City of Locust, North Carolina

A City With a Soul

186 Ray Kennedy Drive Locust, NC 28097    704-888-5260

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Park News & Events

F3 Nation Men’s Workout Group

Park Events

Summer Concert Series  

Movies in Town Center

Hands on Locust

Sprinkle & Splash Summer Events

Locust Fall Festival

Christmas in Locust

Vendor and Sponsorship Information


Park News:

Park Events:

Summer Concert Series

June 28th – Remington Cartee Music

July 26th – Poison’us & Kings of Noise

August 23rd – Tim Clark Band

September 27th – The Tams w/ Fireworks Finale

All concerts will be from 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM. These events will boast food and drink vendors, craft and business vendors, activities for kids and of course, great live music! We invite people to come for as long as they would like, bring chairs, blankets and yard games if they would like.

Thank you to our 2025 Summer Concert Series sponsors for making these events possible!

Gold Level Sponsors

Silver Level Sponsors

Kids’ Zone Sponsor

Locust Pediatric Dentistry | Dentist for Kids in Locust, NC

Bronze Level Sponsors

Stanly Community College

If your business is interested in sponsoring the 2025 Summer Concert Series, please reach out to jhoneycutt@locustnc.gov.


Movie Nights in Town Center

The City of Locust hosts a Movie Night Series from April-October (taking off June and July), with a total of seven movie nights.

All movies are located behind Locust City Hall, start at sundown, and usually host pre-show activities, so not all start times are the same. Check the City’s Facebook page for details as the movie dates approach.

Thank you to our 2024 Movie Night sponsors for making those events possible! If your business is interested in sponsoring our 2025 Movie Night Series, please reach out to jhoneycutt@locustnc.gov.

2025 Schedule:

April 12 – Encanto (pre-movie performance by live mariachi band)

May 10 – Mufasa (pre-movie performance by live African drum performer)

May 31 – If

August 9 – Ferdinand

September 13 – The Wild Robot

October 4 – The Addams Family

October 11 – Hotel Transylvania

Thanks to our generous Movie Night Series sponsors for making these events possible at no cost to our community!

Gold Level Sponsors

Home | Pinnacle Financial Partners

Urgent Care in Locust, NC | MainStreet Family Care

Profile for Red Barn Farm

Locust Pediatric Dentistry | Dentist for Kids in Locust, NC

Silver Level SponsorFirst Bank

Bronze Level Sponsor

Beane Swaringen & Co., PLLC


Hands on Locust

May 10, 2025

9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Hands On Locust

Hands on Locust is an event that gives kids the opportunity to see a variety of service vehicles. This event is free and open to the public. We invite local businesses with service related vehicles and equipment to participate in this event. Trucks, tractors, emergency vehicles, commercial vehicles, equipment, and training resources are all welcome!

9:00-10:00 AM will be a sensory hour for those who may be sensitive to lights and sounds. During this time, all participating vehicles will be asked to refrain from the use of lights and sirens. Also, a limited number of noise blocking headphones will be available during the whole event from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, but please feel free to bring your own as well. Starting at 10:00 AM, lights and sirens will be allowed.

Do you own a truck, tractor, or equipment and would like to participate? Email Jessica Honeycutt, Program Coordinator, at jhoneycutt@locustnc.gov for more information.

Thanks to our sponsors for making this event happen FREE for the community!

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsor

First Bank


Sprinkle & Splash Summer Events

Let’s celebrate summer with some water fun!!! Join us to play in the sprinklers and enjoy some fun yard games on the football field at Locust Athletic Complex (beside the tennis courts)!
 
Please bring your own tent/umbrella, chair, sunscreen, towel and water bottle and come dressed to get wet! This is a free event, thanks to our generous sponsors!.

Wednesday, June 11th

Saturday, June 28th

Wednesday, July 9th

Saturday, July 26th

Wednesday, August 6th

Gold Sponsor

Urgent Care in Locust, NC | MainStreet Family Care

Silver Sponsor

First Bank


Locust Fall Festival

October 31, 2025, 6:00 – 8:00 PM.

The event is organized by a committee made up of representatives from local churches and works with the Locust Parks and Recreation Department. Please email Pastor Tommy Ross from First Baptist Church for vendor information.
Dr. Tommy Ross: tommy.ross@firstbaptistlocust.com

Parking is VERY limited. You must park only in designated parking areas.

