Events

Dates: Thursday, Sept 25, 2pm – 6pm

Location: Hechenbleikner Lake

Join Student Involvement and Venture Outdoor Leadership for an afternoon of free food, games, music, and boating on Hech Lake!

Date: Saturday, September 27th, 10am – 6pm

Location: Barnhardt Student Activity Center

The International Festival is centered around booths arranged in marketplace style, representing the cultures of over 35 nations. The booths are staffed by UNC Charlotte students and members of the Charlotte area community. The International Festival also includes dance performances, a Parade of Nations and much more! The International Festival is open to the public with FREE entry and parking.

Date: Wednesday, October 1, 10am – 2pm (rain date Wednesday, October 8th)

Location: CHHS/CoEd Plaza

The UNC Charlotte Transportation Fair, hosted by Parking and Transportation Services and the Office of Sustainability, will highlight the diverse transportation options available to the UNC Charlotte community and will educate attendees on these important factors of transportation on campus and in the Charlotte region. This event will feature organizations from campus and the Charlotte community focused on transportation research, innovation, and making our city and campus healthier and safer for all!

Date: Wednesday, October 1st, 10am – 11am

Location: CHHS 128

These informal, discussion-based gatherings are designed to bring together colleagues from across campus to share ideas, experiences, and best practices related to faculty-led education abroad programming. This session, led by University Sustainability Officer Mike Lizotte, will focus on integrating sustainability into designing study abroad programs. Bring your thoughts, questions, and a willingness to engage. Light refreshments will be provided for in-person sessions!

Dates: Thursday, Oct 2, 12pm – 4pm (members and UNC Charlotte campus community only); Friday, Oct 3, 9am – 3pm; Saturday, Oct 4, 9am – 2pm

Location: Lot 5 (9303 Martin Village Rd)

Stock up on your fall plants! Early access sale begins on Thursday, October 2nd for UNC Students/Faculty/Staff – get 10% off with UNC Charlotte ID or Member ID on Thursday.

Date: Friday, October 3, 1pm – 3pm

Location: Area 49 Makerspace, Atkins Library

Why buy a Halloween costume when you can make your own out of reclaimed materials?! Join the Area 49 Makerspace staff to get help with brainstorming and creating your costume. You can use their materials or bring any clothes, old costumes, or other supplies you have. Drop in anytime between 1-3pm and stay as long as you’d like. Then come back anytime in October to keep working on your costume.

Date: Saturday, October 4th, 11am – 1pm (rain date October 11th)

Location: Start at Hauser Alumni Pavilion, bike down Toby Creek and Mallard Creek Greenways

Join two Sustainability Ambassadors and campus partners for an ~8-mile group bike ride down Toby Creek and Mallard Creek Greenways! This group ride is open to all UNC Charlotte students, staff, and faculty and is a great chance to meet fellow biking enthusiasts, enjoy the Fall weather, and explore the greenways around our campus.

More details and registration information coming soon!

Date: Tuesday, October 7th, 9am – 2pm (rain date Tuesday, October 14th)

Location: East Village entrance. The event check-in will be at lot 4 across from the Niner Transit East Deck 2 stop. View the Google Maps location here. 

Join the Office of Sustainability and Grounds staff for a day of beautifying campus! We will plant trees and clean up litter at a designated spot on campus. This is a great opportunity for clubs, classes, or staff groups to serve the campus community and keep UNC Charlotte beautiful! It is open to any UNC Charlotte student, staff, faculty, or alumni.

Registration is required; RSVP through this form.

Date: Tuesday, October 7th, 4pm – 6pm

Location: Popp Martin Student Union room 200

Join the Center for Wellness Promotion for a cozy, fall-themed event full of interactive activities, conversations, and resources that promote healthy relationships.

Show off your favorite sweater, enjoy fall treats, and take part in the Pledge to help create a safer, more supportive campus community!

Date: Tuesday, October 7th, 3pm – 4:30pm

Location: Halton Reading Room, Atkins Library

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to an exciting presentation by Dr. Roger Tipton, who will share insights from their recent expedition to the Arctic.  Discover how the Arctic is shaping the future of global research—and why this journey marks the beginning of a bold new era in scientific exploration.  With support from the National Science Foundation, this rare voyage into the melting Arctic ice field is uncovering critical baseline data on PFAS—“forever chemicals” that pose long-term risks to environmental and human health.

