings came and went and by that time most of the beer vendors had packed up and left because they ran out of product to hand out. Oh yeah, and the first keg was kicked probably around 3pm and that just added to the other lines becoming longer. Overall, it is a great idea for a event (weather permitting as always) for people who like to get out for a beer tasting. I'm sure the promoters will rave about it being a roaring success but when you have people being turned away at the gate or having to spend 30$-35$ just to stand in line all day it comes off as kind of "ehh". Until they get a better handle on how many people will be in attendance and scale the event to suit everyone I'd say it's a flip of the coin on whether or not you should check it out. Lastly, mad props to the Lonerider folks. They seemed to have a endless supply of beer and their staff was keeping the cups topped off and line moving as fast as they possibly could.

If you're a history buff, this might be worth a stop. Actually, even if you're not, this might be a…read moregood stop once at least. The grounds are beautiful and very peaceful. We visited on a Tuesday afternoon and hardly anyone else was there, so it was really quiet and relaxing. Most of the grounds have are shaded by trees, so even though it was a hot day (in the high 80s), it was pleasant walking around. What was a disappointment was that we couldn't enter any of the buildings, so the self tour was only to see the exteriors. The exhibits upstairs were interesting, too. One was on political cartoons and the other was on philanthropy; both worth a visit!

Parking is a breeze. It's a lovely structure. There is a flow to this place…read more We arrived about 2PM on a sweltering Friday in August. What a lucky day that for this entire month admission is free, and we were just in time for a guided tour! We viewed the grounds of Hezikiah Alexander's homestead. Our tour guide and group were all terrific. Everyone was eager to learn and respectful of the exhibition and each other. The tour lasted about an hour with great sensory experiences in the garden and it was just the right level of audience interaction. As an African American person, I was appreciative to the mention of the enslaved people who ran this massive house. The kitchen area was really interesting to me, but there were so many spider webs and bugs all around.... I was concerned. The maintenance/cleaning staff should come in there for a quick visit. At the end our tour, the guide rung a gigantic bell and explained the symbolism of the hornet for Charlotte, North Carolina. It was inspiring and quite bad a$$ery. As a British soldier beat a retreat out of town he remarked "this place is just a hornets nest of rebellion!" As an independent colony from the crown, Charlotteans have proudly sported the symbol of the hornet since then. The plight of indigenous people was very lightly addressed with a terrible exhibition of a red dress to bring awareness to missing and murdered indigenous women. They really should seek to create an exhibit more inclusive, relevant and respectful to the original inhabitants of this land. That too is the history of Charlotte.

As someone who moved here from the Bay Area and is still finding my favorite outdoor spaces in…read moreCharlotte, I'm always on the lookout for places that offer a little peace and beauty in the middle of a busy day. The McGill Rose Garden absolutely delivered on that. This is truly a beautiful venue--lush flowers everywhere, winding walk paths, and plenty of places to sit quietly and just take it all in. It's the kind of space where you can slow down, clear your head, and quite literally stop and smell the roses. I found it to be a wonderful spot for reflection, a casual stroll, or simply enjoying nature without needing to leave the city. One of the things I especially appreciated is that you can enhance the experience with a visit to the wine bar onsite, Rosie's Wine Garden, where you can grab a coffee, cocktail, or glass of wine and then wander the grounds at your own pace. It adds a relaxed, almost European feel to the whole experience. A quick heads-up: parking can be a bit tricky, as the entrance is off a busy street, so just take your time and be patient when pulling in. Once you're there, though, it's well worth the effort. Bottom line: If you're looking for a small but charming botanical-style garden in Charlotte--a quiet place to reset, reflect, and enjoy the outdoors--this is a lovely little gem. For me, it checked all the boxes and has become a welcome respite in the middle of a busy day.

Talk about a hidden gem! This was a great place to get coffee, wine and/or a snack and hang out for…read morea while. Rosie's Coffee and Wine is adjacent and service there was super friendly and fast. There is indoor seating there, but the gardens have little twists and turns and different areas to sit, too. When we visited it wasn't too busy, so we had our choice of tables. There was a birthday or bachelorette type of party in another part of the garden.

We absolutely loved our visit to the family-friendly Almond Farm. Initially, we were a little put…read moreoff by the cost. We bought tickets online for about $16 each, including my toddlers. But hear me out!! It's definitely worth it. Buckle up, this might be long. We visited on a Saturday morning for the Fall Festival & Candy Dump. We arrived around opening (10am). The parking lot is very large and convenient to the entrance. The check-in staff members were so welcoming and friendly. Check-in was quick and easy. The pumpkins were set up at the entrance. There are also a few cute places to take pictures near the entrance. From there, the sky is the limit. We started at the tricycle racetrack then moved to the playground, which has plenty of benches for adults to watch their little ones. Then we moved to the Sand Hill. My kiddos loved all the dump trucks and the sit-on diggers. My husband and I had a quick game of basketball before moving to one of the blow-up slides. While waiting for the wagon ride , we visited the animal pens. My boys loved petting the cow, horse and sheep and seeing the turkey and chickens. For a small cost, you can purchase feed for the animals. Thankfully, they have a hand washing station onsite. The wagon ride is included in the ticket price and was a nice length; not too long & not too short. We had just enough time to visit the corn barn and grab a snack from their concession house. In my opinion, everything was decently priced. Service was quick and the food/drinks were hot. The candy dump was better than we could have imagined. They were kind enough to provide bags for the kiddos. The farm's owner offered a few warm words of appreciation then they loaded up the diggers. Although there were a lot of kids there, they spread the candy out so it didn't feel overwhelming. My toddlers had a blast and the older kids were so kind and patient with them. We left after the candy dump (my kids were exhausted ). There was so much we still didn't get to. They have a corn maze, an excavator slide, more bounce houses, a train and more. Everyone we met was friendly and helpful. And did I mention, my kids were TIRED!! We'll definitely be back.

Love going here for their fall festival. They do a tractor drop candy and there is plenty to do for…read morekids all ages!

A nice garden but a little boring in the summer. There weren't very many blooms. I appreciated the…read morenatural kids area- it had books, wagons, a little bridge. Decent shade coverage. We stayed about an hour with our toddler. It's fun- but not somewhere I'd spend the $10 (for people over 10) often given the other options around.

Very relaxing atmosphere. Gorgeous and a fun little activity to do. Worth the entrance fee.read more