Get your toes tapping with an island celebration of musicians, storytellers, artisans, local food, and so much more by joining in the community-wide fun of the Ocrafolk Festival. This full weekend event is held in the heart of Ocracoke Village, with multiple performances and activities happening around virtually every corner of Silver Lake Harbor.
Manteo’s vibrant downtown scene is on full display during this monthly event that highlights the area’s businesses, restaurants and galleries that makes this central Outer Banks community so unique. The First Friday in Manteo is held every month on the initial Friday of the month, and is a street festival that will make any new visitor fall in love with this charming coastal community.
Enjoy one of the most scenic corners of the Outer Banks while joining in the fun of one of the longest running festivals in Manteo by attending the 45th annual Dare Day Festival. This full-day event is held along the downtown waterfront, and features a wide array of activities and attractions that shine a spotlight on the local Manteo culture. Live music will kick off at around 11:00 a.m., with the original Rhondels – a famed soul and beach music band - on the Downtown stage. Throughout the day, there will also be a number of events designed for water and OBX lovers of all ages, including the now famous Hogway Speedway Racing Pigs, the locally beloved “Anything that Floats but a Boat” Race, the Raingutter Regatta, a Kids Zone, and the annual competition for the best cake and pie in Dare County with a coveted blue ribbon prize.
Manteo’s vibrant downtown scene is on full display during this monthly event that highlights the area’s businesses, restaurants and galleries that makes this central Outer Banks community so unique. The First Friday in Manteo is held every month on the initial Friday of the month, and is a street festival that will make any new visitor fall in love with this charming coastal community.
Head to the tiny coastal village of Ocracoke for a big Independence Day celebration that includes fireworks, a parade, and plenty of family fun. The highlight of the Ocracoke Independence Day Celebration is the annual amazing fireworks display over the Silver Lake Harbor after the sun goes down. Visitors will find plenty of seating all around the harborfront docks, and can bring along beach chairs, towels, blankets, and everything they need to enjoy the show.
The Town of Manteo will host an incredible display of fireworks over the water on 4th of July that will make any Independence Day celebration truly memorable. Launched over the Roanoke Sound and Shallowbag Bay, visitors can find a spot along the downtown docks or a seat at the famed Roanoke Island Festival Park to catch an incredible show with a stunning backdrop.
Visitors can keep the Independence Day celebration going strong with this special fireworks display in the heart of the central Outer Banks that’s sponsored by the Town of Kill Devil Hills, and which is held at the scenic Avalon Pier.
Head to the tiny coastal village of Ocracoke for a big Independence Day celebration that includes fireworks, a parade, and plenty of family fun. The highlight of the Ocracoke Independence Day Celebration is the annual amazing fireworks display over the Silver Lake Harbor after the sun goes down. Visitors will find plenty of seating all around the harborfront docks, and can bring along beach chairs, towels, blankets, and everything they need to enjoy the show.
Manteo’s vibrant downtown scene is on full display during this monthly event that highlights the area’s businesses, restaurants and galleries that makes this central Outer Banks community so unique. The First Friday in Manteo is held every month on the initial Friday of the month, and is a street festival that will make any new visitor fall in love with this charming coastal community.
Take a stroll along any shaded street in Ocracoke village and you’ll naturally notice the town’s love of all-things fig. Fig trees are everywhere in this coastal town, and during this annual celebration, visitors and locals alike can celebrate the fig through a myriad of music, dancing, history, activities, and of course, plenty of fig goodies.
The two day festival is open to artists from throughout the country. The juried show will exhibit original works from 75 artists from throughout the east coast. Over a dozen artists are new to the show this year and are extremely excited to be a part of such a unique and established Festival. Exhibitors include watercolors, oil & acrylic, graphics, drawings, photography, jewelry, sculpture, and pottery. The Festival provides artists and opportunity to display and sell their creative work and compete for awards.
Manteo’s vibrant downtown scene is on full display during this monthly event that highlights the area’s businesses, restaurants and galleries that makes this central Outer Banks community so unique. The First Friday in Manteo is held every month on the initial Friday of the month, and is a street festival that will make any new visitor fall in love with this charming coastal community.
This annual show features a superb variety of creations from 25 Outer Banks artists whose specialties include painting, pottery, jewelry, photography, glass, fiber arts, collage, wood and more. Admission to the show is free on both days and there is plenty of free parking. In addition to the handcrafted art, you can gather information about two local charities – N.E.S.T. and Beach Food Pantry – that participate in the show. A portion of artists' entrance fees are donated to the charities.
