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7 Ways to Spend Black Friday Outdoors In Charlotte

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Want to get more out of Black Friday than standing in three-hour long check out lines? We can relate!

The end of Thanksgiving should be more than just shopping, after all we are in the best weather of the year! Ring in the most wonderful time of the year with these fun activities in and around Charlotte.

Here are seven ways you can enjoy Black Friday that have nothing to do with shopping malls!

  1. Ice Skating in Uptown
  2. Christmas Lights at the Charlotte Motor Speedway
  3. Christmas Village
  4. Gingerbread Houses in Asheville
  5. The Biltmore
  6. Explore the Great Outdoors
  7. Stay at Home

Things to do in Charlotte on Black Friday

1. Ice Skating in Uptown

At the top of our list is an awesome Charlotte tradition. Holiday On Ice  is a fun way to get into the holiday spirit right in the heart of uptown. Right next to the NASCAR Hall of Fame on the corner of Brevard and Martin Luther King Blvd. is an outdoor ice skating rink that people of all ages can enjoy this Black Friday (or any other time from November 16th to January 6th).

It’s $14 for admission plus a pair of skates and if you want to bring your own skates, that’s fine too! It’s just $10 for admission only.

2. Christmas Lights at the Charlotte Motor Speedway

Another awesome Charlotte tradition is Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC.  Hop in the car and drive yourself and your family through one of the most spectacular Christmas lights display in the world. This Christmas-light show features around three million lights on a 3.75 mile course through the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

On the infield of the track is a family-friendly Christmas village including photos with Santa, Bethlehem village, food, games and 50 foot ferris wheel. As an added bonus, this village also has it’s very own Christmas drive-in where you can park and enjoy your favorite Christmas movies. Tickets are $30 a vehicle and starts at 6 PM. You don’t want to miss this.

3. Christmas Village

Charlotte has no shortage of amazing Christmas traditions! This European-inspired Christmas market is located right in the heart of uptown. The Charlotte Christmas Village is free to everyone and includes shopping, food and pictures with Santa. This is a great alternative to Black Friday shopping especially if you have young children.

Enjoy specialty European delicacies like strudels, bratwurst, sauerkraut and Glühwein–a mulled, spiced wine served warm in Germany. Yum! The village is open from 11am until dark and is located on the corner of 7th Street and North Tryon. Don’t miss it!

4. Gingerbread Houses in Asheville

The Grove Park Inn  is 304,000 square feet of beauty and luxury located in Asheville, NC. Take a trip to the mountains and stay at this beautiful hotel with a 18-hole mountain golf course, 43,000 square foot subterranean spa and an incredible view of the Blue Ridge mountains. You’ll never want to leave!

Oh, and not to mention the Sunday after Thanksgiving starts this hotel’s 26th Annual National Gingerbread Competition. You won’t believe the amount of amazing gingerbread houses that are made for this competition.

5. The Biltmore

More Asheville fun! Known as America’s largest home, the Biltmore is a sight to see. The Biltmore is known for its winery and shopping as well as it’s beautiful views. Starting November 3rd, the Biltmore will begin hosting their Candlelight Christmas Evenings which include towering Christmas trees, stunning lights and live performances throughout the estate.

So if you want to turn your Black Friday into a whole weekend, take a trip up to Asheville! You’ll be glad you did.

6. Explore the Great Outdoors

There’s nothing like the cool crisp air of fall here in the Carolinas. Why not get outdoors and enjoy it! Take a ride to The National Whitewater Center for some ziplining, biking or trail walking. You can purchase a day pass (gives you access to all activities), a season pass to use all year round, or a single activity pass if you’d like to stick to one thing.

Crowders Mountain State Park is another awesome outdoor alternative to Black Friday. Located about thirty minutes from Uptown Charlotte, this park offers awesome hiking trails and beautiful sights. Work off all that Thanksgiving grub by heading outside and enjoying that fresh air!

7. Stay at home

If you’d rather stay at home this Black Friday then why not get started on some Christmas cookie baking? Quite the opposite of exercising but… tis the season, right? Or maybe you’d rather relax and indulge on all those yummy Thanksgiving leftovers. Either way, don’t be afraid to lay low and enjoy the peace and quiet while everyone else is out fighting each other for Black Friday deals!

