Family Fun, Triplet-Approved: McQuinn Ostendarp’s Insider Tips in the Charlotte Area

Some childhood memories stick with you forever: the first time you taste an ice cream cone, the excitement of cheering on your favorite team or the joy of discovering a new favorite spot with family.  

Growing up in the Charlotte area, I’ve had a front-row seat to some of the best kid-approved, family-friendly experiences NC has to offer. And now, as an adult who still lives there, I get to appreciate how much the area has flourished in the last 20 years – this time with a fresh perspective (and maybe a little less ice cream on my face). Here are just a few of my family-friendly favorites throughout the years:

Local arts and events

No matter my age, I was always chasing live music, festivals, plays or the arts. Guess that’s the creative in me! Here are a few that stand out: 

Grade school

• Concerts on the Green in Davidson: I’m often described as an old soul, so you know I love a good jazz ensemble. Put on May through October, bring a picnic to these fun concerts – from beach music to Fleetwood Mac tributes.  
• Symphony in the Park at Bailey Road Park: Parking and admission are free. Stop by the kids zone for some hula hooping and face painting, but be sure to stay for the fireworks! 
• Festival in the Park at Freedom Park: In fifth grade, I won a contest in art class where I had to make something out of the outline of NC. My art was on display at this festival, and it was so cool! My siblings, Renee and Matthew, and I also ate all the fudge and cotton candy we could. 
• Davidson Community Players: My neighbor was really involved with this children’s theater, so we'd always go see her perform and follow it up with a cone at Carolina Cones. 

College and adulthood 

• Matthews Alive Festival: Several years ago now, my dad and I went to this downtown Matthews festival to see Lonestar perform. He’d play their albums on the car rides to Chapel Hill (more on that in a minute), so seeing them alongside him was special. Before the show, we were browsing vendors and came across a local artists’ painting of Alexander Michael’s, a popular restaurant in Charlotte’s Historic Fourth Ward. It literally stopped my dad in his tracks. Turns out, my uncle gathered the family there after he proposed to my aunt! We gave the art to them as a Christmas gift that year. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. 
• Bulldog Taproom: My uncle plays in a band, Dead Man’s Banjo, and every holiday season they perform in Southend. All my extended family makes sure to come into town for it, and it’s the official kickoff to the holiday season for us. 

Core memories in NC

The Cornelius area might’ve been home, but I have fond family memories from all across NC.

Grade school and high school 

• UNC sporting events: We grew up going to many Tar Heel football and basketball games in Chapel Hill, one of my dad’s favorite places. He'd always say it’d be cloudy and gray on the drive there, but as soon as he saw the sign for Chapel Hill, the skies would open up and be that Carolina blue. Afterward, our favorite stops were Nantucket Grill, for half-price mile-high cake slices (the peanut butter-chocolate is the best, hands down), or Top of the Hill Restaurant on Franklin Street. 
• Freedom Park: We’d come here a lot to roam around and have picnics, but when we were toddlers, my mom organized a photoshoot to document the three of us eating ice cream for the first time. It's one of her favorite photos, and it still hangs in my parents’ house. Just look at us!
• “Dirty Dancing” cabin: Fun fact: The classic film “Dirty Dancing” was filmed partly in North Carolina! Growing up, a bunch of my family – I'm talking like 25 of us – rented this huge “Dirty Dancing”-themed cabin in Lake Lure that featured a wraparound porch overlooking the golf course and lake. There was even a movie theater in the basement where we’d watch the film every night. It was such a great location to celebrate a milestone event, like grandma’s 70th birthday! You can have your own Dirty Dancing experience when you stay at The Lake Lure Inn and Spa – it has Johnny- and Baby-themed cabins!

Adulthood

• Holden Beach: During Covid, a handful of family members and a few friends rented an oceanfront house to get our toes in the sand. Our days looked like playing Bocce on a quiet coastline and our nights were spent sharing potluck style dinners and stargazing on the porch. One thing I’ll never forget about this trip was seeing a sea turtle nest for the first time! The turtle crew had the cones set up and everything, just waiting to help the little guys to the water.  
• North Carolina Museum of Art: I used to take the Reedy Creek Trail system from my college campus to go picnic under the sculptures at the Museum Park. If visiting with little ones, grab a free Park Pack and activity guide (to borrow) at the Welcome Center and explore the grounds on your own adventure.

More statewide favorites 

• Wing Haven Garden and Bird Sanctuary in Charlotte: Growing up on Ridgewood Avenue, my mom still raves about this secluded oasis. Staff even host a free monthly Storytime in the garden.  
• Dockside Marina in Wrightsville Beach: There’s nothing like soaking in views of the Intracoastal Waterway while chowing down on some calamari or blue crab dip. Kids even get their own coloring sheet and word search!
• Tea at the O. Henry Hotel in Greensboro: The little girl inside of me was ecstatic when I was finally able to experience an afternoon in the lobby, sipping Lavender tea and munching on scones. I would’ve gotten the funfetti cookie had they let me, but I’ll leave it to the kiddos.

Craving more Piedmont-centric arts and culture recommendations? Check out insider Ingrid Keller’s favorite places.