KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: One day last week, I was driving home around 7 pm when I glanced out the passenger's window and saw a stunning rainbow stretched fully across the sky, glowing in front of dark gray storm clouds that were rushing away to the east. I was approaching a stop light. Left was the way home, where various chores awaited... but right was the way to the rainbow. My husband was driving
behind me, and I knew that if I turned right, he was going to think I had lost my mind. For a split second, practicality made its case: Don’t be silly; go home, you have stuff to do. But then another question darted into my mind: Am I a person who chases rainbows, or am I not? Once I framed it that way, the answer was easy. For kids and grownups alike, this can actually be a helpful way to make all kinds of decisions. When the moment
comes to act, it helps to ask not just What do I feel like doing? but Who am I? Am I a person who tells the truth? Am I a person who helps? Am I a person who persists when times are hard? Am I a person who stops to notice the beautiful things around me? We build identity one choice at a time for our entire lives. The clearer we are about who we want to be, the easier it becomes to know what to do in the moment, to give ourselves evidence that we are, in fact, that sort of
person. I hope the kids in your world grow up thinking of themselves as people who seek what is bright and good and full of wonder. It’s our job to show them that delight is often worth the detour.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments
to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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Join us for a celebration of dance and circus from around the globe. Festivities include performances, dance and circus workshops, and arts & craft workshops such as juggling ball creation!Saturday, April 2512pm - 4pm: Family focused programmingBerewick Recreation Center5910 Dixie River Rd, Charlotte, NC 28278Sunday, April 2612pm - 1pm: Senior focused programming1pm - 4pm: Family focused programming14008 Holbrooks Road, Huntersville While this event is FREE, space is limited. Please RSVP to reserve your spot.This event is sponsored by Culture Blocks, a community partnership funded by Mecklenburg Count
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Young Adventurers Camp offers a nurturing environment for early learners, with themed activities, water days, crafts, field trips, lunch, and optional rest time. Traditional Camp provides K–8 campers a classic summer filled with activities, trips, treats, and flexible schedules, plus leadership opportunities and optional tutoring. Specialty Camps for grades 1–8 deliver immersive, week-long experiences in cooking, STEM, coding, arts, music, and theater. Athletic Adventurers Camps keep K–8 campers active through sports programs led by skilled coaches. All camps emphasize fun, growth, and confidence, with full-day options including meals and engaging experiences tailored to each child’s interests and developmental level.
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Calling all nature lovers, families, and community champions — our favorite celebration of God’s creation is BACK for its fourth year, and you are NOT going to want to miss it! Come experience hands-on, educational fun with church volunteers and community organizations and nonprofits who are passionate about caring for our Earth. This isn’t just an event — it’s a morning of inspiration, discovery, and community! Spread the word! Grab your neighbors, friends, and family and come celebrate God’s magnificent creation with us. Let’s make Year Four the most memorable yet!
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Tuck Fest is a three-day celebration of the outdoor lifestyle that attracts 40,000 people to the Whitewater Center every April. Its schedule includes dozens of races and competitions across Whitewater’s 1,300-acre facility, performances by award-winning bands and musicians, expos, vendors, clinics and more. Tuck Fest gets its name from the Tuckaseegee Ford and Trail, a historical trading route that passes through the Whitewater Center property. Now in its 13th year, Tuck Fest showcases the best of Whitewater, all in one weekend.
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My Place, My Space is a workshop led by poet and curator Dasia Hood, centered in arts and creativity designed to explore ideas of home, safety, rest, and belonging through hands-on artmaking. Inspired by artist Mario Moore’s "In Pursuit of Home, the program invites participants to reflect on what it means to imagine or remember a space, and translate those ideas into a mixed-media artwork. Through creative artmaking and guided conversation, participants engage with the exhibition’s themes in age-appropriate ways that emphasize imagination, care, and personal storytelling rather than economic or historical abstraction. Remember, for the Spring BOGO sale, you can purchase 2 tickets for the price of 1, so bring the whole family for an afternoon of fun at the Gantt Center!
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The ‘Tawba Walk Arts & Music Festival is BACK in Old Town on Saturday, April 25 (2 pm – 8 pm) — bringing an explosion of creativity, culture, and community you won’t want to miss. Mark your calendars, gather your crew, leash up those furry friends, and find your way to Old Town Cornelius for one of the most electric, high-energy events of the season. This is a free community event.
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Svendsen's Romeo and Juliet, a sweeping fantasia for orchestra, opens the program with passionate music that vividly portrays the emotional highs and tragic lows of Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers. A Symphonic Picture from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess brings the love story to life, blending jazz, blues, and opera to tell a tale of love against the odds in Charleston's Catfish Row. The program concludes with Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, a reflection of the love between Tony and Maria and the conflict between their rival gangs, set against the backdrop of New York City's gritty streets.
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This one-week summer program introduces the science and art of glass to teens. It gives students the rare hands-on experience of learning the many facets of glass in one of the top facilities in the country. Sessions include glassblowing, flameworking, kilnforming, and coldworking.
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- Community Earth Day Festival - Sardis Presbyterian Church - Sardis Presbyterian Church, 6100 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC 28270, Saturday, April 25, 2026, 10 am - 1 pm
- Hooked on Cornelius 2026 - Robbins Park, West Catawba Avenue, Cornelius, NC, Saturday, April 25, 2026, 10 am - 12 pm
- 'Tawba Walk Arts &
Music Festival - Downtown Cornelius, Cornelius, NC, Saturday, April 25, 2026, 2 pm - 8 pm
- Run The Burg 5k, Fun Run & Health Expo - Harrisburg Town Center, Harrisburg, NC, Saturday, April 25, 2026, See website for details
- International Circus & Dance Celebration - Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center, Charlotte, NC, Saturday, April 25, 2026, 12:00PM - 4:00PM
- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Charlotte - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, Saturday, April 25, 2026 to Sunday, April 26, 2026, See link for times
- International Circus & Dance Celebration - Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center, Monroe
Road, Charlotte, NC, Saturday, April 25, 2026 to Sunday, April 26, 2026, 12-4 pm
- International Circus & Dance Celebration - Waymer Recreation Center, Sunday, April 26, 2026, 12:00PM - 4:00PM
- Summer Sparks Open House - Brooklyn Robot Foundry-Charlotte - 901 N. Tryon St Ste A, Charlotte, NC 28206, Sunday, April 26, 2026, 1:00-3:00pm
- Spring Craft and Garden Fair at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market - Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, Yorkmont Road, Charlotte, NC, Sunday, April 26, 2026, 10:00AM
- Animal Ambassador Meet n' Greet - McDowell Nature Center, York Road, Charlotte, NC,
Sunday, April 26, 2026, 4pm-4:30pm
- Chess A2Z April Webinar with WGM Zoey Tang "Think in Pawn Structures: The Key Positional Ideas You Must Know" - Chess A2Z - 10940 SW Barnes Rd 247, Portland, OR 97225, Sunday, April 26, 2026, 7PM to 8PM
PDT
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Charlotte area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more.
Our guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Charlotte area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Charlotte area? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping
a spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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