Charlotte, NC: One of the Fastest Growing US Cities and a Hot-Spot for Sports
About Charlotte
Visit Charlotte’s tagline “Charlotte’s got a lot” certainly rings true. As a young and vibrant destination and one of the fastest growing cities in the country, Charlotte is bursting with an exciting and welcoming energy. With its top-notch arts & culture, culinary, and outdoor adventure scenes, Charlotte is the perfect place to explore and play.
Featured Facilities
Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews
This versatile multi-use sports complex is one of Charlotte’s standout venues. Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews has hosted countless sellout crowds for lacrosse, soccer, rugby, field hockey, and football. The venue features 9 turf fields, 2 grass fields, a 2,500-seat grass stadium, paved walking trails, a playground, a 90-person conference room, locker rooms for teams and referees. The complex is also home of the Charlotte Independence, the city’s United Soccer League (USL) team.
Bank of America Stadium
Opened in 1996 in uptown Charlotte, Bank of America Stadium serves as the home field and headquarters for the Carolina Panthers, including training facilities, practice fields and administrative offices. The stadium can seat 75,525 fans with wide seats and state-of-the-art sound, video and scoreboard systems. The stadium also features a 50,000 square foot enclosed club level and 151 private luxury suites.
BOPlex
Bojangles Coliseum Complex, or BOPlex, is home to two of Charlotte’s most iconic venues. The Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium opened in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1955 to be the city’s first civic auditorium and sports and concert venue. Bojangles Coliseum is home to the Charlotte Checkers, the city’s minor league hockey team, and can seat 8,600 guests. The city has hosted football games, basketball and cheerleading events, and the arena can be transformed into a stellar concert venue. One of the top 200 theater venues worldwide, Ovens Auditorium has hosted countless acts including the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld.
Charlotte Convention Center
In the convenient Uptown area, the Charlotte Convention Center boasts 250,000 square feet of event space In the convenient Uptown area, the Charlotte Convention Center recently completed a $129.9 million expansion that brought the total leasable space of the building up to 600,000 square feet. In addition, the expansion created an overstreet pedestrian walkway to the 700-room Westin Hotel that sits directly across from. Visit Charlotte hosts a major Varsity Spirit cheerleading event annually at the convention center, which is also perfectly equipped for basketball and volleyball, among various other sports.
Things to Do
Explore the Brewery Scene – The Charlotte region is home to more than 70 breweries, with more set to open in 2022. Local favorites include Resident Culture Brewing Co., Legion Brewing, and Midnight Mulligan Brewery. This is the perfect year-round activity to unwind and experience local brews during your stay.
Check out a concert at the Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre – Charlotte’s music scene is bright thanks to this outdoor music venue with skyline city views. Located in the AvidXChange Music Factory, the Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre is a bustling spot in the summer months for laid back, fun live music. The 2022 lineup includes Alicia Keys, Barenaked Ladies, Goo Goo Dolls, and 5 Seconds of Summer.
Go Mountain Biking – At the 606-acre new Mountain Creek Park, an 18-mile trail network awaits for hiking, biking, and running, but especially for mountain biking. The designated bike trails were designed by mountain biking architecture firm Elevated Trail Design. The park is located on the shores of Lake Norman and features an adventure playground, pickleball court, dog park, kayak and canoe access, a fishing pier, picnic shelters and an outdoor classroom. Newly opened in 2022, this park is sure to become a regional hot spot for adventurers.
Upcoming Events
ACC Baseball Tournament – From May 24-29, 2022, the ACC Baseball Championship will return to Truist Field in Charlotte. The city hosted the event this past year, and with 59,000 fans in attendance, the event became the 5th highest attendance in the tournament’s history. This will be the 4th time the tournament has descended upon the city of Charlotte and is sure to bring thousands of eager fans yet again.
Charlotte FC’s First Home Game – Major League Soccer is coming to Charlotte! The new team named Charlotte FC will begin its inaugural season on February 6 at D.C. United. The team’s first home game at Bank of America Stadium will be held March 5, 2022, against the LA Galaxy. 74,000+ tickets will be distributed for this game. Charlotte FC will have 34 matches this season, with 6 being at home.
Coca-Cola 600 – Memorial Day Weekend will mark the 63rd annual Coca-Cola 600 race. The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the toughest and longest races in NASCAR, coming in at 600 miles, which takes 400 laps to complete. This year’s will take place on Sunday, May 29, 2022, at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The weekend will also feature a pre-concert with Chris Jansen.
Bank of America ROVAL 400 – On October 9, 2022, the fifth annual Bank of America ROVAL 400 will take place at America’s Home for Racing, the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Big South Basketball Championships – The 2022 Hercules Tires Big South Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be held from March 1-6, 2022 at the Bojangles Coliseum. Tickets can be purchased for the entire week or for single games. The men and women’s conference winners will receive a bid to the NCAA basketball tournament.
WWE Smackdown – For the first time ever, WWE Friday Night Smackdown will come to Charlotte in 2022. The event will be held at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte on March 18 at 7:45pm.
Travel Tips
Charlotte is simple to get to and tons of fun to explore. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is the 5th busiest airport in the nation and only 7 miles from Uptown Charlotte, where most of the city’s attractions are located. All of Charlotte’s major league sports are played in Uptown, making it quick and simple to travel to Charlotte to catch a big game. The county has over 27,000 hotel rooms, with 5,600 located in Uptown alone. Charlotte also boasts a recently extended CityLYNX Gold Line, a hybrid streetcar system with 17 convenient stops throughout the city’s major hubs.
To learn more about Visit Charlotte and all this city has to offer, visit their Playeasy profile here!
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