December 2, 2025
During the holidays, gift-giving often means wrapping up items for your loved ones to enjoy. But when you aren’t able to find the perfect present or can’t think of anything they need, give them the gift of memories this holiday season.
Cabarrus County is home to creative experiences that are perfect to give loved ones of all ages — adults, teens and children. They’ll have something to look forward to, and you’ll have supported a local business, too. Here are some ideas to get you started!
Fun for the Little Ones
Start with the SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium, where tickets (or an annual membership) will give kids an underwater adventure they’ll never forget! From freshwater lakes to ocean creatures, the Aquarium gives visitors a close-up peek at over 5,000 creatures.
Over at the historic Gem Theatre in Kannapolis, a gift card for tickets and concessions will go a long way, since they’ve kept their prices close to what they were when they opened all the way back in 1948. Along with its affordable first-run films, recent renovations make this historic single-screen theater a great place to see a movie.
And of course, the ultimate experience is a getaway at the Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, where the indoor water park and dry-land experiences offer family fun all year round.
Cool Experiences for Tween and Teens
For the adventurous tween or teen, iFLY Indoor Skydiving in Concord offers just the right gift. Get them the incredible experience of taking flight in a wind tunnel, a thrilling year-round opportunity that requires no planes or parachutes!
Any young racing fan would also love a Race Shop Tour with Garage Pass Shop Tours, whose knowledgeable guides have NASCAR career backgrounds and offer a unique opportunity to see NASCAR teams at work. Their year-round tours will make anyone feel like an insider.
Plus, baseball season will be here before you know it, and tickets to a Kannapolis Cannon Ballers game make a perfect gift!
A Day of Fun for Grown-Ups
For adults who love racing, Cabarrus is the place to be — and a race car ride-along or driving experience is the ultimate gift. Check out the NASCAR Racing Experience, which offers realistic, exhilarating racing school packages based on the winning experiences of NASCAR champions, to make your loved one feel like they’re right in the middle of the action. Or give them a chance to experience laps around Charlotte Motor Speedway with Ford Performance Racing School.
Bourbon buffs will be delighted to find the Bourbon Experience conducted by Southern Grace Distilleries in Mount Pleasant in their Christmas stocking. This private experience is a complete, two-hour tour of the distillery’s production facility from fermentation through bottling, letting visitors see every step of the process of making Conviction Single Barrel Straight Bourbon. Plus, you’ll see all of Southern Grace’s historic grounds, which are housed at the former Mount Pleasant Prison. Find out more by contacting Southern Grace.
And don’t forget: A live performance at the historic Swanee Theatre in Kannapolis makes for a wonderful gift. This thriving venue features comedy, live music and entertainment, plus dancing. Check out their calendar and pick up some tickets for a night they’ll never forget!
Come Explore With Us
There’s so much to do in Cabarrus. Check out our Destination Guide for more delicious and exciting experiences for locals and guests alike!
