Oh what memories! Back in the 1980's and early 1990's, this festival was called Stumptown Festival…read more Just before I was born (in the 1970's), my parents, older sister and brother lived mere blocks from here and would walk to the parade then the festival and walk through the booths. Eventually, they moved a few miles away, then my younger sister, and all 6 of us would come to the parade, then walk through the area with booths carefully avoiding the ride area as my parents could not afford to let us ride any of them, or buy the food. Fast forward to my teenage years in late 1980's, early 1990's, where we would come with friends, ride the rides, go through the booth area, buy all we wanted. My last actual time I was able to walk through the entire festival was back in 2003, when I came down to help my mother after a surgery. My last trip to Charlotte (Labor Day weekend 2018), I dragged my parents here on the Sunday. We were early-ish. We walked through some of it, but were unable to enjoy the full affect as they were still opening. This is a small town festival that is fairly inexpensive to do. Homemade items for sale. Some of the booths with items for sale are in the elementary school, which has been updated since the last time I was here. There are stages with live music, and other entertainment. A great time to be had by all. I did not get many pictures of my own as I was busy chatting with my parents, but check out the links below. Parking can be difficult at best. Crowds can be thick in places. For more information: https://www.matthewsalive.org/ https://www.facebook.com/MatthewsAlive

It was 7PM. I'd just gotten my car back (I have it on Turo, which is basically Airbnb, but with…read morecars). Having been in the house all day, I hadn't been able to keep my streak going on Pokémon Go! This being an inscrutable state of affairs, I decided that, instead of driving home, I'd head to one of my main Pokémoning sites: downtown Matthews. I arrived, parking as I do most often in the library/town hall parking lot (small town = multi-use public buildings. The court house in chapel hill is also the post office for example). I takedown all of the gyms in the area, set my guys in them, and then go Pokémon walking. To my pleasant surprise, the legendary gym I was walking to happened to fall smack-dab in the middle of a whole festival! I'm never one to turn down the opportunity at giant smoked turkey legs and deep fried Oreos - both of which are available at multiple vendors along the main walk - so I decide to stop Pokémoning for the moment and take in the event. Live music is a wonderful thing, and they have an entire soundstage set up just for it. The genre of choice seems to be bad country, which ain't my bag, baby, so I keep it moving. I recommend going at night. There are few things in life as immediately disarming as neon lights against an ebony sky, especially when those lights signal funnel cake and rides. Oh yeah, there are carnival rides in full effect. All the good hurlers, too. The ones that make your kids sick. The ones from which memories are built. Anywho, so there I am, hunting for the best giant smoked turkey leg, when I catch the Devine odor of cured pork fat. I know this can only mean one thing: bacon. There's a vendor that wraps everything in bacon. EVERYTHING. IN. BACON. I had bacon wrapped BBQ. That's right, I was in pigception. And it was glorious. I also had a pretty decent crabcake sammich (bun as set dressing only, I swear) and I cheated a bit, and got a refreshing frozen blueberry lemonade. I didn't stay long, but what I saw left a good taste in my mouth (literally and figuratively). Then I went back to catching all the Pokémon, so, you know, I was productive.

This festival just continues to grow each year! I genuinely love checking out Festival in the Park…read moreevery single year, because there's always something new to see. There's probably hundreds of vendors at this point, from food, drinks, desserts, artists, charities, jewelry. I mean there's SO much to see at this festival! My favorite part about it is the live music. My friends and I always bring a blanket and just come lay out there and enjoy the live band. This year it was actually the same singer as last year and she was great!!! Love her voice and she always sings upbeat songs everyone knows. It's always a whole vibe. We grab food and bring our own cooler and just pick a spot up on the hill and enjoy. That's exactly what we did this year too. For food I couldn't decide what I wanted so I kinda settled for a gyro and it was pretty good, all things considered. The fries we great though! Nice to have so many food options available though. I'll continue to come to this festival year after year!! Definitely a lifetime fan.

I enjoy FITP every year. The variety of vendors lets me purchase items I can't find in my weekly…read morejourneys. It's great to find something I've never seen before. I stopped by a cookie vendor, deliciousness! However, the food lines are typically ridiculously long. Not my speed. There should be a vendor who sells water only for one price. Parking is a task and requires a lot of patience. It may help to catch a ride and skip parking altogether.

On my recent visit to my parents, I was looking for things to do, and I was giddy with excitement…read morewhen I saw this, and that it was in front of the little village that I did not know was there. Oh! Happy Day! Granted, this was Labor Day weekend, and I knew the Matthews Alive Festival was going on. I did not want to drag my parents there as I knew it would be too much for them. Well, a few of the vendors had gone there to make more money, and less than 12 were here, it was still worth the trip. Fresh meat, local honey, baked goods, handmade goods, a delight to me. I am so glad I came and have suggested my siblings come when they come to visit our parents. A wonderful thing!

The Mint Hill Farmers Market is open May through September. Unlike a somewhat upper scale venture…read morelike the Atherton Mills market or the much migger Matthews Farmers Market, this one is small and intimate and driven by real Mint Hill locals for the most part. In the 2012 season, there were people that sold produce, baked goods, salsa, BBQ, all kinds of beautiful wooden things, plants, local grassfed beef and occasional other things. On most market days there are also some people from the Charlotte Folk Society strumming and fiddling away, and they are very welcoming if you want to join in. No need to be a virtuoso. This is a great place if you live close by to pick up some goodies for a weekend meal or for an hour of gardening. By the second or third time you come, people will remember you. The choice may not be as big as at the Matthews market, but I love this one just as much. Addendum: There are many locals, especially on the outskirts of Mint Hill, that sell their own produce and eggs by the roadside. If you see a sign, stop and talk to them if someone is outside. I know some that don't even use any kind of pesticide or herbicide - what more can you want?

