Ghouls Night Out Returns to Vis-Art Video in Charlotte — A Fun Night Out Close to South Charlotte
If your Monday nights have been feeling a little routine lately, Vis-Art Video in Charlotte has a fix that’s equal parts bizarre, hilarious, and genuinely entertaining. On Monday, July 13th from 7 to 9 p.m., the beloved independent video store is hosting another edition of Ghouls Night Out — a recurring monthly event that screens a campy horror film while local comedians provide live puppet commentary throughout. Donations are accepted at the door, food and drink will be available, and no two nights are ever quite the same.
For residents across South Charlotte — including those in Ballantyne, Pineville, Fort Mill, Indian Land, Waxhaw, and Tega Cay — this is an easy drive of under 25 minutes that delivers a very different kind of night out from the typical dinner-and-a-movie routine.
What Exactly Is Ghouls Night Out?
The concept is simple, clever, and surprisingly hard to find anywhere else in the Charlotte metro. Vis-Art Video selects a campy horror film — think low-budget creature features, cult classics, or gloriously terrible B-movies — and screens it for an audience. But here’s the twist: throughout the film, puppets voiced by local Charlotte comedians provide running commentary, jokes, and improvised riffs on everything happening on screen.
If that sounds familiar, it should. The format draws clear inspiration from Mystery Science Theater 3000, the cult television series in which characters mocked bad movies in real time. But Ghouls Night Out brings that energy to a live, local setting — which means the comedy is spontaneous, the performers know the audience, and the whole experience carries an energy that no streaming service can replicate.
Key Details for the July 13th Event
- Date: Monday, July 13th, 2026
- Time: 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Location: Vis-Art Video, 3104 Eastway Drive, Charlotte, NC
- Cost: Donations accepted at the door (no fixed ticket price)
- Food and Drink: Available on-site
- Frequency: Every second Monday of the month
The donation-based entry keeps the event accessible to just about anyone, and the food and drink availability means you can make a full evening of it without needing to plan around dinner beforehand.
Why South Charlotte Residents Should Pay Attention
South Charlotte has grown at a remarkable pace over the past decade. From the continued residential and commercial expansion of Ballantyne to the explosive population growth happening in Indian Land, South Carolina and ongoing development in Fort Mill and Waxhaw, this region has added tens of thousands of new residents in a relatively short period of time.
With that growth comes an ever-louder question from longtime locals and newcomers alike: where can we go for something that doesn’t feel like every other suburb in America? Chain restaurants, national retail anchors, and cookie-cutter entertainment venues are easy to find. Authentic, locally-rooted cultural experiences are considerably harder to come by.
That’s exactly why events like Ghouls Night Out matter. They represent something genuinely unique to Charlotte — built by local creatives, hosted by an independent business that has survived and thrived in an era of streaming dominance, and offered at a price point that doesn’t require planning a special occasion around it.
The Drive from South Charlotte
For context on accessibility, here are approximate drive times to Vis-Art Video at 3104 Eastway Drive from key South Charlotte communities:
- Ballantyne: Approximately 20 to 25 minutes via I-485
- Pineville: Approximately 15 to 20 minutes
- Fort Mill: Approximately 25 to 30 minutes
- Indian Land: Approximately 25 to 30 minutes
- Waxhaw: Approximately 30 to 35 minutes
- Tega Cay: Approximately 30 minutes
None of those drives are prohibitive for a 7 p.m. event, especially on a Monday when traffic has typically settled down. The 7 to 9 p.m. window also means you’ll be heading home well before midnight — a genuine selling point for anyone with an early Tuesday morning.
About Vis-Art Video: Charlotte’s Independent Video Store
Vis-Art Video holds a genuinely special place in Charlotte’s cultural landscape. In an era when Blockbuster collapsed, Hollywood Video disappeared, and even digital rental platforms have consolidated and narrowed their libraries, Vis-Art has persisted as one of the last independent video rental stores in the greater Charlotte area.
The store has cultivated a loyal community around its eclectic selection, knowledgeable staff, and commitment to independent and cult cinema. Ghouls Night Out is one of several community-oriented events the store uses to bring people together around a shared love of film — particularly the kind of film that mainstream multiplexes would never touch.
Supporting Vis-Art Video’s events is, in a meaningful sense, supporting the kind of local business ecosystem that gives Charlotte its character. As South Charlotte continues to grow and attract new residents from across the country, businesses and events that feel rooted in this specific place — rather than imported wholesale from a national franchise template — become increasingly valuable to the community’s identity.
What to Expect When You Arrive
First-timers should know that Ghouls Night Out has the relaxed, communal energy of a neighborhood gathering rather than a formal theater experience. You’re encouraged to react, laugh, and engage with the commentary — that interaction is part of what makes it work. The puppeteers and comedians are playing to the room, so an enthusiastic audience makes the whole experience better for everyone.
Food and drinks are available on-site, so you don’t need to arrive having already eaten. Donations at the door are genuinely appreciated and help sustain the event, so bring a few dollars even if it’s not strictly required. And if you enjoy it — which most people do — mark your calendar for the second Monday of August, because this is a recurring monthly event.
Tips for Making the Most of the Evening
- Arrive a few minutes early to get settled before the film starts at 7 p.m.
- Bring cash for the donation jar and for food and drinks
- Come with an open mind — campy horror is an acquired taste, but the comedy makes it accessible to everyone
- Consider making it a group outing — the experience is significantly more fun with friends
- Check Vis-Art Video’s social media before heading out to confirm any last-minute changes
The Bigger Picture: Community Events Worth Traveling For
One of the consistent themes in feedback from South Charlotte Report readers is a desire to know about events and experiences that are genuinely worth leaving the neighborhood for. Not every story we cover happens within the boundaries of Fort Mill, Indian Land, Waxhaw, Tega Cay, Ballantyne, or Pineville — and that’s by design. Part of living in the greater Charlotte metro means having access to a broader cultural ecosystem, and Ghouls Night Out is a clear example of something that exists nowhere else in the region.
As the South Charlotte communities we cover continue to develop their own local entertainment infrastructure — new restaurants, event venues, and gathering spaces are opening regularly across Fort Mill and Indian Land in particular — it’s worth remembering that Charlotte proper remains a short drive away and full of creative events like this one.
Whether you’re a horror enthusiast, a fan of improvisational comedy, a supporter of independent businesses, or just someone looking for a genuinely different Monday night, Ghouls Night Out at Vis-Art Video on July 13th is worth the drive. Doors open at 7 p.m., it wraps up by 9 p.m., and you’ll have a story to tell on Tuesday morning either way.
Vis-Art Video is located at 3104 Eastway Drive, Charlotte, NC. For the most current information on Ghouls Night Out and other events, follow Vis-Art Video on social media.
