Community Events

Give the gift of blood and help save a life for #GivingTuesdayCLT.

Join us for the 20th annual Lincoln County YMCA Thanksgiving Prayer Breakfast at the James Warren Citizens Center in downtown Lincolnton.

Our drop off child care lets you get ahead this holiday while your child has fun with friends at the Y!

Fun, healthy 5K run for the whole family!

Join us for our Annual Frosty 5k and Kids Reindeer Run!

Enjoy a family friendly performance of this holiday favorite presented by the Harris Dance Company. Our Meet and Greet Shows include cast introductions, photos, and refreshments for the family!

Let the Y take some of the stress away from you while giving your child a fun, festive experience during their winter break.

THE 26TH ANNUAL McCROREY YMCA MLK HOLIDAY BREAKFAST

In Uptown Charlotte | MLK Boulevard and Tryon Street A Charlotte Tradition for over 40 Years

Compete in our annual golf tournament to benefit kids and families who need us most.

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

Swim, Bike, Run

Race With Purpose

Overcoming Obstacles to Change Lives

SEPTEMBER 4-7: Camp Harrison Retreats allow families to unplug and spend time together. Camp Harrison staff handles all of the activity planning and meals, which gives families the freedom to relax, socialize, and grow closer together, while enjoying all of the exciting programs Camp Harrison has to offer!

MAY 22-25: Camp Harrison Retreats allow families to unplug and spend time together. Camp Harrison staff handles all of the activity planning and meals, which gives families the freedom to relax, socialize, and grow closer together, while enjoying all of the exciting programs Camp Harrison has to offer!

AUGUST 16-19: Camp Harrison Retreats allow families to unplug and spend time together. Camp Harrison staff handles all of the activity planning and meals, which gives families the freedom to relax, socialize, and grow closer together, while enjoying all of the exciting programs Camp Harrison has to offer!

Save some green on your evergreen and give back at the same time. Starting November 22nd, pick up your tree at the Christmas Tree Lot located next to PNC Bank in Ballantyne Village. Each purchase will benefit the YMCA Annual Campaign! Plus if you show your YMCA membership card when purchasing you'll receive $20 off any purchase of $75 or more. The perfect one is waiting for you, so don't miss out!

Celebrate the holidays with a fun themed cooking party! A professional instructor will lead families in an engaging cooking experience that concludes with sitting down at the table to enjoy a game or family activity and the food you created together. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Members are invited to participate in a fitness challenge during the month of December. The challenge consists of 12 unique workouts which need to be monitored by a fitness staff. The workouts do not need to be completed in sequential order but must be completed inside the fitness center. Individuals who complete all 12 workouts are eligible to win a long sleeve T-Shirt.

Join us for the McCrorey Family YMCA's Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony! All are welcome.

Please join us for an information session to learn about our offerings, pricing, and other important details for the afterschool programs at both the Morrison Family YMCA and the Ballantyne Arts Center. Information session attendance is required prior to your child’s start-date in the program. We can start serving students as early as 2 business days after registration, initial payment, and information session attendance are complete. During the session you’ll have the chance to meet some of our Afterschool leadership team and we’ll also have time dedicated to Q&A. You will be able to register in person at the information session, though we encourage you to register online ahead of time if it suits you. Please note: We may establish a waitlist in the event that we reach our program capacity. In that event, we will continue to host our information sessions and participants will be added to the waitlist at that time. We regularly evaluate our waitlist and allow new students into the programs as soon as we possibly can. To learn about the current status of enrollment, please email us at morrisonyouthprograms@ymcacharlotte.org. **We will be covering information related to both of these programs whether you attend an Information Session at Morrison (MO) or at the Ballantyne Arts Center (BAC).

Santa Claus will be visiting Gateway Village for their Annual Tree Lighting. There will be some snacks and giveaways. You will also get a chance to sit and chat with Santa himself. There will be activities for the entire family, a reading of The Grinch and more entertainment. Bring the whole family.

Join us for a hot meal for our underserved neighbors, all are welcome to attend. Meal provided by Food Lion and prepared by various community partners. Connect to local community resources and enjoy a night of music and fellowship. Kid Friendly Event YMCA of Greater Charlotte Wellness on Wheels and Hope Street Food Pantry services will be provided at no cost on site.

Elf The Musical JR. is based on the cherished New Line Cinema hit, Elf Jr.! 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.

Have fun making memories while creating a unique masterpiece! A professional artist is on site to guide and assist. Perfect for Santa's milk and cookies or holiday gifts! Pieces are fired in the kiln and ready for pick up within a week. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration encouraged.

On December 7, 2019 from 8-10:30am, bring the whole family for Breakfast with Santa! Capture some Christmas memories as we take pictures with Santa, have crafts and games and enjoy breakfast from various local restaurants!

Santa will be coming straight from the North Pole to join in the festivities and listen to Christmas Wishes. Breakfast will be served and entertainment will include performances from the YMCA Nutcracker Company Dancers and the Chalkettes Gymnastic Team as well as story telling and a sing-a-long! Choose either the 9:00 am or the 10:30 am seating. Please register online or at the Sales and Service desk.

Kick off the holiday season at the Ballantyne Arts Center! Festivities include cookie painting, holiday art, bounce house, face painting, music, gingerbread play dough and a glow party in the theatre! Festival is free and open to the public. Optional Paint Your Own Pottery Milk and Cookie sets for only $20/set.