Enjoy a thrilling scene along the towering sand dunes of Jockey’s Ridge State Park as giant kites and stunt kite pilots wow the crowd at the engaging and family-friendly Outer Banks Kite Festival. Hosted by Kitty Hawk Kites, this festival features both live demonstrations and interactive activities to ensure that everyone can have a ball enjoying the high flying lifestyle on the Outer Banks.
Come celebrate the history and culture of Hatteras Island’s working watermen at this annual event in the heart of Hatteras Village that has become a tradition for fall visitors and locals alike. Day at the Dock takes place along the waterfront that’s adjacent to the village marinas, and is a delightful combination of fresh seafood and good eats, live demonstrations, working commercial fishing boats, live music, kids activities, and more, and is a true and authentic sample of what life on Hatteras Island is all about.
Manteo’s vibrant downtown scene is on full display during this monthly event that highlights the area’s businesses, restaurants and galleries that makes this central Outer Banks community so unique. The First Friday in Manteo is held every month on the initial Friday of the month, and is a street festival that will make any new visitor fall in love with this charming coastal community.
The Outer Banks Seafood Festival is rapidly becoming one of the highlights of the fall season, with plenty of fresh seafood, storytelling, and activities to keep everyone fully entertained. This all-day event takes place at the waterfront Event Site in Nags Head, and is a family-friendly outing that will make anyone fall in love with this staple of the Outer Banks’ culinary cuisine.
The Outer Banks, and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in particular, is known as one of the best bird watching destinations in the world, and the annual Wings Over Water celebrates this distinction like no other local festival. The weeklong event, which is held each October, features a wide range of educational programs, lectures, and opportunities to meet and greet with fellow birders. During this year's festival, attendees will also have the opportunity to go on guided birding trips, attend art and photography workshops, take a tram or kayak tour of National Wildlife Refuge, visit an ancient maritime forest, and much, much more. A complete schedule can be found online at the organization's website, and attendees should note that some programs do cost a small fee to participate.
Music lovers everywhere have started to flock to the Outer Banks for this “New” tradition that adds a roster of acclaimed bands with one of the prettiest venues along the North Carolina coastline. The Outer Banks Bluegrass Island Festival has quickly become one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, and this year’s event is no exception, with a number of regionally and nationally famous bands already signed up to perform in the multi-day event.
A celebration of flight and beer, OBX Brewtag is modeled after the whimsical and entertaining Red Bull Flutag, translated to “flying day” in German. With OBX Brewtag, the general premise is the same, although rather than human-powered flying machines, Brewtag contestants will be competing to see who can launch and fly an empty 1/6 keg barrel the furthest.
Admission to the OBX Brewtag in 2022 is free for everyone, and the sky is the limit as to how creative your homemade flying contraption can be! Individuals and teams are welcome.
Admission to the event is FREE to the general public. A rather crafty selection of local and regional beer and food will be available for purchase that day. This family-friendly event will also feature plenty of activities for the kiddos!
Come to Ocracoke Island for a Pirate Halloween! The Ocracoke Pirate Jamboree is an annual and multiple-day event that is highlighted by a family-friendly Pirate Encampment by Blackbeard's Pirate Crew on Ocracoke Island, and an ensuing world of fun on the southern Outer Banks.
Manteo’s vibrant downtown scene is on full display during this monthly event that highlights the area’s businesses, restaurants and galleries that makes this central Outer Banks community so unique. The First Friday in Manteo is held every month on the initial Friday of the month, and is a street festival that will make any new visitor fall in love with this charming coastal community.
Get a head start on the holiday season with this post-Thanksgiving event that offers a world of fun for visitors of all ages. Held at the flagship Kitty Hawk Kites store in Nags Head, this two-day event features amazing shopping, activities, demos and displays, and - of course - a visit by old St. Nick himself to allow kids to get a jump start on their Christmas lists.
Visitors who missed the annual Wings Over Water festival - or who just want a second opportunity to admire the hundreds and thousands of birds that flock to the Outer Banks – won’t want to miss this special weekend where these feathered visitors are once again in the spotlight. The Wings Over Water Encore event is a weekend-long celebration of the many wintering waterfowl that are found at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and beyond, and is a great way for birders to discover the off-season beauty of the OBX.
Join in the fun of one of the most festive celebrations on Hatteras Island with this annual Christmas parade that has become a decades-long tradition for locals and holiday visitors alike. The Hatteras Island Christmas Parade combines local businesses, fire departments, the US Coast Guard, and non-profit organizations in a joyful and small-town parade that will inspire anyone to get into the holiday spirit.
