SSS 2025 Local Arrangements Committee Update

Dear friends of the SSS,

Warm greetings from Charlotte!  We are looking forward to welcoming you to our annual meeting from April 9-12. Our hope is that the connections and community you find at the SSS conference will help rejuvenate you and the important work that you do.

If you’ve been feeling underappreciated lately, rest assured that Charlotte is rolling out the red carpet to make sociologists feel at home. For example, Charlotte Shout! (a festival of art, music, food, and ideas) will be taking place from April 4-20 throughout nearby uptown during the conference (for a schedule of events, check here closer to the meeting: https://charlotteshout.com/). A variety of other activities, including family-friendly options, are available at Charlotte on the Cheap as well as the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority website: Charlotte’s Got a Lot
 

We also plan to bring a little folksy and friendly fun right to the conference hotel with a concert from sociological duo New Adage, followed by an acoustic jam session on Wednesday night (bring an instrument or borrow one, if you want to join in!). On Thursday night, show off your skills at the live band karaoke during the student mixer (8-10 pm). On Friday, catch a screening of How to Save a Milestonea documentary about a local music venue’s (aka the “CBGB of the South”) fight to survive gentrification. There will even be Milestone merch!
 

On Friday, April 11th at 8am, join us for a run/walk to two fantastic doughnut shops, with 1 mile and 5k options. And if you’re interested in eating something besides doughnuts, we will also have food trucks on-site at lunch time on April 10th-12th, as well as a list of nearby dining options that we will share as we get closer to the meeting. 
 

For those who are driving to Charlotte, you can check out this map for parking near the hotel. For those coming by airplane, we suggest taking a rideshare to the hotel. Getting around Charlotte, you can take advantage of the Light Rail.
 

Need childcare? There are national services available (such as Care.com) as well as a Charlotte-based office of TLC Family Care Babysitting Services, which brings childcare right to your hotel. You can check out additional details on that here, though we recommend you contact them soon to make arrangements. 

If you have any other questions or suggestions, please feel free to get in touch and we will do the best we can to help.
 

With southern hospitality,

Your Local Arrangements Committee Co-chairs,

Vaughn and Zara