This year, the Santa photos at VanLandingham Estate are sponsored by a car company that hasn't finished moving into the neighborhood.
On Sunday, Nov. 15, the Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Association hosts the first Midwood Gives & Gathers, which PMNA calls "a new PMNA neighborhood tradition." The title sponsor is Scout Motors. In November 2025, Scout announced that its corporate headquarters would be at the Commonwealth development in Plaza Midwood, with Charlotte staffing and office development starting in 2026. The neighborhood's largest new employer made its first appearance on the holiday calendar through the neighborhood association's event, not one of its own.
The rest of this season follows the same pattern. The businesses that arrived in 2026 are slotting into a calendar Plaza Midwood already runs, and the big December event is built to send people through the shops that were here first.
A company headquarters that starts with a toy drive
The City of Charlotte's announcement, dated Nov. 12, 2025, also places Scout's headquarters at Commonwealth in Plaza Midwood. Almost exactly a year later, the company's name is on an afternoon at VanLandingham Estate that includes:
- Santa and photos
- A Holiday Ball-making workshop
- Kids' crafts and music
- Festive drinks and bites
- A toy drive supporting local families
The event runs from 2 to 5 p.m., and PMNA is also selling 50/50 raffle tickets through the event page. Hosting the season's opening event at VanLandingham Estate puts the start of the holidays in the residential core. The Commonwealth, where the new headquarters is going, is about commerce.
The calendar, in order
PMNA's fall issue of The Spirit of Plaza Midwood, which its editor notes is the last issue of 2026, lists the association's events through mid-November. Wiloe Home & Gift on Lyon Court has filled in much of what follows. Together, from the week after this post goes up:
- Saturday, Nov. 14: PMNA's Marathon Party.
- Sunday, Nov. 15: Midwood Gives & Gathers at VanLandingham Estate, 2 to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18: PMNA's Land Use Meeting, held every third Wednesday.
- Thursday, Nov. 19: Mahjong with Mrs. Merriman at Wiloe, 6 to 8:30 p.m. It costs $40 and covers beginner lessons plus open play. Guests get a 10% store discount during the session, local art excluded. Wiloe needs at least eight people registered or the session is canceled.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Midwood Mile Spruce Up Saturday and the Community Garden Workday, both held on third Saturdays.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday. Wiloe is open its usual hours to kick off holiday shopping.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Holiday Hop and the Merry Midwood Market. The market runs noon to 4, Santa Ray visits from 5 to 7, and the NoDa Krampus Krawl follows later that night.
Through Dec. 21, Wiloe will also save a holiday wish list for you. Scan your favorite items in the store, and staff print the list and keep it for whoever is shopping for you. PMNA says its dates may change and recommends checking its monthly eNewsletters and social channels for updates.
Dec. 5 is a market built around existing storefronts
According to Wiloe's listing, the Merry Midwood Market places pop-ups alongside established Plaza Midwood businesses, and a free Jump Transit shuttle connects the locations so people can hop between them. The pop-up vendors are still to be announced. The listing tags @plazamidwood, @wiloeco and @jumptransit on Instagram.
The shuttle matters in a neighborhood whose commercial life sits on two corridors. A free ride between stops sends market traffic past the storefronts that host the pop-ups, and on Dec. 5 that includes the businesses below, which are seeing their first holiday season here.
Five places having their first Plaza Midwood December
All five opened in the second half of 2026. Three took over spaces that had other tenants before them, which means plenty of neighbors know the building before they know the name.
| Business | Address | Opened | What was there before |
|---|---|---|---|
| PopUp Bagels | 1606 Commonwealth Ave. | Friday, July 10 | Its second Charlotte location |
| La Vecina | 1306 Central Ave. | Soft opening by early August | The Lunchbox, and before that Chief's Smoke Shop |
| Touché Restaurant & Lounge | 2308 Central Ave. | Grand opening Aug. 21 | Club House Kitchen & Cocktails |
| Postino | The Commonwealth | Monday, Sept. 21 | New to the development |
| Taqueria Number 1 | 2801 Central Ave. | Moved from East Independence Boulevard in 2026 | Deli St. |
Several of these grew out of the neighborhood rather than landing in it from outside.
La Vecina comes from the teams behind Moo & Brew, its next-door neighbor, and Bocao Sushi. Axios Charlotte reported that the owners started with a 600-square-foot building by the train tracks and added 1,500 square feet for a wraparound patio. The main draw is a walk-up counter that serves drinks and a short food menu for takeout or for the standing tables behind it. Its website now lists Colombian coffee and weekend lunch. When out-of-town relatives want to be outside on a mild November afternoon, that patio is the reason to go.
Taqueria Number 1 moved to Plaza Midwood from East Independence Boulevard. Owner Rubén Granados Martinez told CharlotteFive the move was about "thinking of our customers and making our products more accessible to them." The menu includes quesabirrias, tacos, quesadillas and gorditas. Its website now points diners to 2801 Central.
Touché fills the old Club House space at 2308 Central with American-fusion food and a lounge. CharlotteFive reported that the ownership group includes people from Pinhouse, OneSixty Cocktails & Kitchen and PARA Charlotte. In a news release the owners described what they're after as "great food, great cocktails, music, energy and an atmosphere that makes people want to stay." The Branzino Riviera is one of the most popular dishes. On a December night out with friends visiting, Touché is the late-evening stop on the list.
Postino opened at The Commonwealth on Monday, Sept. 21, with its grand-opening celebration that Saturday, CharlotteFive reported. It's in the same development Scout picked for its headquarters, so it's one of the first places to serve the new office crowd that will come to The Commonwealth as Scout staffs up.
PopUp Bagels opened its second Charlotte shop on Commonwealth Avenue on July 10, Axios Charlotte reported. On Thanksgiving weekend, it's the obvious way to feed a full house in the morning without cooking a second big meal.
A November weekend that uses all of it
Put together, one weekend shows how the old and new pieces fit. Saturday, Nov. 14 is PMNA's Marathon Party. On Sunday the 15th, start with bagels from Commonwealth, walk to VanLandingham Estate for Gives & Gathers at 2 p.m., and drop off a toy for the drive. After 5, head over to Central for an early dinner on La Vecina's patio, or end the night at Touché.
The Saturday after Small Business Saturday, the Dec. 5 market repeats the pattern on a bigger scale. Pop-ups set up alongside long-standing businesses, a free shuttle runs between them, Santa Ray arrives in the evening, and the night ends in NoDa.
Places with a story behind them are part of how The Laws Collective looks at Plaza Midwood, from the porches on The Plaza to the new storefronts at The Commonwealth. If you'd like to talk about how the changes on Commonwealth and Central figure into your plans for next year, The Laws Collective would be glad to hear from you. Start the conversation.