And speaking of food, humans aren’t the only ones who enjoy a good Thanksgiving potluck. With the weather getting cooler, pests are searching for a warm place to reside. What better option than a warm home full of food? This winter, make sure to keep an eye out for unwanted pests in or around your home. Even the tiniest openings can be a way for pests to get in.

For effective pest prevention or just a quick consultation, Killingsworth is here to help. We offer  a free guide to provide you with expert tips and tricks to pest control.  To get a kick start on pest control, contact one of our professional pest removal specialists today.

We hope that you and your family have a wonderful, pest-free holiday season and that’ll you check out some of these awesome things to do in and around Charlotte.

And, if you need any help with your yard (for all of those bonfires you’ll be hosting in the cool weather), be sure schedule an appointment with our lawn care professionals!

Happy Holidays!

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7 Ways to Spend Black Friday Outdoors In Charlotte

Bedbug inspection

How to Know if Your Hotel Has Bedbugs

Upon entering a hotel room, do you typically reach for the tiny toiletries, take a leap onto the bed, or perhaps start by inspecting for bed bugs? Knowing what to look for is essential. Anticimex Carolinas Service Manager Christian Tweed has shared valuable insights on identifying bed bugs in your hotel room and preventing them from hitching a ride back home with you. And if bed bugs do become an unexpected part of your vacation, remember that Clark’s Pest Control is here to assist!



Q&A with a Pest Professional


How do bed bugs get inside hotels?


Bed bugs are primarily hitchhiking insects as opposed to foraging ones, meaning that they get carried around on people’s clothes and belongings. Someone with an active infestation in their home can easily bring bed bugs to their hotel, but they can also be picked up during travel (airplanes, taxis, and rideshare services) and brought to a hotel room.


What do people misunderstand about bed bugs in hotels?


From a probability standpoint, all hotels will deal with bed bugs at some point in time. If you think about a bed bug’s method of travel, there’s literally nothing a hotel can do to stop them from being carried in. What I have realized is that luxury hotels are more likely to have an aggressive response to dealing with a bed bug case once it’s identified as they tend to have a higher quality of service and a reputation to protect. While this isn’t always the case, it has been my experience more often than not.

Got bedbugs? Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today!

What do you recommend travelers do when they get to their room to check for bed bugs?


Most hotel headboards hang directly on the wall. I start my inspection here before even looking at the bed itself. I have found bed bugs, their exoskeletons, and the telltale black stains they leave behind around the edges of or in the crevices of headboards. If the headboard looks clean, move on to looking over the pillowcases and comforter for any signs or stains. You can dig into the bedding as deep as you want here, but I encourage people to look over the top layer of things at the very least.


What are some lesser-known signs of bed bugs in your hotel room?


The specifics of the black stains they leave behind, which as gross as it sounds, are just digested blood as that’s all that bed bugs feed on. If the stains are on a hard surface, they will be small dots as if left behind by an ink pen and will smear into a brownish gray when moisture is applied. If they’re on fabric, they will usually bleed along the fibers making a small diamond, square or X shape.


If there are bed bugs in your hotel room, can they travel home with you?


They absolutely can, however this is easy to prevent. While staying in a hotel, keep as much of your clothing and luggage off the beds as possible. Storing suitcases in the bathroom might sound odd, but it’s an effective method of prevention.

Don’t tackle bedbugs yourself, call Clark’s at 866-781-4991!

What should you do with your suitcase if you suspect your hotel has bed bugs?


When arriving home from a trip, leave your luggage in the garage or on a porch and bring your clothes in one load of laundry at a time. If the clothes are dirty, wash them like you normally would, if they’re clean then run them through the dryer for at least forty-five minutes. Once your suitcase is empty, vacuum over it meticulously (don’t forget to empty the vacuum when you’re done), or if you’re in the right climate, expose it to heat for a few days by placing it in your vehicle (parked in the sun) or for a few weeks in your attic.


The Clark’s Solution


If you brought bed bugs back to you home, Clark’s is here to help. Our Bedbug Control service is designed to eliminate bedbugs and create a safe, comfortable environment.


A Clark’s Pest Professional will do an inspection and recommend a plan of attack to get rid of bed bugs now and prevent them from hatching in the future. Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today for more information.



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