A vibrant arts scene, bustling urban centers and cultural and sporting amenities give residents plenty to do in Cabarrus County, and there’s always more in the works.

From its historic and revitalized town centers, to a wealth of parks and greenways, access to world-class retail such as the 200-store Concord Mills shopping destination, a bevy of top-flight golf courses, major sporting events with world-renowned NASCAR tracks, plus proximity to all the amenities a major U.S. city offers, Cabarrus County can deliver a quality of life to suit any style.

Strong downtowns anchor the county’s residential areas, offering unique restaurant and retail experiences while also tying into a diverse mix of arts and culture outlets.

The Concord Downtown Development Corp. keeps tabs on things through a comprehensive master plan, says Vickie Weant, executive director.

“Our organization also provides quite a few events that are open to the public,” Weant says. “Our most popular are the Spring Into Arts Festival and Union Street Live concert series.”

The CDDC also emphasizes the various activities and amenities to be found downtown, including, but by no means limited to, the Cabarrus Arts Council galleries, Davis Theatre, Memorial Gardens and many beautiful historic homes. 

“Our hope is that when people come downtown to participate in our events, they will also take the opportunity to see the beauty and uniqueness of downtown,” Weant says.

Sports play a big role in Kannapolis’ recreation makeup, with the Kannapolis Intimidators, the Chicago White Sox’s Single A Affiliate drawing big crowds during baseball season. The Summer Entertainment Series, which began in 2004 with a single concert, has grown to include movies, music and storytelling in a downtown setting. Another crowd pleaser is the Modern Film Festival, held at the GEM Theatre downtown landmark, says Karen Whichard, communications director for the city.

“From an economic development standpoint, these events and programs help provide cultural resources that are critical to human-capital recruitment,” Whichard says.

From its home in the county’s historic courthouse, the Cabarrus Arts Council watches all this activity with pleasure and works constantly to promote the region's offerings, says Noelle Rhodes Scott, executive director.

“When we moved into the courthouse, we developed four gallery spaces, really the first art galleries of this kind the community has ever had,” Scott says. “That’s the kind of thing that we’re doing, and it’s helping interest in the arts grow by leaps and bounds in the community."

The council offers its signature theater series, On Stage at the Davis, which is moving to a 230-seat venue in the courthouse. The council hopes to expand performances to multiple nights from the current single evening format, Scott says.

The council’s successes, she says, reflect its willingness to listen to the community, and then respond accordingly.

“We are out in the community, working with artists, people, businesses, listening to what they want,” Scott says. “And we seem to be responding in such a way that is getting people excited. We are going to continue to do that, to make this community a more interesting and vibrant place for people to live in and visit.”

Fast Cars
Things move fast in Cabarrus County, especially when it comes to auto racing.

Cabarrus County is home to the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 167,000-seat showcase that hosts two premier NASCAR Sprint Cup events as well as other NASCAR division races on its 1.5-mile track.

Across from the speedway is the 14,500-seat Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which features a four-tenths-mile red clay oval. The track hosts a schedule of  events featuring late model stockcars, World of Outlaws, sprint cars and car-crushing monster trucks.

On a 125-acre site adjacent to the speedway is the zMAX Dragway, a state-of-the-art facility featuring four, all-concrete racing lanes. Two NHRA national events are held there each year.

And Concord Motorsports Park offers a variety of racing events year-round on its half-mile track.

For more on Cabarrus County motorsports attractions, go to www.visitcabarrus.com.