Have fun making memories while creating a unique masterpiece! A professional artist is on site to guide and assist. Perfect for Santa's milk and cookies or holiday gifts! Pieces are fired in the kiln and ready for pick up within a week. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration encouraged.

Our Annual Tree Lighting in partnership with NoDa Church will be held on our front lawn on Sunday, December 8th from 4-7pm. This event is free and open to the public with music, cookies/hot cocoa and crafts/activities for families.

Get a jump on your holiday shopping at our Annual Christmas on Main Street! Vendors will be available with creative gift ideas to make your holiday shopping easy this year. Vendor registration is available through November 22.

Bring your bells and holiday cheer for a holiday fun run through Dilworth. Join the Dowd YMCA for this annual fun run and start your holiday festivities with the Y! Be sure to dress for the occasion in your best red and green running attire. The first 10 participants to arrive will receive a free Santa hat! Meet at the Dowd YMCA Membership Desk.

Please join us for an information session to learn about our offerings, pricing, and other important details for the afterschool programs at both the Morrison Family YMCA and the Ballantyne Arts Center. Information session attendance is required prior to your child’s start-date in the program. We can start serving students as early as 2 business days after registration, initial payment, and information session attendance are complete. During the session you’ll have the chance to meet some of our Afterschool leadership team and we’ll also have time dedicated to Q&A. You will be able to register in person at the information session, though we encourage you to register online ahead of time if it suits you. Please note: We may establish a waitlist in the event that we reach our program capacity. In that event, we will continue to host our information sessions and participants will be added to the waitlist at that time. We regularly evaluate our waitlist and allow new students into the programs as soon as we possibly can. To learn about the current status of enrollment, please email us at morrisonyouthprograms@ymcacharlotte.org. **We will be covering information related to both of these programs whether you attend an Information Session at Morrison (MO) or at the Ballantyne Arts Center (BAC).

Camp Harrison is a blast, no matter how cold it is outside! Each December, Camp Harrison hosts a weekend getaway for youth, ages 6-16. This weekend allows campers to reunite with their friends from summer or, to get a taste of what a week of summer camp can be. Parents also get a much needed, kid-free weekend during the busy holiday season. Winter weekend campers will participate in land activities, such as our ropes course, target sports, paintball and arts and crafts. They will also sing camp songs around the campfire, make s'mores and enjoy Christmas festivities, Camp Harrison style.

Morrison Dance Performing Company proudly presents, Happy Feet: Find Your Heart Song. Come get "cool in the cold" with Mumble, our penguin posse and other fun characters. Mumble sets out to find his heart song only to discover he has had it all along. "We have to find our heart song all by ourselves. It's the voice you hear inside who you truly are." This show is certain to be a tappingly good time. Youth tickets include a craft and "Penguin Polar Experience". Tickets required for all children 2 & up.

Have fun making memories while creating a unique masterpiece! A professional artist is on site to guide and assist. Perfect for Santa's milk and cookies or holiday gifts! Pieces are fired in the kiln and ready for pick up within a week. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration encouraged.

Join us on Dec 14 for our annual Jingle Jam! Experience a variety of classes, 25 minutes each -- come dressed in your holiday cheer!

Train with our boxing coach to move, look and feel like a champion. Throughout this demo class, participants will use boxing bags to increase their stamina and endurance through a workout built for all skill levels. Classes are limited to 25 participants and everyone works at their own pace. Participants are encouraged to bring their own gloves and hand wraps.

Have fun making memories while creating a unique masterpiece! A professional artist is on site to guide and assist. Perfect for Santa's milk and cookies or holiday gifts! Pieces are fired in the kiln and ready for pick up within a week. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration encouraged.

Celebrate the holidays with a fun themed cooking party! A professional instructor will lead families in an engaging cooking experience that concludes with sitting down at the table to enjoy a game or family activity and the food you created together. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Have fun making memories while creating a unique masterpiece! A professional artist is on site to guide and assist. Perfect for Santa's milk and cookies or holiday gifts! Pieces are fired in the kiln and ready for pick up within a week. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration encouraged.

Train with our boxing coach to move, look and feel like a champion. Throughout this demo class, participants will use boxing bags to increase their stamina and endurance through a workout built for all skill levels. Classes are limited to 25 participants and everyone works at their own pace. Participants are encouraged to bring their own gloves and hand wraps.

The Ballantyne Theatre Jr. Production Company (2nd-5th grade cast) provides an intensive theatre training and performance program for youth interested in the craft of acting, musical theatre and performance. Students develop theatre technique and vocabulary with eight intensive class workshops and then apply their knowledge by auditioning, rehearsing and performing a show. Classes conclude with a professionally supported production applying the techniques studied in class! Each year features new productions! This year’s musical production is, you’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown! You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revised) is a fresh approach to the all-time 1967 classic, based on the beloved comic strip by Charles Schulz. Sally Brown joins Charlie Brown and the Peanut gang in this charming production that delights all ages!

The Ballantyne Theatre Teen Production Company (6th-12th grade cast) provides an intensive theatre training and performance program for youth interested in the craft of acting, musical theatre and performance. Students develop theatre technique and vocabulary with eight intensive class workshops and then apply their knowledge by auditioning, rehearsing and performing a show. Classes conclude with a professionally supported production applying the techniques studied in class! Production Companies Fill on a First Come, First Served Basis – Space is Limited! This year’s musical production is Mamma Mia! ABBA's hits tell the hilarious story of a young woman's search for her birth father. This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The storytelling magic of ABBA's timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, creating an unforgettable show!