Community Events

Fun, healthy 5K run for the whole family!

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

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

THE 31ST ANNUAL McCROREY YMCA MLK HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

In Uptown Charlotte | A Charlotte Tradition for over 40 Years

Perfect for runners and walkers of all levels and ages – beginner to expert

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

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.

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

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

Harris Teeter Pharmacy will host a vaccine clinic for Flu, Covid, and other vaccines. Book an appointment online using Benefit Code SYMCAVAC24. Select “Vaccines” as the appointment type and search using zip code 28277. Walk-ins also welcome. Insurance billing is available for major carriers.

Join us for the Steele Creek Community Place Fall Festival! Hosted by Christ the King Church (CtK), Javesca, and Steele Creek YMCA, this event is packed with activities for everyone to enjoy. Kids can look forward to Trunk-or-Treat, bounce houses, and hay rides, while the whole family can enjoy face painting, cotton candy, popcorn, and snow cones. Don’t miss the vendor market, where you can shop for unique items, and grab a bite to eat with food available for purchase. Plus, we’ll be holding raffles with exciting prizes to win! It’s going to be a fantastic day full of fun and community, so don’t miss out!

"3...2...1..GO!" The Adventure Guides 500, is our take on pinewood derby cart racing. Participants may enter a cart represented by a pair (dad and child) or a Crew. During this time, we will have multiple heats/races with a bracket system to determine the ultimate racer! Join us for a great time at Camp Thunderbird with all members of the Charlotte Adventure Guides program. In addition, all attendees will receive a Adventure Guides 500 patch to add to your collection! RSVP NOW or email an Adventure Guides Director for more information! PLEASE NOTE: Derby Carts are NOT PROVIDED. Supplies list and rules for the event will be sent separately to attendees.

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.

Harris Teeter Pharmacy will host a vaccine clinic for Flu, Covid, and other vaccines. Book an appointment online using Benefit Code MCYMCAVAC24. Select “Vaccines” as the appointment type and search using zip code 28277. Walk-ins also welcome. Insurance billing is available for major carriers.

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 Archery and the Alpine Tower. 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!

Come celebrate fall with Morrison Family YMCA and Forest Hill Ballantyne! Enjoy hay rides, petting zoo, inflatables, food trucks, games, and more! This event is open to the community.

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.

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.

Meet the Directors, and hear everything about summer 2025 as you join us for a virtual tour all from your living 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.

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)

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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. Don’t miss out on the fun! This session meets Tuesday 11/19 and 12/17. Book information will be sent in the welcome letter.

Join us for a night of festive fun at Camp Thunderbird's first-ever Holiday Tree Lighting! Enjoy free activities like ornament decorating, live music, letters to Santa, Holiday Sleigh Ride and more! Plus, check out exciting paid options like photos with Santa, paint-your-own pottery, and tasty treats prepared by our Chef Eric and food trucks. The Tree Lighting Ceremony starts at 5:30 PM – don’t miss the magic of this new holiday tradition!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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. Don’t miss out on the fun! This session meets Tuesday 11/19 and 12/17. Book information will be sent in the welcome letter.