Week of March 10, 2025 - March 16, 2025

  • Sunday, March 16th 1:00 PM
Nags Head

For an Outer Banks celebration that revolves around family fun, and encompasses the best of the Outer Banks' spirit, make plans to catch a good glimpse of the Outer Banks St. Patrick's Day Parade. With moderate temperatures and plenty of southern hospitality, this event can kick-off a fantastic week-long vacation or spring break on the Outer Banks.

Week of April 7, 2025 - April 13, 2025

  • Friday, April 11th
Nags Head

Bronco Beach Bash is coming to the Outer Banks in Nags Head. Croatan Hwy, Nags Head, NC. This will be the kick-off event for Bronco event season! Friday evening will be our kick-off party followed by Beach cruises, show-n-shine, vendors, local restaurants, music, and of course our famous after parties located at participating local restaurants. Club parking will be available per request. All generations of Broncos are welcome! Beach cruises and hangouts will require a National Seashore Permit located below.

Week of April 14, 2025 - April 20, 2025

  • Friday, April 18th - Saturday, April 19th
Nags Head

Come enjoy the spirit of the Easter holiday on the Outer Banks while taking advantage of National Kite Month at this fun and family-friendly event that joyfully combines these two celebrations. The Flying Into Spring And Easter EGGstravaganza festival is a great way to take in the fresh spring air along the coastline, while participating in a myriad of games, displays, and a little kite action at one of the best spots on the East Coast for high flying.

  • Friday, April 18th - Saturday, April 19th
Nags Head

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.

Week of April 28, 2025 - May 4, 2025

  • Friday, May 2nd - Saturday, May 3rd
Kill Devil Hills

Automobile enthusiasts can meet and greet with fellow aficionados while exploring some of the most stunning coastlines that North Carolina has to offer at this two-day festival that features a wide array of ways to have fun. The OBX Rod And Custom Festival is a special celebration of vintage and antique cars that will boast a host of family-friendly activities, from local food, to cruise-ins, to displays that will impress car fans of all tastes and ages.

Week of May 5, 2025 - May 11, 2025

  • Friday, May 9th 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Manteo

Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County (CYP) will hold its 16th Annual KidsFest on Friday, May 9, 2025 from 9:30am-12:30pm at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo. This annual event is a FREE and fun-filled day where children, ages five and under, can enjoy arts and crafts, bubbles, characters, music, large vehicles, and much more!

Week of June 2, 2025 - June 8, 2025

  • Friday, June 6th - Sunday, June 8th
Ocracoke

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.

Week of June 30, 2025 - July 6, 2025

  • Wednesday, July 2nd
Ocracoke

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.

  • Friday, July 4th 9:00 AM
Duck

Take part in an annual Independence Day celebration that captures the local spirit of Duck and the Outer Banks with this fun and fantastic parade that caps off with plenty of good times by the waterfront.

  • Friday, July 4th
Manteo

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.

Week of July 28, 2025 - August 3, 2025

  • Friday, August 1st - Saturday, August 2nd
Ocracoke

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.

Week of September 15, 2025 - September 21, 2025

  • Friday, September 19th - Sunday, September 21st
Nags Head

Jeep lovers are welcome to attend this annual festival that takes advantage of the beautiful fall weather of the Outer Banks, as well as the off-roading opportunities that are abundant along the miles of coastal North Carolina shoreline. The OBX Jeep Invasion is a fun and adventure-filled event that gives Jeep lovers an opportunity to get together and have a blast at one of the East Coat’s favorite destinations for four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Week of October 13, 2025 - October 19, 2025

  • Thursday, October 16th - Saturday, October 18th
Manteo

Head to Roanoke Island in the scenic month of May to enjoy some of the best music of the year at the popular Bluegrass Island Festival. This annual festival has rapidly blossomed into one of the most anticipated music events along the Outer Banks, and attendees will be treated to a wealth of acclaimed bands, from legendary national acts, to homegrown bluegrass performers who will have everyone’s toes tapping.

Ben Franklin

Stop by Nags Head's Ben Franklin at Mile Post 10 on the Bypass where you will find everything you need for the beach! From Clothing, T-shirts and Swimwear to Boards, Chairs, Umbrellas and Tackle. You'll find it all…and of course, we have the best selection of Souvenirs anywhere on the Outer Banks. Enjoy your vacation! Independently owned by a member of one of the Outer Banks’ oldest families, the Ben Franklin store is stocked with just about everything a visitor would need to go to the beach.

 

Ben Franklin stores were once part of a five-and-dime retail empire, with about 2,500 locations across the country in its heyday. As decades passed and the times and customers began to change, many closed their doors, leading to fewer than 150 of these nostalgic shops. Nags Head Ben Franklin, however, has withstood the test of time and adapted to the needs of its customers to provide a memorable shopping experience on the Outer Banks.

 

Debbie Terry Tolson, manager of the Ben Franklin location in Nags Head, recalls working with former owner Tommie Daniels. Daniels’ father, Moncie Daniels, started the business in downtown Manteo in the early 1900s. The Daniels family has been a longstanding fixture in the Outer Banks business community—Moncie even sold gas to the Wright brothers in 1903.

 

Tommie, with an excellent business mind, saw the opportunity the new Bypass presented and, in 1977, he opened the Nags Head location of Ben Franklin. He was one of the first businesses on the Bypass,” Tolson says.In addition to a new location, the Ben Franklin store saw a new group of customers.

 

“People would come from all around because Tommie had a little bit of everything—it was more like a five and 10 then,” Tolson explains. “As he went to the beach, he began to get more tourists, so he started catering more and more to visitors.”

 

Today, the 21,000-square-foot souvenir shop quickly catches the attention of anyone driving by thanks to the ocean-themed mural that decorates the façade of the building, painted by local artist Rob Snyder. This Ben Franklin location has become the must-stop shop for both first-time visitors to the area and generations of families who escape to the Outer Banks annually.

 

Tolson credits the great prices and friendly customer service to the success of the location, which keeps families returning.“People come in all the time and tell me, ‘my grandmother or my grandfather used to bring me here and now I’m bringing my children,’” she shares. “One of my favorite parts about working here is seeing the people come back year after year.”

KEES Vacations