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Each year, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte hosts several community and corporate events with the purpose of celebrating, reflecting and raising support for our community. We hope you’ll consider joining us at one of our signature events!

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YMCA Race Series

December 7, 2024 8:00 AM

Krueger Reindeer Romp 5K

at Harris YMCA

Fun, healthy 5K run for the whole family!

December 21, 2024 10:30 AM

THE NUTCRACKER

at Halton Theatre | CPCC

Enjoy a family friendly performance of this holiday favorite presented by the Harris YMCA Dance Company.

January 11, 2025 11:00 AM

Lake Norman Chilly Plunge

at Lake Norman YMCA

Join us on January 11th,, 2025, for our annual event on the waterfront to benefit the Lake Norman community.
YMCA Race Series

April 5, 2025 7:30 AM

Run! Ballantyne 8K, 5K and Fun Run

at The Amp Ballantyne

Perfect for runners and walkers of all levels and ages – beginner to expert
Partnering For A Better Us

April 28, 2025 8:00 AM

YMCA Golfing For Good Tournament

at Carolina Golf Club

Compete in the Childress Klein YMCA's annual Golfing For Good Tournament to benefit kids and families who need us most.
Benefiting Y Readers

May 2, 2025 8:30 AM

22nd Annual Clay Shoot

at Meadow Wood Farms

The 22nd Annual Clay Shoot will be held on May 2, 2025 at Meadow Wood Farm in Lancaster, South Carolina. Join more than 200 sharp shooters to support a critical cause.
Partnering For A Better Us

May 13, 2025 8:00 AM

Sunny Harris Hutchinson Memorial Golf Tournament

at Providence Country Club

Compete in the Harris YMCA's annual golf tournament to benefit kids and families who need us most.
Partnering For A Better Us

June 2, 2025 8:00 AM

Morrison Family YMCA Golf Tournament

at Ballantyne Country Club

Compete in the Morrison Family YMCA's 22nd annual golf tournament to benefit kids and families who need us most.

November 7, 2024 1:00 PM

American Red Cross Blood Drive

at Morrison Family YMCA - Thompson Family Community Room

Help your community by donating blood! There’s no substitute for blood. When a patient receives blood, it was given in advance by a generous donor. Visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter "MorrisonYMCA" to schedule an appointment. Streamline your donation experience and save up to 15 minutes by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history questions on the day of your appointment.

November 8, 2024 5:00 PM

2024 Fall Mom & Me Weekend

at Camp Harrison

Enjoy our nature filled campus surrounded by mountains, hiking trails, take a dip in our pool or private lake, and enjoy camp activities together with family and friends! Weekend retreats include: Mom & Me (kids & moms/ladies) with full cabin rental and individual rates available, Memorial & Labor Day weekends, and Fall Family Weekends with full cabin rentals only. (22 people max per cabin)

November 9, 2024 9:00 AM

Safe Sitter Certification

at Morrison Family YMCA - Thompson Family Community Room

Is someone you know a child interested in becoming a babysitter? Our Safe Sitter certification course will teach them all they need to know about taking care of little ones, entrepreneurship, basic first aid and so much more. Sitters ages 11-15 will gain confidence and leave with an official certification worth bragging about! Girl Scouts can earn their babysitting badge through the YMCA Safe Sitter program, as well. Safe Sitter certification classes are held at the Morrison Family YMCA branch. All classes include a one hour Volunteer Orientation so participants are ready to start building their resume by volunteering at the Y in one of our child care programs.

November 9, 2024 11:00 AM

The Yarn Craft Collective

at Morrison Family YMCA - Teen Center

Calling all yarn enthusiasts! Whether you're a seasoned knitter, crochet queen, or just starting your crafting journey, our FREE Yarn Craft Collective is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Join a warm, welcoming group of like-minded folks who share your passion. Bring your favorite project or find inspiration to start something new. We'll send first-timers a helpful guide on what to bring, so you can focus on the fun. This is your time to enjoy a beloved hobby, connect with others, and create something beautiful. This group is designed exclusively for adults. Participants between the ages of 10-15 need to be accompanied by someone over the age of 18.

November 10, 2024 2:00 PM

Camp Access Day

at Camp Thunderbird

Come enjoy YMCA Camp Thunderbird's beautiful lake-side property. Open to all, Sunday afternoons are for you! We will have a variety of open activities available as well as facilitated Archery and Paddle Sports. No registration required, but please check in at our Camp Store. Experience our Alpine Tower, Aerial Adventure Course, Riflery and play Gellyball for a fee.

November 13, 2024 12:00 PM

Wellness Wednesday

at Sara's YMCA - Community Room

Join Michele Schmidt, RYT, for a Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation program focused on fall prevention to keep people on their feet. Every 13 seconds, an older adult is seen in an emergency department for a fall, and falls are the leading cause of hip fractures. So get your balance checked, and learn simple exercises you can do at home to improve balance, strength, and flexibility! This is a free community event, we hope to see you there!

November 17, 2024 2:00 PM

Camp Access Day

at Camp Thunderbird

Come enjoy YMCA Camp Thunderbird's beautiful lake-side property. Open to all, Sunday afternoons are for you! We will have a variety of open activities available as well as facilitated Archery and Paddle Sports. No registration required, but please check in at our Camp Store. Experience our Alpine Tower, Aerial Adventure Course, Riflery and play Gellyball for a fee.

