FanFare: Concerts, Caravaggio & Corn Dogs

October 8, 2026

Phil Vavra Powered By Bragg Financial

The incredible exhibition, Caravaggio | Revolution: Baroque Masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation, closes October 25^th at the Mint Museum Uptown (500 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte). If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend getting over there soon. This week’s edition of FanFare features a companion concert that will enhance your understanding and appreciation of the visual experience. The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is also starting its Classical Series this weekend, and two state fairs are about to get underway. Read on!

Caravaggio in Concert

7^th Street Concerts* and the Mint Museum* are presenting Murder, Music & Caravaggio at St. Peter’s Episcopal Parish Hall (115 W. 7^th Street, Charlotte) on Friday, October 9^th at 7 p.m. This theatrical production explores Caravaggio’s artistic vision and violent life through a newly created pastiche opera assembled from scenes by Bach, Stradella, Lully, Monteverdi and other Baroque composers. October 9.

CSO + Orion Weiss

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra* kicks off the 2026-27 Classical Series at Belk Theater (130 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte), Friday, October 9^th and Saturday, October 10^th at 7:30 p.m. Music Director Kwame Ryan and the orchestra will open the concert with CSO Spotlight Artist Levi Taylor’s One Foot After the Other. Then, renowned pianist Orion Weiss takes the stage for Samuel Barber’s Piano Concerto. And the evening concludes with Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s evocative Scheherazade. October 9-10.

It’s Pronounced EE-fa

Grammy-winning folk singer Aoife O’Donovan performs with the Winston-Salem Symphony* and members of the Winston-Salem Choral Academy, at Reynolds Auditorium (301 N. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem) on Saturday, October 10^th at 7:30 p.m. The Boston native will perform music from her latest collection, All My Friends. October 10.

Organ at Davidson

    Organ at Davidson is now in its 21^st season and the next recital features Mooresville native Chase Douthit at Davidson College Presbyterian Church (100 N. Main Street, Davidson) on Sunday, October 11^th at 3:00. Douthit is the Assistant Music Director and Organist at Trinity Baptist Church in Mooresville. His program will include works by Nicholas Bruhns, John Cook, Felix Mendelssohn/W.T. Best, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, and Henri Mulet. Admission is free. October 11.

Old Fashioned Hymn Sing

The Piedmont Choral Society is presenting an afternoon of beloved traditional hymns, hymn stories, and anthems at Calvary Lutheran Church (950 Bradley Street, Concord) on Sunday, October 11^th at 3 p.m. You’re invited to sing along as the memories come flooding back. Admission is free but you’re asked to bring canned goods in support of Cooperative Christian Ministries (CCM) efforts to feed the hungry in our area. October 11.

Nordic Folk

The Cain Center for the Arts* (21348 Catawba Avenue, Cornelius) welcomes award-winning Danish folk trio Stundom on Sunday, October 11^th at 6 p.m. Playing the violin, cittern, and piano, the group blends Nordic folk traditions with classical chamber music and symphonic elements. October 11.

Charlotte Strings Collective

The Davidson College* Department of Music Concert Series presents the Charlotte Strings Collective at the Sloan Music Center’s Tyler-Tallman Recital Hall (323 Concord Road, Davidson) on Monday, October 12^th at 7:30 p.m. The program will include works by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges; William Grant Still; Adrian Gordon; Charlotte composer Madison T. Bush; and poet Maurice Norman. Admission is free, but you must reserve tickets. October 12.

RAWRRR!!!

The new Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs has opened at the Schiele Museum of Natural History (1500 E. Garrison Boulevard, Gastonia). The 4,200 square foot, immersive space is one of the largest dinosaur exhibits in the Carolinas with authentic fossils and full-bodied prehistoric skeleton casts posed together in realistic settings. Be sure to take advantage of Free Tuesdays at The Schiele. You can tour the museum free of charge between 4 and 8 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. Planetarium shows are $5 per person. October 13.

East Egg vs. West Egg

Blumenthal Arts* brings the Broadway musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby, to the Belk Theater, October 13^th through 18^th. The Tony Award-winning production has the look, sound, and feel of the “Roaring Twenties” with energized choreography and a jazz-influenced score. October 13-18.

Getting Dizzy

The annual South Carolina Jazz Festival returns to Cheraw, birthplace of Dizzy Gillespie, October 15^th through 18^th. Performers include trumpeter Willie Bradley, Joe Gransden and the Little Big Band, Charlton Singleton & the Honeycomb Jazz Orchestra, plus the Bebop Parade, art exhibits, and more. October 15-18.

Two States, Two Fairs

Both the North Carolina State Fair (1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh) and South Carolina State Fair (1200 Rosewood Drive, Columbia) run October 15^th through 25^th. If you live in the Charlotte area, you can easily make it both in that time. That’s twice the heartburn! October 15-25.

Fall Fun

• Mecktoberfest: German cuisine, live music, games, and beer at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s Ballantyne Biergarten. October 9-11.
  
  
• Hickory’s Oktoberfest: Three days of live music, beer tents, food and craft vendors, and a Kidsfest in downtown Hickory. October 9-11.
  
  
• Bookpalooza: The third annual festival features more than 85 authors, plus vendors, fun for the kids, and books galore at Truist Field in uptown Charlotte. October 10.
  
  
• Oktoberfest in Pineville: Beer from Middle James Brewing and Gilde Brewery, food trucks, live polka band, stein holding competition, pretzel eating contest, best dressed contest, and more in downtown Pineville. October 10.
  
  
• Fall into Gardening: Guilford County Extensions Master Gardeners offer expert tips, hands-on activities, fall planting ideas, a garden tour, and family fun in Greensboro. October 10.
  
  
• Jeepers Creepers Race: Halloween-themed 10k, 5k, and one-mile run or walk at Daniel Stowe Conservancy in Belmont. Don’t forget your costume! October 10.
  
  
• 51^st Annual OctoberTour: Explore historic homes and properties in the West Square Historic District and Downtown Salisbury with a free festival featuring food, live music, and trolleys. October 10-11.
  
  
• Gluten Freedom Fest: A full day dedicated to gluten-free living with plenty of gluten-free food and beverages at Monday Night Garden Co. in Charlotte. October 11.
  
  
• Carolina Mountain Cheese Festival: Savor the artisan cheeses and other local foods of Western North Carolina at Oak and Grist Distilling Company in Black Mountain. October 11. 

Our WDAV Events Calendar has even more for you to explore across the region. Make sure you check it often!

FanFare is made possible in part by:

*Disclosure: 7^th Street Concerts, Mint Museum, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Winston-Salem Symphony, Cain Center for the Arts, Davidson College, and Blumenthal Arts are WDAV underwriters.