Coronavirus concerns cancel some Charlotte, local area events. Here’s the latest.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Local schools have canceled field trips as well as employee travel, and government officials are monitoring the latest on the new coronavirus.

In Charlotte on Thursday, officials reported the first two Mecklenburg County cases of people testing presumptive positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. And a presumptive case was reported in Cabarrus County. Gov. Roy Cooper has declared a state of emergency for North Carolina and on Thursday afternoon urged against gatherings of more then 100 people..

Concern over public health has prompted hospital visitor restrictions, universities across the state to plan for holding lectures remotely, local businesses to amend work-from-home and sick leave policies, and airlines to cut some flights while CLT airport increases its cleaning regime. The Charlotte Hornets, like all NBA teams, have suspended games for the rest of the season.

A city of Charlotte spokesman says government officials are considering how to handle future public meetings if those need to be postponed or canceled.

Here’s a list of events that are canceled locally due to concerns over public health. This list will be updated over time. Additionally, information about events scheduled for the Charlotte Convention Center is here.

CORNEL WEST APPEARANCE

West’s planned March 17 appearance at Wingate university in Wingate has been canceled, a university spokeswoman said Wednesday. The Community Conversation with Cornel West event has not been rescheduled.

MICHAEL BUBLÉ CONCERT

Singer Michael Bublé has postponed his March 18 concert at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, along with concerts in Raleigh and other cities on his current tour.

Buble plans to announce rescheduled dates soon, so fans should hold on to their tickets, Don Fox, the tour’s national promoter, said in a news release Thursday.

Details: www.SpectrumCenterCharlotte.com.

LIT AF TOUR, HOSTED BY MARTIN LAWRENCE

Martin Lawrence’s March 14 performance at Spectrum Center in uptown Charlotte has been canceled, the center announced Friday.

Lawrence’s appearance will be rescheduled, according to the center. Ticket holders are asked to hold onto their tickets for the new date.

“I am disappointed to postpone dates on the LIT AF tour, but the health and safety of my fans is a priority,” Lawrence said in a statement. “New dates will be announced once we all have more information. Stay safe out there.”

CHARLOTTE NATIONAL COLLEGE FAIR

The National Association for College Admission Counseling has canceled several of its spring National College Fairs, including the March 22 Charlotte National College Fair at The Park Expo and Conference Center.

Details: collegefairs@nacacnet.org; NACAC’s coronavirus web page.

MIGHTY FOUR MILER BENEFIT RUN

The April 4 running race in Waynesville, the hometown of UNC Charlotte shooting victim Riley Howell, has been postponed to Oct. 25.

All net proceeds will benefit the Riley Howell Foundation Fund.

CHARLOTTE ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE, FESTIVAL

The 24th annual event was called off under advice of the city of Charlotte due to novel coronavirus concerns, Linda Dyer Hall, organizer of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Charlotte Go Green Festival, said Thursday.

Parade organizers intend to reschedule the parade and festival for later this year.

WHITEWATER CENTER GREEN RIVER REVIVAL

Saturday’s event at the U.S. National Whitewater Center on Whitewater Center Parkway in Charlotte has been canceled, CEO Jeffrey Wise announced Thursday.

Details: www.usnwc.org.

MINT MUSEUM EVENTS

Much of the museum’s programming remains on schedule, but these events been canceled or postponed:

▪ Art of Reading Public Tour: The Invention of Wings at Mint Museum Randolph., March 15.

▪ Mint on the Dot talks at Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph, March 14-15.

▪ (tex)TILE conversation with ceramist and designer Shae Bishop at Mint Museum Randolph, March 18.

▪ Liquid Gardens: Dutch Design lecture series with Tanja Smeets of the Netherlands at Mint Museum Uptown, April 3.

Any further cancellations and postponements will be listed on on the Mint calendar and on the Mint’s COVID-19 page on mintmuseum.org.

2020 SHAMROCK CRAWL

Out of an abundance of caution regarding COVID-19, the Red Brick Partnership has postponed Saturday’s 2020 Shamrock Crawl in downtown Matthews.

“Restaurants and bars will remain open, but these are now independent offerings and not a part of a formal event,” according to a statement by the downtown Matthews merchants group. “Shamrock Crawl T-shirts and maps will not be distributed until the rescheduled event.”

The group is evaluating the chance for a makeup date “in the near future.”

“This was an extremely difficult decision but the health and well-being of our community is our first priority,” according to the statement.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PUB CRAWL

The Rich & Bennett’s 20th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl originally planned for Saturday, March 14, in uptown Charlotte has been rescheduled for June 27, event organizers announced Thursday.

“We have concluded that hosting this year’s event at this time poses an undeniable risk to the public and we’re not willing to take that risk,” organizers posted on richandbennett.com.

Prepay events at Whiskey River Thursday night and Friday also are postponed, with rescheduled dates to be announced in coming weeks.

Anyone unable to attend the June 27 crawl can receive a refund by emailing info@richandbennett.com.

C.W. WILLIAMS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER LUNCHEON

The board of directors of the center on Wilkinson Boulevard in west Charlotte canceled Thursday’s luncheon to help prevent potential exposure and spread of COVID-19.

Details: www.cwwilliams.org.

ACTOR’S THEATRE OF CHARLOTTE

Due to COVID-19, all performances of “One Man, Two Guvnors” have been postponed, along with remaining fundraisers at which large crowds were expected, Executive Director Chip Decker said Thursday.

The actions are part of a 30-day hold on all public activity at the Actor’s Theatre, Decker said.

Ticketholders and subscribers can direct questions to the ATC box office at 704-342-2251 or email at info@atcharlotte.org.

