Known for its ICONIC Waxhaw Water Tower and gravel lot below, Waxhaw is a shining star of Union County, NC. While it has certainly grown and changed a bit over the last 12 years since we moved here, one thing hasn't changed: it's charm and family-centered fun. From delicious eats to shopping and great ways to enjoy the outdoors, downtown Waxhaw is a great town to hit up with "kids" of all ages! Here's how we'd spend a perfect day in Waxhaw:
If you're starting early, make sure to hit up Virtuoso Bakery for brekky. Delicious coffees and scrumptious breads/croissants/breakfast treats are abundant at this locally-owned bakery. Virtuoso keeps earlier hours - so while we love it for any time (we get bread from there for home-consumption!), make sure to check their hours and hit it up before you head out! Another great brekky spot we love is Stack's. While it is not downtown, its close to the Thread Trail entrance and Spirited Sprout Indoor Play Space.
A really fun "learning" experience in Waxhaw is the Museum of the Waxhaws. Part of this is outdoors with an indoor museum of exploration as well. My kids found this really fun and it's interesting for adults, too, since it focuses on our area in particular!
Another fun way to spend the morning is exploring the Carolina Thread Trail and the suspension bridge. You'll want to park over at Nesbitt Park for that. This is a great starter trail for kids - though make sure your super young ones can follow directions, the drop-off can be a little frightening as a mom ;-)
If you can plan in advance and have littles or kids with sensory needs, you may also want to try to book an hour at Spirited Sprout!
Then head out for some shopping! Waxhaw is home to some really cute little shops and a great provisions store where you can grab a bite, coffee or just take some unique items to go!
Some of what you'll find include:
As well as:
Eight Legs Gallery and Custom Framing
Bead Merchants of Waxhaw
Lunch or dinner is easy with so many great restaurants in downtown Waxhaw. You really can't go wrong with any of them, but our favorite for larger groups is Emmets Social Table. My favorite: Oyster Sliders!
You could also try any of these yummy spots:
If sweet treats are what you're craving - fear not! The town of Waxhaw has a few that are in prime location while you walk and explore. Especially with little kids, you can either grab a treat and wait for a train at either Waxhaw Creamery or Pelican's/Burney's OR get a scoop or cupcake at Cupcake Queen Waxhaw and head to the park!
Speaking of trains and parks, these are two of our favorite things to do in Downtown Waxhaw. Between David G. Barnes Children's Park and Waxhaw Sk8 Park, you can certainly keep the kiddos happy and active for a few hours.
If you're still looking for some fun, you can hop in the car and head north on Providence a *scoche* and spend some time at either AR|Workshop at Waxhaw Escape - both of these are great fun for your older kids and adults!
And if you're hanging sans-kiddos, you might want to grab a bevvy at Waxhaw Tap House. From game nights to music, goat yoga and more, this amazingly inclusive tap house is a ton of fun!
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