Date: Monday, October 13th, 4pm – 6pm

Location: Atkins Library, Halton Reading Room

 Thea Riofrancos, Ph.D.,  Associate Professor of Political Science (Providence College, Rhode Island), will present “Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism.”  She will unpack research from her new book that focuses on the dilemma between green capitalism’s extractive qualities and clean technologies’ production. Dr. Riofrancos will focus particularly on lithium, a “critical mineral” essential for its role in decarbonizing transportation, one of the most polluting sectors.

Date: Wednesday, October 15, 5pm – 7:30pm

Location: Popp Martin Student Union room 200

Join the Office of Sustainability and the Student Government Association for a night of learning from campus researchers, student leaders, and Charlotte-based organizations about alternative transportation and related sustainability impacts at UNC Charlotte and the Charlotte region.

Date: Wednesday, October 15, 5:15pm with light reception at 4:15pm

Location: J. Murrey Atkins Library, Halton Reading Room

The Personally Speaking series was created to share the research accomplishments of faculty in the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences (CHESS) with the greater Charlotte community. Four times a year, alumni, community partners, faculty, staff, students, and members of the general public come together to celebrate recently published work and to engage in conversation about a wide range of topics from within our disciplines. CHESS hosts the series in partnership with J. Murrey Atkins Library.

This event will feature research by Caitlin Schroering, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Global Studies and Affiliated Faculty, Department of Sociology. Based on the book Global Solidarities Against Water Grabbing: Without Water, We Have Nothing (Manchester University Press, 2024).

Date: Thursday, October 16, 11:30am – 12:30pm

Location: Virtual Event

Researchers who use community data join Sydney Idzikowski & Kailas Venkitasubramanian from the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute to explore the Data Trust—a tool integrating data from 55+ community organizations. Learn about available data, request processes, and ethical data use.

Date: Wednesday, October 29, 1pm – 3pm

Location: Storrs, Lambla Gallery

A showcase of work by students who have completed a study abroad experience or other international opportunity that reflects their newfound perspective, exploration, interpretation, cultural learning, and investment. The work here demonstrates early steps in careers that will seek to solve the world’s toughest challenges and address global issues we may not even know yet exist. 

Date: Saturday, November 1; Saturday, December 6, all 9am – 12pm

Location: Van Landingham Glen

Join Jennifer for a relaxing 2.5 to 3 hour stroll through the forest at Van Landingham Glen. Through a series of invitations, you will have an opportunity to focus on being present in the moment, deepening your connection with nature and community, and enjoying the many gifts nature has to offer. 

This event is free to UNC Charlotte students, staff, and faculty with a valid UNC Charlotte ID.

Date: Friday, November 7; Friday, December 5, all 12pm – 2pm

Location: Van Landingham Glen

Join a silent, meditative walk through the Van Landingham Glen. Led by Jennifer, these forest strolls will include meditative prompts around the practice of gratitude. Sessions may include meditative art materials as well.

This event is free to UNC Charlotte students, staff, and faculty with a valid UNC Charlotte ID.

Date: Sunday, Nov 16; 9am – 1pm

Location: Jerry Richardson Stadium between Gates 3 and 4

Volunteer to help keep Jerry Richardson Stadium a zero-waste facility! As a Zero Waste volunteer, you will work with university staff to sort trash items the day after the game into compost, recycling, and trash. Volunteers will be given a free Zero-Waste t-shirt, gloves, and refreshments and should plan to wear weather-appropriate clothes that can get dirty, closed-toed shoes, and bring a reusable water bottle. 

Registration is required.

Date: Saturday, September 20th, 10am – 1pm

Location: Reedy Creek Nature Preserve (2986 Rocky River Rd. Charlotte, NC 28215)

Celebrate monarch butterflies and other pollinators and learn how we can protect their habitats! Activities include crafts, seed giveaways, a raffle, a monarch march around the pollinator garden, a photo booth with wings and other props, free popcorn, and educational discussions about monarchs. This event is free to attend, registration is not required.

Date: Tuesday, September 23rd, 6pm – 8pm

Location: Southminster (8919 Park Rd Charlotte, NC 28210), Dottie Shelton Room B (park at Quail Hollow Presbyterian Church or take the CATS bus route 19)

Join Sustain Charlotte for a thought-provoking event to explore the question, “What would a transportation network that works for people of all ages and abilities look like, and how can we achieve that?”. Expert panelists will share insights about how local government and community partners work to meet the mobility needs of older adults, children, and people with disabilities.

