The Winter Wonderland Shop
Presented by First Horizon
New Shopping Slots Added!
Winter Wonderland Shop at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte welcomes families from the Charlotte community in the spirit of the season. This unique experience is an extension of Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s north star: KINDNESS. We hope you’ll celebrate with us.
What is it?
The Winter Wonderland Shop, benefiting Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, carries Charlotte’s longstanding tradition as our community’s leading family-centric shopping event. ImaginOn will be full of magic, snowflakes, and a snow-kissed stage. Children up to 12 years old are invited to shop on the Wells Fargo Playhouse stage for pre-wrapped gifts at low-cost to give to their loved ones.Because of our generous partners and supporters, The Winter Wonderland Shop experience will also travel to underserved preschools.
To us, kindness is not a noun; it is a verb. The Winter Wonderland Shop teaches our next generation how to “pay it forward” and deliberately practice through this act of kindness. As our children shop, they think of their caregivers, parents, grandparents, siblings, and teachers by thoughtfully selecting and giving gifts from our shop.
Note: Registration is recommended to minimize your wait and to ensure you're able to shop at your preferred time, but walk-ups will be accepted! If a time below is greyed out, all the slots for that time have been filled.
Meet the Grinch
Enhance your Winter Wonderland shopping experience with a special Meet-and-Greet photo opportunity with Dr. Seuss' The Grinch on Sat, Dec 7. The cost is $5 per family (you will use your personal camera to take the picture). Only 20 spots available per time slot:
Sponsor a Child
Our sponsors and supporters of the Sponsor a Child program make it possible to bring The Winter Wonderland Shop experience to underserved preschools at no cost to the students, teachers, or schools. Your generous gift and sponsorship also supports Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s high-quality productions, unparalleled education programs, and community outreach initiatives.Sponsor a Child
Volunteer
Support The Winter Wonderland Shop by signing up to volunteer. Volunteers must be 14 years or older.Volunteer
Event Details
- FREE to attend, gifts priced between $1-7
- Located in the Wells Fargo Playhouse and The Round at ImaginOn
- How to Enter
- Directions & Parking
Dates and Times
- Wed, Dec 4, 9 AM - Noon, 4-7 PM
- Thurs, Dec 5, 9 AM - Noon, 4-7 PM
- Fri, Dec 6, 9 AM - Noon, 1-5 PM
- Sat, Dec 7, 9 AM - Noon, 1-5 PM
Sponsors
Please email Emily Chuma to inquire about sponsorship opportunities for The Winter Wonderland Shop.
The Winter Wonderland Shop - FAQs
What do I need to bring?
What methods of payment do you accept?
What gifts will be available?
Will I be able to stay with my child?
Someone in my party uses a wheelchair/walker. Is every part of this event accessible?
Will there be food options?
What else is there to do?
I didn’t register in advance. Can we still attend?
How to Enter
Besides your family and a form of payment, nothing! We will be pre-wrapping all gifts and supplying bags.
What methods of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, MasterCard, VISA, and Apple Pay.
What gifts will be available?
The Winter Wonderland Shop has gifts for everyone in a child's life, including parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, friends, and other loved ones. Total price can vary depending on the number and type of gifts purchased, but on average, most shoppers spend $30-$50. If your child has a budget, please indicate this on your shopping list, which is provided at check-in.
Will I be able to stay with my child?
We recommend children shop with our volunteers to avoid overcrowding in the shopping space and to make the shopping experience more magical! However, parents who wish to do so are able to accompany their children.
We offer an exclusive Caregivers Lounge designed specifically for adults. This space provides a serene environment where caregivers can relax while their children shop Winter Wonderland. Caregivers can sit back, socialize, or explore unique pop-up shops from local organizations.
We offer an exclusive Caregivers Lounge designed specifically for adults. This space provides a serene environment where caregivers can relax while their children shop Winter Wonderland. Caregivers can sit back, socialize, or explore unique pop-up shops from local organizations.
Someone in my party uses a wheelchair/walker. Is every part of this event accessible?
Yes! ImaginOn and this event are fully ADA compliant.
Will there be food options?
There will be cookies and cocoa available for purchase. There are also vending machines located within ImaginOn and nearby restaurants with a variety of food options.
What else is there to do?
ImaginOn will be open Wed and Thurs 9 AM - 8 PM, and Fri and Sat 9 AM - 5 PM. You can purchase tickets to The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical
, which has shows Fri, Dec 6, at 7:30 PM and Sat, Dec 7, at 11 AM and 3 PM. There will also be a snow globe photo station in the lobby.
Adults are welcome to hang out in our exclusive Caregivers Lounge, where they can relax, socialize, or shop pop-up shops.
Adults are welcome to hang out in our exclusive Caregivers Lounge, where they can relax, socialize, or shop pop-up shops.
I didn’t register in advance. Can we still attend?
We recommend registration to minimize your wait time and to ensure you're able to shop at your preferred time, and help us anticipate crowd size throughout the event. However, we will have walk-up spaces available, pending availability.
How to Enter