By far my favorite festival in Charlotte. I've been attending for years and for their 10 year…read moreAnniversary they pulled out all the stops. Whole roasted pigs every hour on the hour. Three types of bacon - the bourbon maple bacon was amazing. Amazing Beer and liquor vendors to satisfy anyone's tastes. A tasting theatre with food and drink classes. Live music all day. And that's just the things that come with the price of admission. Cigar vendors, artist and BBQ vendors from the best of NC and VA top off an amazing day in Sympathy park. Not going to lie the lines did seem a little longer this year but I'm thinking the beautiful weather contributed to a larger than normal crowd. Hope they cap attendance before the long lines become the norm.

This year VIP was a complete disappointment and a rip off compared to last year. All we got was one…read morecrappy plate of BBQ and a toilet while last year we got to sample all the BBQ vendors who brought unique dishes to try, a VIP area, and an entire bottle of wine! What a waste!

This was my first time here and it was super cute. I came with my fiance and we quickly realized…read morethis farm is a great place to bring kiddos so they can experience a fun fall festival environment. As for us adult kids it wasn't as exciting. There's lots of activities, photo opps and pumpkins to peruse. But in comparison to another spot we've been to we felt like there were some options missing for us personally. This isn't a knock to Hodges, just a personal preference. Now, if you have family in town and kiddos in tow this place is PERFECT! I would definitely recommend it for a fun fall time. Parking was easy, even on a super busy Saturday. There's plenty of signage so you know what's going on in all areas. The animals were pretty cool inside the barn too.

We went back this year around the same time but instead of a weekday we went on a Sunday. There was…read morea much bigger crowd but there lots of parking. Still lots of photo opps all around the farm. We were able to do participate in some new things since it was the weekend; like their Hayrides/Tractor Ride. The line was never not long but it was something to do. The ride itself is about 15 minutes and takes you around the farm. We grabbed some popcorn before getting on it though. It's freshly popped and so delicious! We also go to visit the petting area and feed some of the goats, sheep, cows and rabbits. Our toddlers had a blast! Good family fun for the fall season. && I got a funnel cake before we left (topping choices powder sugar, Carmel, chocolate, and strawberry syrup). The wind made it colder on the pumpkin side of the farm and unfortunately they didn't have warm apple cider. I expected them to have something warm that kids could drink (non coffee). Tips: Bring a blanket for inside the wagon. Don't wear your nice shoes. Bring a tripod or stand for photos.

The 2017 Charlotte Food Fight did not disappoint. Another great event at Stumptown Park…read more I arrived right at 3:00 when the event kicked off and the crowds were already lined up in front of food trucks, which was great to see. This year there was a larger group of trucks, which I was happy to see. The secret ingredient this year was coffee! So each truck had to have one item featuring coffee, which made it very interesting. Fresh Med by far highlighted the coffee within their lamb and cous cous dish, amazing! I had the ability to taste several other trucks options and will say King of Pops had a great coffee popsicle! Overall, love the food, entertainment and beer selections from D9 Brewing. Definitely looking forward to 2018..what will the secret ingredient be???

Five stars for a well organized event with a superior turnout. A dozen or so food trucks, neatly…read morecircled in the parking lot of Stumptown Park. All sorts of foods, from sandwiches to hot dogs to fried potatoes. Each of the food trucks had a Food Fight special and you were expected to try the special and then vote. Sadly, I only managed to eat six different specials (hey, I tried!) including Wings and Chips from Wingz on Wheelz, a Dirty South Bowl from New Wrap Order, a dog from JJ's Hot Dogs, a Half Italian from What Goes Round and then some tasty Chicken Thighs from Tiger Yakitori. Oh, and three beers from D9. Music was quite good. The first gal I heard was okay, but the Charlotte School of Rock kids were awesome. That dark haired girl rocked it with Helter Skelter, but it just seems like an odd choice from a teenager. Bassist was spot on. Maybe some more seating would have helped, but it is a park. I just forgot to bring my lawn chair. So I "accidentally" ran into the Yelp table and borrowed a corner, socializing with our lovely CM Nikki and Kate T. and Christi K.

Great fun for the entire family. Lots of different…read moreactivities for all ages I am looking forward to next year when my grandchildren are a bit older and can do more.

Ad a star if you're a family near UNC Charlotte. We drove 45 minutes for this event. Be ready to…read morewalk around UNCC's campus. For us traffic wasn't an issue and parking was a breeze in the free parking ramp. There were lots of attractions, ranging from food trucks, to live music, to arts & science vendors. Everything was kid friendly, our kids had a good time. Definitely recommend this even for those with children big & small!

Beautiful place to visit, lots of amazing wines, friendly and helpful staff!!!! What else could you…read morewant in a vineyard? I've attended a paint and sip class on the property before as well as visited one other time. Both times we were greeted warmly and taken care of!!! The scenery here is beautiful and the perfect picture of the country! Highly recommend you guys check this place out, especially if you are a Midland or Locust local!!! We have an amazing hidden gem in our neck of the woods that we get to enjoy without having to go too far out or spend too much! Lovely spot for hanging out!!!

Really cute place, they do have a large sitting area outside but they also have a small garden area…read morein the back of the main office. They do have tastings available. We chose the wine flight and you get to pick 5 wines including slushies. Since we went during the week on a Wednesday it was not crowded and didn't need reservations. Also, they have $5 ski shoes on Wednesdays and I really recommend getting them. So good! They also have cheese and crackers for sale. What I really like about the place is that is kid friendly and they have non-alcoholic wines.