Things to Do

Great Wolf Lodge facadeLocated in southern Cabarrus County, between the cities of Concord and Charlotte, Harrisburg is a fast-growing town surrounded by the activities and attractions of a major metropolitan area. Within miles, there are various institutes of higher learning, arenas and music venues, events centers, hotels, shopping and more.

Entertainment

From the Queen City's NASCAR Hall of Fame to the nearby Charlotte Motor Speedway, Harrisburg lies within NASCAR country. For dozens of racing teams - even those in racing circuits other than NASCAR - this region is the place they call home. Family-oriented activities abound with Great Wolf Lodge, Sea Life Aquarium and the shopping outlets at Concord Mills Mall10 minutes from Harrisburg. In downtown Charlotte, Discovery Place, the Museum of the New South and the Carolina Raptor Center offer a wide variety of learning experiences. Cedar Fair's Carowinds Amusement Park is approximately 30 miles south of town on Interstate 485/Interstate 77.

Within 20 miles, you can find Bank of America Stadium (home to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers), Spectrum Center (home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers) and CMC-Northeast Stadium (home to the Single-A baseball team Kannapolis Intimidators). The triple-A baseball team, Charlotte Knights, play nearby at the new Knights Stadium in uptown Charlotte.

A wide variety of shows and festivals are available year-round at Bojangles Coliseum, the PNC Music Pavilion, NC Music Factory and the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, including concerts, dog shows, and seasonal entertainment and shopping opportunities.Minutes south of Harrisburg on Highway 49 is the growing campus of University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Also nearby is Rowan Cabarrus Community College and Queens University of Charlotte.

UNC campus buildings








Outdoor Activities

Group white water raftingOutdoor recreation opportunities abound with the U.S. National Whitewater Center just 25 minutes from Harrisburg. For hikers, Crowders Mountain State Park and the Carolina Thread Trail offer miles of trails. Nearby Lake Norman, Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake and Lake Norman State Park offer water sports, hiking, mountain biking and more.

In nearby Concord, the Old Courthouse Theatre and Davis Theater host a variety of performances throughout the year. In downtown Charlotte, the Mint Museum of Art, the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture and Charlotte’s historic NoDa arts district offer diverse activities for arts and culture.