Discover Waxhaw
A small town with a full calendar.

Year in Town

A small town with a full calendar.

Festivals, parades, concerts, and traditions that turn each season into a reason to gather.

Waxhaw runs on its calendar. From the first art walk in April to the gas-lamp candlelight tours in December, the town's life is choreographed in seasons — and almost every weekend has a reason to walk downtown.

Spring

Spring.

  • Waxhaw Arts in April

    First weekend in April

    Plein-air painters fan out across Main Street while gallery openings light the brick storefronts after dark.

  • Marvin Spring Festival

    Mid-April

    Family-friendly afternoon on the Marvin Efird Park lawn — kettle corn, bluegrass, and a 5K fun run through the village.

  • Cane Creek Trout Derby

    Late April

    Stocked-pond fishing for kids, sponsored by the Union County Wildlife Federation.

Summer

Summer.

  • Kickoff to Summer

    First Saturday in June

    The town's signature street festival — three stages of music, 80+ artisan vendors, food trucks, and the year's biggest fireworks finale.

  • Waxhaw Concert Series

    Thursdays, June–August

    Free concerts on the downtown green — Americana, soul, and bluegrass under the magnolias.

  • Fourth of July Picnic

    July 4

    Old-fashioned community picnic at the Museum of the Waxhaws with a flag-retirement ceremony at dusk.

Autumn

Autumn.

  • Waxhaw Scottish Games

    Mid-September

    A nod to the town's Scots-Irish roots — caber toss, pipes and drums, clan tents, and a single-malt tasting tent for the grown-ups.

  • Heritage Day Festival

    Late September

    Living-history demonstrations from blacksmiths, weavers, and Catawba interpreters; antique tractor parade down Main.

  • Halloween on Main

    October 31

    Downtown shops close the street for trick-or-treating beneath thousands of strung-up jack-o'-lanterns.

Winter

Winter.

  • Waxhaw Christmas Parade

    First Saturday in December

    One of the oldest small-town Christmas parades in the Carolinas — horses, antique cars, marching bands, and Santa on the last float.

  • Candlelight Christmas at the Museum

    Mid-December

    The Museum of the Waxhaws opens its 1840s log cabin and farmstead by candle and lantern only.

  • First Night Waxhaw

    December 31

    Family-friendly New Year's Eve — chalk artists, ice carving, live music, and a 9 p.m. countdown for the kids.

Downtown Waxhaw

A Town That Shows Up

If you live in Waxhaw, you'll see your neighbors at all of these.

Weekly & Monthly Rhythms

Recurring fixtures beyond the festival calendar.

Waxhaw Farmers’ Market

Saturday mornings, April through November, on the green between Main and Church. Forty-plus producers from Union, Anson, and Lancaster counties. The most consistent town gathering of the year.

First Friday Art Walk

First Friday of every month — galleries, studios, and shops stay open until 9 p.m. with live music on three street corners and food trucks parked along Broome Street.

Antique Days

Third Saturday each month brings dealers from across the Carolinas to the Waxhaw Antique District — a row of converted warehouses on the south side of the rail line.

Sunday Suppers on the Green

June through September, community-style picnics under the magnolias with rotating local chefs hosting under a single big tent. BYO blanket and wine.

Movies in Marvin Efird Park

Friday-night outdoor films from late May through early August on a 30-foot inflatable screen. Free; bring a low chair.

Charitable & Civic Tradition

Events that quietly fund the town’s nonprofits.

Run for the Roses

Spring 10K and half-marathon that begins and ends on Main Street, benefiting Loaves & Fishes Waxhaw. The course winds through Cuthbertson, Skyecroft, and Marvin neighborhoods.

Waxhaw Rotary Oyster Roast

Mid-November coastal-style fundraiser at the Museum of the Waxhaws benefiting youth scholarships — one of the most heavily attended adult fundraisers of the year.

Empty Bowls

Late winter ceramicist-led dinner at the Brick House Collective: handmade bowls, simple soup, proceeds to the regional food pantry network.

Carolina Pediatric Cancer Gala

Black-tie evening at Firethorne Country Club benefiting Levine Children's — a long-standing fixture on the southern Union County calendar.

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Related guides.

Historic Downtown

Where most festivals are anchored.

Read the guide →

Dining Guide

Tables for the weekend you're in town.

Read the guide →

Family Life

Weekend rituals and traditions.

Read the guide →