CHARLOTTE CHECKERS

Because the American Hockey League has suspended operations indefinitely, Charlotte Checkers home games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday have been postponed or canceled.

Charlotte’s next scheduled home game is March 31.

Details: GoCheckers.com.

BANKING CONFERENCE

The March 25 ABCs of Banking Law program and the March 26-27 Banking Institute in Charlotte were canceled Wednesday “due to the public health crisis” that has led to travel restrictions by many organizations, said Lissa Broome, director of the Center for Banking and Finance at UNC School of Law.

“With fewer speakers and panelists able to attend, we did not want to compromise the quality of the program,” Broome said in announcing the cancellations.

Registration fees will be refunded, she said.

For questions regarding conference registration, contact Laura Gough at goughl@email.unc.edu; 919-962-1679 and questions on hotel reservations, contact Jackie Ward at jcward@unc.edu. Any other conference-related matters, contact Jennifer Dela Rosa at jdelarosa@unc.edu; 919-843-9288.

CHARLOTTE GIRL TRIBE POP UP EVENT

The March 28 event has been postponed to June 13 at Charlotte Convention Center, Sarah Baucom, co-founder of Girl Tribe Co., announced Thursday.

2020 AUDUBON NORTH CAROLINA SUMMIT

The upcoming summit in Charlotte has been postponed until the fall to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, Andrew Hutson, Audubon North Carolina executive director, announced Wednesday.

Refunds will be issued by March 20 to the 100 people who registered for the summit, which the Mecklenburg Audubon Society spent a year planning, Hutson said.

Members are invited to register for two upcoming events: An April 17 webinar on Fundamentals of Effective and Winning Advocacy Campaigns; and spring migration virtual field trip on April 18.

Details: NC.Audubon.org.

GREAT WOLF LODGE

Based on large-gathering guidelines from government officials regarding coronavirus, Great Wolf Lodge will close all of its resorts, including the Concord location, at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 15.

The resorts plan to reopen on April 2.

Updates will be posted on GreatWolf.com.

CHILDREN’S HOPE ALLIANCE

The Children’s Hope Alliance has postponed the Charlotte office open house/ribbon cutting originally scheduled for next week. A new date will be announced.

CHARLOTTE PERFORMANCES OF ‘SWEAT’

Warehouse Performing Arts Center has postponed upcoming performances of “Sweat” at the Duke Energy Theatre in Charlotte.

Performances will shift to the Warehouse’s home theater in Cornelius with new dates of Thursday, April 16, through Saturday, April 18.

For questions about refunds for the Duke Energy Theatre performances, call the CarolinaTix box office at 704-372-1000.

CABARRUS SENIOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS EXPO

The county postponed Wednesday’s free expo at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center. It’s now scheduled for June 17.

The postponement followed the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services recommendation that those over 65 or those with underlying health conditions avoid large gatherings, according to the county.

Details: www.cabarruscounty.us.

RHYTHM AND RUN

The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame’s benefit run in downtown Kannapolis on Friday was canceled and will be rescheduled.

BAXTER VILLAGE-FORT MILL SPRING FESTIVAL & ST. PATRICK’S PARADE

The annual festival and parade, scheduled for Saturday, March 14, has been canceled amid coronavirus community spread concerns, said Mike Martoccia, director of activities for Baxter Village/Fort Mill.

The annual event draws a crowd of at least 8,000 and 125 vendors, he said.

NC REALTORS EVENTS

NC Realtors, a trade association representing more than 48,000 real estate professionals statewide, has postponed all planned events and suspended non-essential travel for staff and volunteer leaders until April 17.

Association officials took the measures “out of an abundance of caution for the association’s members, staff, their families, and the community at large,” according to a statement on NCRealtors.org.

BLAZE PIZZA PI DAY EVENT

Blaze Pizza in Charlotte canceled its in-store Pi Day celebration scheduled for Saturday, March 14.

All app users instead will receive the $3.14 pizza reward in their app starting Monday, March 16, the company announced.

NORTH MECKLENBURG REPUBLICAN WOMEN

The club canceled Tuesday night’s meeting “in light of the increased concern over the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” club president Linda Angele told members in an email Tuesday morning.

“We understand that this is late notice, but the intensity of the concern seems to be growing exponentially,” Angele said. “We sincerely hope that we look back and see this as an overreaction but everyone’s health and well-being will always come first.”

VOICE OF EVANGELISM REVIVAL MEETING

Voice of Evangelism International Ministries canceled its April 16-19 Revival Meeting at Hickory Metro Convention Center due to the coronavirus, Pastor David Lankford announced on the ministry’s website. The event draws about 700 attendees, he said.

The ministry is refunding the $100 registration fee and any other expenses people incurred, Lankford said.

UNC CHARLOTTE CHEERLEADING EVENT

A cheerleading competition scheduled for this weekend at UNC Charlotte’s Halton Arena has been canceled, the event organizer said Thursday.

The Universal Spirit Grand Championship was expected to draw competitors within a six-hour drive of Charlotte, according to website information. It’s been postponed, general manager Adam Thomas said by email.

SUMMIT PLACE OF SOUTHPARK

Due to coronavirus concerns, Summit Place of Southpark on Runnymede Lane in Charlotte canceled its Wednesday, Match 18, FOCUS meeting. Details: SummitPlaceofSouthpark.

SENIOR DANCING

Cabarrus County has indefinitely canceled its Friday and Saturday night dances at the Cabarrus County Senior Center in Concord.

CPR and QPR training scheduled for March 19 also has been canceled, a county spokeswoman said.

This is a developing story. If you know of an event canceled in our local area due to public health concerns, email reporter Joe Marusak at jmarusak@charlotteobserver.com.

The Charlotte Observer