# charlotteonthecheap-mcp [Health: Active]

**Category:** 💻 Developer Tools  
**Repository:** https://github.com/chrischall/charlotteonthecheap-mcp  
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**Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/charlotteonthecheap-mcp

## Description
Charlotte On The Cheap MCP — free and cheap Charlotte events, deals and local guides

## Tools
Capabilities this server exposes over MCP:

- **otc_search_posts** — Search and filter one "on the Cheap" site's articles — free and cheap things to do in that city, plus deals, festivals, kids activities and local guides. Pass the `site` key for the city (see otc_list_sites); the national hub is valid here and carries country-wide deals. Filter by full-text `query`, `category` or `location` id (see otc_list_categories / otc_list_locations), and publication date range. Category and location ids are per-site — resolve them against the SAME site you are searching. Retired deals live in an "expired" category and are excluded by default; set `include_expired` to search them too. Returns slim summaries by default — use otc_get_post for an article's full text. Read-only.
- **otc_get_post** — Fetch one "on the Cheap" article in full by numeric id, slug, or full URL. Pass the `site` key for the city the article belongs to — an id or slug from one site will not resolve on another, and a full URL must match the site you name. Returns the article text as readable plain text by default; set `format` to "html" for the original markup. Read-only.
- **otc_list_events** — List everything happening in an "on the Cheap" city on a given date, from that site’s events calendar — each with its time, price (most are free) and venue. Pass the `site` key for the city (see otc_list_sites) and an ISO `date` (YYYY-MM-DD); the date defaults to today in that city. Set `free_only` to keep just the no-cost listings. The national hub has no local calendar and is not a valid `site` here. Use otc_get_post on a listing's url for the full write-up. Read-only.
- **otc_events_month_overview** — Day-by-day overview of a whole month from an "on the Cheap" city’s events calendar: for each day, the true number of listings and a short preview of them. Pass the `site` key for the city (see otc_list_sites). The calendar shows at most four listings per day, so `events` is a preview while `total` is the real count — call otc_list_events for a specific date to get that day's complete schedule. The national hub has no local calendar and is not a valid `site` here. Use this to find the busiest days or scan a month at a glance. Read-only.
- **otc_list_categories** — List one "on the Cheap" site's article categories with their ids and post counts (kids, music, food, festivals, art, museums, and so on). Pass the `site` key for the city (see otc_list_sites). Use an id to filter otc_search_posts by topic — ids are per-site, so use them only against the site they came from. Read-only.
- **otc_list_locations** — List one "on the Cheap" site's location taxonomy with ids and post counts — the neighbourhoods and surrounding areas it covers. Pass the `site` key for the city (see otc_list_sites). Use an id to filter otc_search_posts geographically — ids are per-site, so use them only against the site they came from. Read-only.
- **otc_list_sites** — List every city in the "on the Cheap" network with the `site` key used to select it. This server reads them all — every other tool takes a `site` argument, and there is no default, so start here when you do not already know which key covers the city the user means. Read-only.
- **otc_healthcheck** — Verify one "on the Cheap" site is reachable and its public API is responding. Pass the `site` key for the city (see otc_list_sites). The sites need no credentials, so this checks connectivity only. On failure `error.kind` names what broke: edge_blocked (a CDN/WAF refused the request before it reached the site), http, timeout or transport. Read-only.

## Claude Desktop Quick Installation
Install path detected from listing signals. Uses `npx` (confidence: high):

```json
"mcpServers": {
  "charlotteonthecheap-mcp": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y","onthecheap-mcp"]
  }
}
```

## Documentation

## What charlotteonthecheap-mcp does

charlotteonthecheap-mcp MCP server gives an MCP client read-only access to the On the Cheap network, including Charlotte On The Cheap and other city sites. For Charlotte requests, use the `charlotte` site key. The network covers local event calendars and an article archive containing deals and guides; the national site supports article searches but has no local events calendar.

The server is useful for questions such as finding free activities on a particular day, comparing event availability across dates or cities, locating posts about a neighborhood, or opening a guide as readable text. It does not create, edit, or book anything.

## How it works

Each tool request selects a site explicitly. This prevents a request intended for another city from silently returning Charlotte results. Common aliases are accepted for some sites, and `otc_list_sites` returns the available keys and site names. Unknown site keys are rejected with the valid choices.

The server fetches public site data server-side over plain HTTPS, so no account or API credential is required. Category and location identifiers belong to individual site installations; resolve them for the same site that will be searched rather than reusing an ID from another city.

Expired offers are omitted from searches by default. A search can include them with `include_expired: true`. Event requests use dates supplied to the event tools, and the month overview provides actual daily totals alongside limited previews.

## Setup and configuration

Install and run the package with:

```bash
npx onthecheap-mcp
```

The server has no environment variables or configuration file. Select the city through the required `site` argument on tool calls. The exception is `otc_list_sites`, which needs no arguments. The project also documents installation as a Claude Code plugin using its marketplace and plugin-install commands.

## Tools and capabilities

The charlotteonthecheap-mcp MCP server exposes these tools:

- `otc_list_events` returns events for a day, including time, price, and venue. It defaults to today and can restrict results to no-cost listings with `free_only`.
- `otc_events_month_overview` reports daily event counts and a short listing preview for a month. Use `otc_list_events` for the complete schedule on a selected date.
- `otc_search_posts` searches articles by text, category, location, and date range, returning compact summaries by default.
- `otc_get_post` retrieves one article by ID, slug, or URL as readable text or raw HTML.
- `otc_list_categories` and `otc_list_locations` expose per-site filters and their post counts.
- `otc_list_sites` lists network cities and their site keys.
- `otc_healthcheck` tests whether a site is reachable and reports failures as `edge_blocked`, `http`, `timeout`, or `transport`.

## Limitations and notes

All tools are read-only. `national` is rejected by both event tools because that site has no local events calendar, although its posts remain searchable. Month results are previews rather than complete daily schedules, even though their `total` values represent the full count. The server relies on public site availability, so health checks can expose network, timeout, or edge-blocking failures.

The underlying documentation notes that event date routing uses the US `M-D-YYYY` format; callers should use that format for event calendar requests rather than assuming an ISO date will be interpreted correctly.

_Full upstream README: https://allmcps.com/mcp/charlotteonthecheap-mcp/readme_