You’ll learn how a transportation referendum this November will allow Mecklenburg County voters to choose a transformational investment in public transit and safer streets for all.  

Date: Thursday, September 25th, 4pm – 7pm

Location: Truist Field

Hosted by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, this free community event is designed to connect local nonprofits with volunteers, supporters, and corporate partners. This free event is open to everyone in our community—whether you’re a young professional, new to the area, or simply passionate about making a difference.

Registration is required.

Date: Saturday, September 27th, 1pm – 4pm (Please arrive between 12:30-12:45 for registration and sustainability marketplace)

Location: Oasis Shriners Hall, Charlotte, NC (604 Doug Mayes Pl. Charlotte, NC 28262)

The 2nd Annual Food Sustainability Summit is zooming into Oasis Shriners Hall for an unforgettable, high-energy, family-friendly fiesta! This isn’t just an event—it’s a supercharged, feel-good mission to tackle food insecurity while having a rip-roaring good time. Hear from an expert panel of leaders against food insecurity, and take action afterwards and volunteer with nonprofits to make a different in the community.

Dates: Sept 29th – October 3rd

Location: Online

The 2nd Annual NC Climate Week hosted by EarthShare NC will equip individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and governments to work individually and collectively on climate solutions and resilience across North Carolina. The week will feature opportunities for virtual learning and community engagement to inspire local action to benefit the climate.

Date: Saturday, October 4th. 10am – 2pm

Location: Charlotte Solid Waste Services (1105 Otts St, Charlotte, NC 28205)

The City of Charlotte’s Office of Sustainability & Resilience and Solid Waste Services will be hosting a Sustainability Fair, free and open to the public. This event will be open to the entire community, and will feature opportunities to learn about sustainability across Charlotte, play games, and walk away with treats and swag.

Date: Saturday, October 4th

Location: Catawba-Wateree River Basin waterways

The Catawba Riversweep is one day a year when citizens from all over the Catawba-Wateree River Basin come together to clean up their shared waterways. October 4, 2025 will be a day when thousands of neighbors come together at dozens of sites from Lake James to Lake Wateree and everywhere in between. It will be a day of hard work, fun, fellowship, and action!

Registration and cleanup sites coming soon.

Date: Tuesday, October 7th, 5:30-7:30pm

Location: Sugar Creek Library (4045 N Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28206)

Join Sustain Charlotte for a free volunteer training to become a Sustain Charlotte ambassador. This free training session will take place at the Sugar Creek Library for approximately 2 hours. Volunteers will be guided through an initial staff presentation about the mission and history of Sustain Charlotte and have a chance to learn about efforts being taken today to generate a healthier, more equitable, and vibrant community.

Date: Saturday, October 18th, 12pm – 4pm

Location: Innovation Barn, 932 Seigle Avenue, Charlotte, NC, 28205

Repair your things and stuff to keep them out of the landfill! Tools will be provided, and experienced people will work with you to find the best way to repair your item. Assistance with electrical and non-electrical appliances, furniture, jewelry, toys, and much more will be provided. Doors open at noon and walk-ins are always welcome. Last check-in is at 3:00 pm. Repair Cafe is free, but registration is recommended.

Date: Sunday, October 19

Location: Across Charlotte

Save the date for Biketoberfest, Sustain Charlotte’s signature event—and your chance to explore the city on an epic, family-friendly scavenger hunt! Walk, run, or bike along a designated route, collect goodies and raffle tickets at local stops, and experience how fun and easy it can be to get around Charlotte without a car.

Date: Saturday, November 22nd, 9am – 12pm

Location: Mallard Creek Greenway (at the end of the Toby Creek Greenway and campus border). Click here to view the Google Maps location.

Join fellow students, organizations, and nearby neighbors as we plant trees alongside Mallard Creek to reduce erosion, filter pollutants, and provide habitat for wildlife! This event is co-hosted by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services, Charlotte Public Tree Fund, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, and Mecklenburg County Soil and Water Conservation District.

All tools, gloves, and training will be provided, and light refreshments will be supplied. Whether you are looking for service hours or a way to give back to the community, this is a great way to do it. No experience is necessary!