Charlotte Chinese Story Time

11/03/2026

See you soon!

11/02/2026

Exciting News! CCST’s Monthly Chinese Picture Book Giveaway Is Here!

Thanks to the generosity and continued support of Charlotte’s community, Charlotte Chinese Story Time (CCST) is excited to launch our Monthly Chinese Picture Book Giveaway starting this November!

Through this new initiative, we hope to bring more high-quality Chinese picture books into children’s homes and inspire a lifelong love of reading and Chinese language learning. ❤️

November’s Featured Book: The Best Gift in the World (《世界上最棒的礼物》) by Lai Ma, an acclaimed children’s book author and illustrator.

📅 Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 10:00 AM

🎁 How to Get Your Free Book:
✅ RSVP for our November 14 Chinese Story Time event.
✅ Attend the event in person with your family.
✅ Receive one free picture book per family, regardless of the number of children.
✅ Books are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.

💛 A heartfelt thank-you to our generous donors and supporters for making this initiative possible!

Together, we’re sharing the joy of Chinese stories, language, and culture with more families across Charlotte.

RSVP Here:
https://www.cltchinesestorytime.org/event-details/from-pictures-to-chinese-characters

10/28/2026

Art, language, and heritage belong to everyone, regardless of ZIP code.

Charlotte Chinese Story Time (CCST) brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with Chinese culture – and each other. 🏮🐉📚 Through ASC's Culture Blocks, CCST provides inclusive, no-cost programming from educational workshops to cultural celebrations all year long.

See how CCST grew from a small gathering in the park to reach hundreds of local families 👉 https://artsandscience.org/asc-delivers-cultural-experiences-in-every-corner-of-mecklenburg-county-2/

10/24/2026

Become a Sponsor of the 2027 Children’s Lunar New Year Showcase!

Charlotte Chinese Story Time (CCST) is excited to bring our 2027 Children’s Lunar New Year Showcase to Knight Theater on January 30, 2027!

This special celebration will bring together young performers from diverse cultural backgrounds to share their talents, celebrate traditions, and connect through music, dance, and theater.

We warmly invite local businesses, organizations, and community members to support this meaningful cultural event!

Your sponsorship will help cover production costs, teaching artist fees, costumes, event materials, and other expenses, enriching the experience for our young performers and the families we serve.

Sponsorship levels: $200–$2,000
VIP seating and sponsor recognition benefits included
In-kind sponsorships are also welcome!

📅 Deadline for printed program recognition: November 25, 2026
📩 Contact: [email protected]

Together, we can celebrate cultural diversity, support young talent, and create lasting memories for our Charlotte community!

10/16/2026

As we just shared, CCST is featured in the Arts & Science Council’s 2025 Annual Report. Now we’d love to tell you the full story in our own words.

Seven years ago, CCST was just a few families sitting on the grass in Freedom Park, reading Chinese picture books together. Here is what that small story time has grown into:

✨ 121 children on stage at our Lunar New Year Showcase, with all 300 free tickets reserved in five hours
✨ 168 students in our second Charlotte Cup Chinese Poetry Recitation Contest
✨ 167 families on the waitlist for a single traditional arts workshop
✨ Middle and high school volunteers growing into community leaders

“We’re not just teaching Chinese. We’re building connections.”

Read the full story, with photos from our very first story time in the park to today 👇

https://www.cltchinesestorytime.org/post/ccst-asc-2025-annual-report



Thank you to every family, volunteer, and partner who has written this story with us. ❤️

10/16/2026

We’re honored to share that Charlotte Chinese Story Time is featured in the Arts & Science Council’s 2025 Annual Report!

On pages 10–11, ASC highlights CCST as “one standout partner” in its Culture Blocks program. In an accompanying article, ASC writes that “CCST is a perfect showcase of what Culture Blocks can accomplish.”

It all began in 2019 with a few families sitting on the grass in Freedom Park, sharing Chinese stories together. Today, our programs include bilingual story times, traditional arts workshops, the Charlotte Cup Chinese Poetry Recitation Contest, and the Charlotte Children’s Lunar New Year Showcase, which brought 121 young performers to the stage this year.

This recognition belongs to our board members, volunteers, teaching artists, partners, and every family who has been part of our journey.

Thank you to Arts & Science Council, Mecklenburg County Government Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation for helping bring arts and culture to every corner of our community.



❤️

Every Mecklenburg County resident deserves the opportunity to live a creative life. That’s why we invest in the arts organizations, cultural institutions, artists, and creative workers who help advance that mission everyday.

Thank you for helping us build a thriving, accessible creative ecosystem for all. We are proud to support this work, and even prouder to be part of a community that values it.

See how your support drives real impact across the region in our 2025 Annual Report. https://artsandscience.org/2025-annual-report/

Featured: Detail of Carolina Canopy, artwork and image by Dixie Friend Gay - Artist

09/25/2026

🌕🏮 Happy Mid-Autumn Festival from Charlotte Chinese Story Time!

Today is the 15th day of the eighth month on the lunar calendar — the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time to celebrate the full moon, family, and togetherness. 🥮

From all of us at CCST, wishing our community a joyful Mid-Autumn Festival filled with warmth, happiness, and beautiful moments with loved ones. ❤️

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋快乐！

#中秋节

09/20/2026

🌕 A Beautiful Mid-Autumn Morning with Our Community! 🐇✨

What a wonderful turnout for our Mid-Autumn Festival Chinese Story Time on September 19!

We welcomed 60 parents and 49 children for a morning filled with stories, culture, creativity, and family fun. Children enjoyed our Mid-Autumn themed story time, experienced the story of Chang’e and the Moon through shadow puppetry, and created their own colorful Jade Rabbit & Moon artwork to take home. 🎨🌙

We loved seeing so many children listening, creating, asking questions, and experiencing Chinese language and culture together with their families.

Thank you to every family who joined us, and to our wonderful volunteers who helped make the morning possible. ❤️

At Charlotte Chinese Story Time, we believe language and culture come alive when children can hear it, see it, make it, and experience it together.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival from all of us at CCST! 🌕🥮

09/17/2026

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Our 2027 Children’s Lunar New Year Showcase!

Today, the CCST team visited Knight Theater for an on-site walkthrough with our Director, Ms. Ning Chen!

From the stage and backstage areas to rehearsal spaces, performer entrances, and event flow, we’re carefully planning every detail for an exciting and memorable experience for our young performers. ✨

On January 30, 2027, we look forward to seeing our children take the stage at Knight Theater and celebrate Lunar New Year through music, dance, theater, and Chinese culture.

Program and performer recruitment is still underway! We welcome local youth groups and young performers to be part of this special celebration.

Stay tuned—there’s much more to come!

09/16/2026

🌕 Mid-Autumn Festival Chinese Story Time

This Saturday, September 19, we have a Mid-Autumn Festival theme Chinese storytime. Stick around after for our Jade Rabbit (玉兔) art workshop, where kids get to make their own Jade Rabbit artwork.

Story Time — no RSVP, just drop in
Art Workshop — RSVP required
https://www.cltchinesestorytime.org/event-details/ccst-mid-autumn-festival-chinese-storytime

Hope to see you and your little ones there!