Best Family Giveaways in Winston-Salem, NC: 2026 Local Guide
A ballpark meal deal, a hotel-stay sweepstakes, and a free library program give Winston-Salem families verified, low-cost ways to spend 2026.
Families in Winston-Salem have several verified, no-cost or low-cost ways to get kids out of the house in 2026, from ballpark promotions to a summer reading program. The strongest options right now are the Winston-Salem Dash's recurring game-day deals, a hotel-stay giveaway from Visit Winston-Salem and Tervis, and Forsyth County Public Library's free summer reading program. This guide sticks to opportunities confirmed through the sponsor's own page or a government source, rather than secondhand roundups.
Each entry below notes exactly what a family gets, what it costs (if anything), and any limit worth knowing before showing up or signing up.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on October 26, 2026.
The Winston-Salem Dash's Kids Club and Wednesday deals
The Winston-Salem Dash, the city's Minor League Baseball team, sells a Kids Club membership for children 12 and under. For $35, a child gets a T-shirt, lanyard, and badge, plus a ticket to five home games and one additional game of their choice — a package the team's Kids Club page values at $90 at retail prices. Families who don't want a season-long membership can still get a deal on individual nights.
On home-game Wednesdays through the 2026 season at Truist Stadium, children 12 and under receive a free Bird Dog or hot dog with chips and a small soda whenever an adult buys a meal, according to the Dash's 2026 theme schedule. The team's 2026 promotional calendar also includes a giveaway item on select dates — for example, a Murphy the Bat Dog bobblehead presented by Cornerstone K9 at the Saturday, May 16 home game. Giveaway items like this typically go to fans at the gate while supplies last, so arriving close to gate opening matters more than for a ticketed membership.
A hotel stay and attraction passes: the Getaway Giveaway
Visit Winston-Salem, the city's tourism bureau, has partnered with drinkware brand Tervis on a "Getaway Giveaway" with no entry deadline posted on the live page. One winner receives a two-night stay for two at the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel downtown, admission for two to Old Salem Museums & Gardens, Reynolda Gardens, and Tanglewood, a $150 travel stipend, and Tervis drinkware, according to the official Getaway Giveaway page. Entry requires following both brands' social accounts and submitting an email address — no purchase is needed to enter.
This is a sweepstakes-style chance to win, not a guaranteed benefit, so every entrant should expect only a chance at the prize, not the prize itself. Winners should also know the fine print: the stay is subject to blackout dates and availability, isn't valid on major holidays, and the drinkware can't be swapped for a different style. Families planning a visit around this prize should check the official page directly before assuming a specific travel window will work.
Forsyth County Library's free summer reading program
Forsyth County Public Library runs a summer reading program for kids each year, and the 2026 edition is called "Unearth a Story." It opens June 5 at the Central Library in Winston-Salem and runs through Friday, July 31, according to the county's official summer reading page. Participation is free. Any child who logs five or more activities in a Summer Reading Passport earns a prize, making this one of the few programs on this list with a guaranteed reward rather than a chance-based entry.
Because it runs through library branches, families can track progress at any Forsyth County library location, not just the Central branch where it launches.
Free kids' meals at Golden Corral
Golden Corral's national company policy, restated in a 2026 release, lets children age 3 and under eat free from the buffet when accompanied by a paying adult. Winston-Salem has an operating location at 180 Hanes Mall Circle where this policy applies. This is a standing company policy rather than a limited-time giveaway, so it doesn't expire on a set date the way a sweepstakes does.
Families with toddlers can use it as a predictable, recurring option rather than something to watch for or enter. Other local "kids eat free" claims circulating for Winston-Salem-area chains — including specific days tied to certain restaurants — trace back to guides last confirmed in 2023 and 2024, not to the restaurants' own current pages. Anyone relying on one of those should call the specific location first, since a restaurant can end or change a kids'-meal promotion without updating older write-ups.
Getting the most from these options
The two programs with no entry required and no purchase needed are the strongest starting point: the Dash's Wednesday Kids Eat Free deal and the library's Summer Reading Passport. Both are confirmed directly on the team's and the county's own 2026 pages, rather than through a third party describing them secondhand. A family could reasonably combine a Wednesday Dash game with ongoing library passport logging over the same summer, since neither requires choosing one over the other.
The Kids Club membership and the Tervis/Visit Winston-Salem giveaway are better treated as upgrades — one is a paid package with a fixed value, the other a free-to-enter chance at a prize — rather than the backbone of a family's summer plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to buy a ticket to get the Wednesday Kids Eat Free deal at Dash games?
Yes — an adult must purchase a meal at a home Wednesday game at Truist Stadium for a child 12 or under to get the free Bird Dog or hot dog, chips, and small soda.
Is the Tervis/Visit Winston-Salem Getaway Giveaway free to enter?
Yes, entry requires only following both brands' social accounts and submitting an email address, with no purchase necessary.
Does the library's summer reading program cost anything?
No. Forsyth County Public Library's "Unearth a Story" program is free, and logging five or more activities in the Summer Reading Passport earns a prize.