Parking locations:

  • Locust City Park (Officer Jeff Shelton Drive)
  • Lions Club Drive (paved parking lot only)
  • Locust Elementary School Overflow Parking for Park Events (marked lot at corner of Lions Club Drive and Hwy 200N)
  • Hwy 200 North Family Restaurant
  • Locust Lumber Gravel Lot (next to Mechanics. On north side/park side of 24/27)
  • The Mechanics Auto Shop

No Parking/Tow Zones:

  • NO street parking
  • NO parking in grass along Lions Club Drive (this is PRIVATE property)
  • NO parking at Locust Granite and Tile

Christmas in Locust

Christmas Tree Lighting in Town Center

November 20, 2025

Please join us as we kick off the holiday season in Locust! Shop from some local artisan vendors, enjoy food from a food truck or town center restaurant and watch as we light our brand new Christmas tree! There will be plenty to do for families as they enjoy the magical atmosphere around Locust Town Center! The Grinch will be there for pictures as well, so you don’t want to miss it!
 
Thank you to our 2024 Christmas Tree Lighting sponsors for making that such a magical event! If your business is interested in sponsoring our 2025 Christmas Tree Lighting, please reach out to jhoneycutt@locustnc.gov.
If you are interested in participating as a vendor at the 2025 Christmas Tree Lighting, please reach out to jhoneycutt@locustnc.gov.
 
 

Christmas Parade

December 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM

The City of Locust is proud to host the 2025 Locust Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 6th at 1:00 PM.
 
Registration will open in October for those businesses or organizations interested in participating in the parade. Home designed floats, walking groups, golf carts, dancers, classic cars, equestrian groups, etc. are welcome!
 
 
Route Map

The parade route will begin at the Lion Club Dr Parking Lot, making a left onto Hwy 200, right onto Market St, left onto Ray Kennedy Dr, right onto Town Center Dr, right at Sassy Cakes Bakery, left onto Harrison, left onto Kerri Dawn Lane, right onto Kingston Dr, right onto Smith St, and ending back at the Lion Club Dr Parking Lot.


Light Up Locust

Register online starting December 1st to have your home or display featured on our Light Up Locust Map. Eligible homes will have their lights featured on our map and website for residents to visit throughout the month of December. Participating homes will be entered to win a prize from a local restaurant. Email events@locustnc.com for more information.
 
To participate you must:
1. Live on a public street in Locust City Limits or within 10 miles of Locust
2. Be the primary resident of the home
3. Have an appropriate holiday display on the exterior of your home
4. Live on a street conducive for traffic flow. (Dead-end roads with no cul-de-sac, etc., may be excluded)
 
 

Reindeer Bell Hunt

Starting December 1, 2025
Help Santa’s reindeer find their bells! 
The reindeer were practicing when they lost their bells in Locust City Park. Details will be posted here and on our social media.
 
Please DO NOT take the bells. Just snap of photo of the bells where they are, and share it on social media, or by email to jhoneycutt@locustnc.gov.
 
Send photos to jhoneycutt@locustnc.gov or tag City of Locust on Facebook/Instagram! Find all nine reindeer bells by December 24th and win a prize!
 

Letters to Santa

Kids in Locust are invited to mail their letters to Santa using the special North Pole Express Mailbox located in front of Locust City Hall from December 1st to December 24th. Letters mailed before the 16th are guaranteed to receive a return letter from Santa himself!
 
 

Breakfast with Santa

December 13th, 2025

Enjoy a morning with our guest of honor, Santa Claus! Join us for a fun holiday party on Saturday, December 13th and enjoy breakfast, crafts, and a photo opportunity with Santa! Seating is limited and registration is required and will open November 21, 2025 at locustnc.recdesk.com.

 


Vendor and Sponsorship Information

For information on becoming one of our sponsors for 2025 events and athletics, click below to view our sponsorship brochure.

2025 P&R Sponsorship Guide

For information about participating as a vendor in our events or event sponsorship opportunities, please email Program Coordinator, Jessica Honeycutt, at jhoneycutt@locustnc.gov.

Locust Parks/Recreation

  • Park News & Events
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Contact Us

City Hall Hours:
Monday-Friday: 8:30am – 5:00pm

Physical Address:
186 Ray Kennedy Drive, Locust, NC 28097

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 190, Locust, NC 28097

Phone:
704-888-5260

Fax:
704-888-1566

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