November 18, 2024 10:00 AM

Live Story Time: Proud to be ME!

at Ballantyne Arts Center

Live Story Times at the Ballantyne Arts Center will have an inclusive environment for the whole family to come and enjoy the arts. This event will have a live reading of storybooks that match this week's theme and told with the help of our audience! We will have flexible seating available and welcome you to bring your favorite blanket or stuffy from home so you can snuggle up and enjoy yourselves. After story time, we offer a rotation of sensory activities, grown-up and me dance, and a free play room. Registration required for both adult and child.

November 19, 2024 7:00 PM

Book Club

at Morrison Family YMCA - Thompson Family Community Room

Join us for our free Book Club, where community and conversation come together! In relaxed sessions, our club welcomes everyone, whether you've read the book or not. Each month, we’ll dive into a new book selected by the group, with a potluck themed around the month’s title. It’s a casual, community-centered space to spark meaningful discussions and connect with others over good books and good food. Feel free to come and go as your schedule allows - there’s always room for lively conversation and new connections. The November book is "The Women" by Kristin Hannah. Don’t miss out on the fun!

December 1, 2024 4:00 PM

Holiday Tree Lighting Festival

at Camp Thunderbird

Welcome to the Holiday Tree Lighting Festival at YMCA Camp Thunderbird! Join us on Sunday, December 1, 2024 at 4:00 PM for a magical evening filled with festive cheer. Watch as we light up the holiday tree and enjoy live music and performances, hot cocoa, and holiday crafts. This event is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season with friends and family. Don't miss out on this special celebration at YMCA Camp Thunderbird!

December 2, 2024 10:00 AM

Live Story Time: Winter Wonderland

at Ballantyne Arts Center

Live Story Times at the Ballantyne Arts Center will have an inclusive environment for the whole family to come and enjoy the arts. This event will have a live reading of storybooks that match this week's theme and told with the help of our audience! We will have flexible seating available and welcome you to bring your favorite blanket or stuffy from home so you can snuggle up and enjoy yourselves. After story time, we offer a rotation of sensory activities, grown-up and me dance, and a free play room. Registration required for both adult and child.

December 6, 2024 5:00 PM

Adventure Date Night

at Camp Thunderbird

Now hosting Fall Adventure Date Nights on the first Friday of each month for the couple that likes to try new things! Tonight's activities will be the Aerial Adventure Course and Riflery. Activities will be available from 5:30-7:30 and an upscale picnic dinner will be served lakeside at 7:30 PM. Space is limited!

December 6, 2024 5:00 PM

Kids' Night Out

at Camp Thunderbird

YMCA Camp Thunderbird's Kids' Night Out is specifically designed for elementary-aged kids! Evenings will include avariety of activities to get wiggles out and spark imagination, a delicious dinner in our dining hall, and a low-energy group activity at the end of the night, capped off with cookies and milk.

December 6, 2024 6:00 PM

Theatre Performances: Elf Jr.

at Ballantyne Arts Center

Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and that his half-brother doesn't even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas! The Ballantyne Arts Center provides production opportunities throughout the year for youth interested in performance. The rehearsal process utilizes an educational approach, providing theatrical training and direct application in a fun yet challenging environment. Professional directors, stage managers, and theatrical design teams support these quality productions featuring young performers.

December 7, 2024 9:00 AM

Theatre Audition: Peter and the Starcatcher

at Ballantyne Arts Center

The Ballantyne Arts Center provides production opportunities throughout the year for youth interested in performance. The rehearsal process utilizes an educational approach, providing theatrical training and direct application in a fun yet challenging environment. Professional directors, stage managers, and theatrical design teams support these quality productions featuring young performers. Casting is by audition only. A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates – led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own – the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure!

December 7, 2024 1:00 PM

Paint Your Own Pottery

at Morrison Family YMCA - Thompson Family Community Room

Join us for some fun by painting a piece of pottery to create a unique masterpiece! A professional artist is on site to guide and assist. Pieces are fired in the kiln and ready for pick up within two weeks. Children 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Pricing includes a large piece or two smaller pieces, individual pieces available for sale additionally by emailing ballantyneartscenter@ymcacharlotte.org. Pre-registration encouraged. Drop in no later than 30 minutes prior to end time.

December 16, 2024 10:00 AM

Live Story Time: Holidays Around the World

at Ballantyne Arts Center

Live Story Times at the Ballantyne Arts Center will have an inclusive environment for the whole family to come and enjoy the arts. This event will have a live reading of storybooks that match this week's theme and told with the help of our audience! We will have flexible seating available and welcome you to bring your favorite blanket or stuffy from home so you can snuggle up and enjoy yourselves. After story time, we offer a rotation of sensory activities, grown-up and me dance, and a free play room. Registration required for both adult and child.

December 17, 2024 7:00 PM

Book Club

at Morrison Family YMCA - Thompson Family Community Room

Join us for our free Book Club, where community and conversation come together! In relaxed sessions, our club welcomes everyone, whether you've read the book or not. Each month, we’ll dive into a new book selected by the group, with a potluck themed around the month’s title. It’s a casual, community-centered space to spark meaningful discussions and connect with others over good books and good food. Feel free to come and go as your schedule allows - there’s always room for lively conversation and new connections. Book information will be sent in the welcome letter. Don’t miss out on the fun!