Live at the Lake: Your Weekend Music Guide for October 23-25, 2026

Harp and Crown LKN, 7 to 9:30 PM: What the Funk Open Jam

Harp and Crown LKN at 19930 W Catawba Avenue hosts its weekly What the Funk open jam on Monday evening. A rotating house band backs up local players who step on stage, and the elevated gastropub's kitchen runs through the night. It remains the friendliest way to hear live music on a Monday around the lake, and a good warm-up for the busy weekend ahead.

BoatYard LKN, 7 to 9 PM: Music Bingo

The BoatYard Lake Norman at 18418 Statesville Road runs free, all-ages Music Bingo on most Thursday nights from 7 to 9 PM on the lakeside deck. Quiz your song knowledge with a cold drink in hand, a fitting warm-up for the Bon Jovi and Skynyrd tribute nights already on deck. Back in Old Town, Bin 110 on One Norman Drive keeps its Thursday-to-Saturday music schedule with no cover.

Cain Center for the Arts, 7 PM: Menopause The Musical

The Cain Center for the Arts on Catawba Avenue hosts the touring production of Menopause The Musical at 7 PM on Friday, the long-running musical comedy that has turned a generation's shared experience into a night of singalong humor. A seated, ticketed evening in the 401-seat theater, and the Cain Center's biggest ticketed show of the Halloween stretch.

BoatYard LKN, 8 PM: Slippery When Wet, The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute

Friday night at the BoatYard brings Slippery When Wet, The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute at 8 PM, with tickets about $10 in advance and $15 at the door. The show is 21-and-up in the waterfront venue, and the anthemic catalog makes for a high-energy evening under the string lights. Arrive early for waterside seating, and note that BoatYard shows exclude table reservations.

Davidson, evening: Halloween March Kicks Off Halloweekend

The Town of Davidson's Halloweekend begins Friday night with the annual Halloween March, the town's trick-or-treating walk down Main Street, followed by pumpkin carving on the Town Green. Families fill the blocks in costume, and the restaurant patios stay busy through the evening. A gentle, family-first counterpoint to the tribute nights across the lake.

Old Town Cornelius, evening: The Friday Rotation

Beyond the BoatYard, Friday evening is a reliable night across Old Town: live sets at Bin 110, acoustic evenings at Harp and Crown, and music later in the night at Rudder & Rose on West Catawba Avenue. The Lake Norman Social District lets you stroll between them with a drink in hand until 10 PM.

Bailey Road Park, 5:30 to 8 PM: Cornelius Halloween Treat Trail & Outdoor Movie

The Town of Cornelius holds its signature Halloween Treat Trail & Outdoor Movie at Bailey Road Park (11536 Bailey Road) on Saturday, from 5:30 to 8 PM. Kids ages 12 and under trick-or-treat in costume along the trail and collect pre-packaged candy from local businesses, with festive games and activities, followed by a Halloween movie at dusk. The event is free for Cornelius residents and about $3 for non-residents, and pre-registration is required for children with a choice of three half-hour timeslots: 5:30 to 6, 6 to 6:30, or 6:30 to 7 PM. Check the Town of Cornelius parks page for the registration link.

BoatYard LKN, 8 PM: Skynfolks, a Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute

Saturday night at the BoatYard, Skynfolks, a Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute takes the lakeside stage at 8 PM, with tickets about $15 in advance and $20 at the door in the 21-and-up venue. Expect the full southern-rock catalog under the string lights, from "Sweet Home Alabama" to "Free Bird," a fittingly big night before Halloween week.

Rudder & Rose, 10 PM: Orange Plush Halloween Kickoff Party

Rudder & Rose on the Cornelius waterfront kicks off Halloween week on Saturday night with the Orange Plush Halloween Kickoff Party at 10 PM. Come in costume, and plan to stay late: the rebranded successor to the Tropicana keeps the live-music and tribute rotation running into the night.

Carolina Renaissance Festival, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM: Celtic Music Weekend

The Carolina Renaissance Festival in Huntersville (16445 Poplar Tent Road) marks its Celtic Music Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, with special guest musicians CRAIC, Magnus & Maggie, and The Reelin Rogues performing alongside the festival's minstrels, plus the Men of Skills "Hunky Highlanders" competition at 3 PM at The Middleshire stage. Jousting, falconry, 16 stages of music and comedy, and more than 1,000 costumed characters run 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM both days.

Lakeside Artists Studio Tour, 10 AM to 6 PM

The 18th Annual Lakeside Artists Studio Tour opens working studios across the Mooresville-area lake communities on Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM, a free self-guided tour of painters, potters, glass artists, and metalsmiths organized with the local Lion's Club. Pick up a tour map and wander between studios at your own pace, a quieter counterpoint to the festival crowds.

Davidson, all day: Crawlback, Ghosts of Davidson, and the Farmers Market

Davidson's Halloweekend continues Saturday with the Crawlback along South Main Street, the town's costume-bar crawl through Main Street businesses. For an earlier start, the Davidson Farmers Market runs 9 AM to noon at 120 S Main Street next to Town Hall, and the 90-minute Ghosts of Davidson haunted walking tour steps off at 7 PM on select Friday and Saturday nights through October.

Historic Rural Hill, all day: Amazing Maize Maze Day and Night

The Amazing Maize Maze at Historic Rural Hill (4431 Neck Road, Huntersville) runs its day maze from 10 AM to 5 PM on weekends, with last maze entry around 3:30 PM, then switches to the flashlight-and-lantern Night Maze on Friday and Saturday evenings, with last entry around 8 to 9 PM. Hayrides and the pumpkin patch round out the visit, and one ticket is valid for any public operating day during the season.

Cain Center for the Arts: North Carolina Youth Orchestra

The Cain Center for the Arts hosts the North Carolina Youth Orchestra, featuring the Youth Choir, Sinfonia, and Philharmonic, on Sunday afternoon, a showcase of young musicians from across the region. A seated, family-friendly afternoon in the 401-seat theater, and a gentle close to the weekend's music before the candy-fueled week begins.

Carolina Renaissance Festival, Day Two: Celtic Music Weekend

Celtic Music Weekend continues Sunday in Huntersville with the full slate of Celtic sets, jousting, falconry, and stage shows from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. If Saturday is packed with the Treat Trail and the BoatYard, Sunday is the easier day to make the trip south, and the village's autumn setting is at its best in late October.

Historic Rural Hill, 6:30 to 10 PM: Breast Cancer Shucks, A Corn Maze on a Mission

The season's signature charity night, Breast Cancer Shucks: A Corn Maze on a Mission, fills Historic Rural Hill on Sunday evening from 6:30 to 10 PM. The maze is lit in pink for a walk celebrating survivors and raising funds for The Go Jen Go Foundation, a Charlotte-area nonprofit helping local families facing breast cancer, with live music, food trucks, and a special pink brew. Night-maze tickets run about $30, with proceeds supporting the foundation.

Huntersville Athletic Park, 4 to 7 PM: Halloween in Huntersville Festival

The Halloween in Huntersville Festival takes over Huntersville Athletic Park (11720 Verhoff Drive) on Sunday from 4 to 7 PM, a free family festival with trick-or-treat booths, live music, a costume contest, and more. It finishes just as the pink lights come up at the corn maze, making for a seamless Sunday evening across the lake.