Town guide · Piedmont
Monroe
The Union County seat in the Charlotte metro area, with a deep civil rights history, Ludwig drum making and National Register districts.
35.01° N · -80.56° W · Union County
DRay Arts IndexGrade · see the report card ↓The town
About Monroe
Monroe was founded as a planned town in 1843 when county leaders chose a central site for the Union County seat, and it is named for President James Monroe. It became a trading center for the tobacco-growing farm country around it. In the 1950s and 1960s, local NAACP leader Robert F. Williams pushed to integrate the library and pool, and the town drew attention through the Kissing Case of 1958. Starlite Speedway hosted a NASCAR race in 1966 and Ludwig drums and timpani have been made here since 1984. Now part of the Charlotte metro area, Monroe has drawn new Hispanic residents. National Register listings include the downtown and residential historic districts and the Union County Courthouse. Source: Wikipedia
Events in Monroe
On in town this week
Every art form on one list, each in its own color. Sample events — illustrative dates
All Monroe eventsNothing posted for the next few weeks yet.
Places by art form
Where to go in Monroe
Venues, companies, guilds and more, by art form.
Search everything in MonroeMusic
All →Theater & Performance
All →Dance
All →Visual Arts
All →Craft & Traditional Arts
All →Literary Arts
All →Film & Media
All →Museums & Heritage
All →- Monroe Science Center
- Monroe Historical Society (old fire station/city hall; Wanderlog)
- Union County arts & entertainment page (Marshville Museum, Monroe Science Center, Hinson Art Museum)
- Society For The Study Of Afro- American History In Winston-salemMuseum
- UNION COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETYCultural Heritage Organization
- Reviving The Belk Mansion IncCultural Heritage Organization
Make it a weekend
More towns in Piedmont
Ray Arts Foundation · North Carolina
Report Card
Ray Arts Index · 2026
- Town
- Monroe
- County
- Union County
- Standing
- #35 of 60 graded towns
| Subject | Weight | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Local government supportExtra weightArts budget, arts office, grants, parks & rec arts | 18% | A |
| Arts educationExtra weightSchool district arts programs, arts schools and camps | 12% | F |
| Arts placesVenues, museums and galleries | 18% | F |
| ActivityArts events each month | 13.5% | C |
| FestivalsActive arts festivals | 13.5% | F |
| Arts organizationsArts nonprofits and their budgets | 13.5% | D |
| Creative economyArts businesses and working artists | 7% | D |
| HeritageLong-running arts institutions and history groups | 4.5% | Inc. |
Overall
D
HonorsNone yet
Marking scaleA 80+ · B 65+ · C 50+ (national typical) · D 35+ · F below 35 · Inc. not yet measured
Teacher’s remarks
The Ray Arts Index gives extra weight to local government support and arts education, because public investment in the arts, and in teaching it, is how creative communities grow.
For community leadersWhere Monroe has the most room to grow, and the next steps that would raise its grade. Show the breakdownHide the breakdown
Where Monroe has the most room to grow
- Festivals (grade F)
- Arts places (grade F)
- Arts education (grade F)
Next steps
- List every recurring arts festival with its dates, so it counts.
- Ask venues, museums and galleries to claim their listings and add seating capacity.
- Ask the school district to publish its arts-education plan and arts leader, and list arts schools and camps.
- Add founding years to long-running venues, festivals and arts groups.
- Request the full Monroe advisory report from the Ray Arts Foundation.
Free for venues, groups and artists
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