Outer Banks History Events - 2026 Schedule

Outer Banks History Events - 2026 Schedule
Week of April 27, 2026 - May 3, 2026
Friday, May 1st - Saturday, May 2nd
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 4, 2026 - May 10, 2026
Friday, May 8th 11:00 AM
Ocracoke

Visitors can pay tribute to the fallen heroes of Ocracoke’s past at this special and inspired ceremony that pays homage to the heroes who lost their lives off the island’s coast. Orchestrated by the Friends of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, the Ocracoke community, the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary 16-04, the National Park Service, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the annual British Cemetery Ceremony is a historic and landmark event that honors Ocracoke’s tumultuous past.

Friday, May 8th 11:00 AM
Buxton

In mid-May, representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Navy, British Royal Navy, and National Park Service come together at the British Cemeteries on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island to honor the 63 foreign sailors who perished while protecting our coast.

Week of June 1, 2026 - June 7, 2026
Saturday, June 6th
Manteo

Toast the beginning of the 2026 season for one of the country’s most acclaimed outdoor dramas, The Lost Colony, with this special opening performance at the famed Waterside Theater in the heart of Downtown Manteo. The Lost Colony is the longest-running outdoor drama in America, and is an acclaimed production that tells the story of the first colonists to arrive from England to the “New World,” eventually creating a settlement just steps away from where the performance takes place.

Week of June 29, 2026 - July 5, 2026
Saturday, July 4th 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Manteo

Take a step back in time to the Outer Banks of the mid-1800s, and celebrate Independence Day in a historical fashion, with a visit to The Island Farm. Located in the heart of Manteo, The Island Farm is a unique attraction that takes visitors on a tour of what life was like for island residents more than 150 years ago. Featuring a wealth of historic homes with period artifacts, live farm animals, and costumed interpreters who explain what life was like for these original locals, The Island Farm is both an educational and utterly fascinating attraction for visitors of all ages.

Week of July 13, 2026 - July 19, 2026
Friday, July 17th - Saturday, July 18th
Kill Devil Hills

Now celebrating its 47th year, the Wright Kite Festival is a celebration of aviation that takes place where flight began – the Wright Brothers Memorial. Walk through the sprawling grounds of the museum and gain a little knowledge of the birthplace of aviation and then put this knowledge to the test outside with Kitty Hawk Kites. Large kites will be on display throughout the weekend, joining in the sky with the Wright Memorial!

Week of August 3, 2026 - August 9, 2026
Friday, August 7th - Saturday, August 8th
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 August 10, 2026 - August 16, 2026
Thursday, August 13th - Friday, August 14th
Nags Head

Get ready for a pirate invasion on the Outer Banks, courtesy of the two-day Outer Banks Pirate Festival. This festival that will be held next to Jockey’s Ridge State Park in the central Outer Banks town of Nags Head promises plenty of swashbuckling good times and activities, and will be a memorable event for young and old salty visitors alike.

Sunday, August 16th
Rodanthe

Come celebrate one of the most important events in Life-Saving local history with this special day at the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site in the heart of Rodanthe. The rescue of the Mirlo was one of the most legendary rescues that was ever conducted by the US Life-Saving Service, and during this special day, visitors will dive deeper into this story courtesy of a wealth of activities that will fascinate visitors of all ages.

Week of August 17, 2026 - August 23, 2026
Wednesday, August 19th
Kill Devil Hills

First proclaimed on August 19, 1939, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, National Aviation Day is a celebration of Orville Wright’s birth date, and is a fun-filled event at the Wright Brothers National Memorial that visitors of all ages will enjoy.  

Week of October 5, 2026 - October 11, 2026
Saturday, October 10th
ocracoke

Join the Ocracoke Preservation Society in celebrating Ocracoke heritage with its rich history and continuing tradition of working on the water with this unique festival that made its grand debut in 2023. Held on the grounds of the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum, this festival will celebrate these traditions with booths and exhibits with the watermen themselves, as well as plenty of food and fun to go around.

Week of October 26, 2026 - November 1, 2026
Friday, October 30th - Saturday, October 31st
Ocracoke

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.

Week of December 14, 2026 - December 20, 2026
Thursday, December 17th
Kill Devil Hills

Enjoy an uplifting experience at the exact location where aviation was born at the annual Celebration of the Wright Brothers First Flight at the impossible-to-miss Wright Brothers Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. This day-long celebration honors the birthplace of flight, with a commemoration that coincides with the precise time that the first successful launch took place, and a wealth of activities throughout the day that will delight aviation fans of all ages.

Outer Banks Map
Carova Corolla Duck Southern Shores Kitty Hawk Kill Devil Hills Manteo Nags Head Wanchese Rodanthe Waves Salvo Avon Buxton Frisco Hatteras Ocracoke
Coquina Beach

Located just south of Nags Head, Coquina Beach is a refreshingly undeveloped stretch of shoreline that's close to the central Outer Banks towns of Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and Kitty Hawk, but feels like it's miles away.

Nags Head Dolphin Watch

Scientists run these dolphin tours as part of their research on these beloved aquatic animals, so you know this will be an interesting trip. Passengers will be able to see how researchers with the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research, a nonprofit...

Green Grass and High Tides

Located in Corolla / 8 Bedrooms / 6 Full Bathrooms / 2 Half BathroomsUnwind and savor your vacation in a cavernous home designed with families in mind. Green Grass & High Tides was thoughtfully converted from a duplex into one sizable...

  • Corolla
  • 8 Bedrooms
  • 6 Bathrooms
6/7 - 6/14
$3,582  $3,915
$333 off
6/15 - 6/22
$5,094  $5,595
$501 off
6/22 - 6/29
$5,094  $5,595
$501 off
7/20 - 7/27
$6,442  $7,092
$650 off
7/27 - 8/3
$6,442  $7,092
$650 off
8/9 - 8/16
$6,442  $7,092
$650 off
8/17 - 8/24
$6,083  $6,693
$610 off
8/24 - 8/31
$6,083  $6,693
$610 off
8/30 - 9/6
$4,136  $4,530
$394 off
Fishing Unlimited Boating Center

Owned by Garry Oliver, the proprietor of the Outer Banks Fishing Pier, this small wooden aqua blue-colored store on the Nags Head-Manteo causeway has been serving the needs of fishermen for decades. A full line of tackle is available for all types...

CAROLINA CUTIE

Carolina Cutie is one of the most charming oceanfront cottages in Southern Shores. It captures the essence of what a beach cottage should be - colorful and cozy with panoramic ocean views. It’s the perfect blend of vintage and contemporary Outer...

  • Southern Shores
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
5/31 - 6/7
$3,947  $4,339
$392 off
OBX Laser Tag and Arcade

Here’s some high energy entertainment for the kids, and for young adults (or young at heart) who love laser tag. On one side of this large facility is the “moon bounce inflatable room,” where the young ‘uns can go and bounce...

1836 - Liberty Call

Always Included, complimentary linens and made beds! Liberty Call is the perfect vacation home for a smaller group, couple, or family! This quaint 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath Outer Banks townhouse has all...

  • Corolla
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 2.5 Bathrooms
Miss Oregon Inlet

Oregon Inlet Fishing Center is the home of the largest and most modern charter boat fishing fleet on the eastern seaboard. A full service marina in Nags Head NC, Oregon Inlet offers a comprehensive charter boat fishing experience for the "old salt...

431 | Carolina Moon

For 2026: Updates include all new Kitchen Appliances - photos to come once installation is complete."Carolina Moon" is a nicely decorated home that is very comfortable and peacefully situated amongst a stand of Live Oak trees in the Tuckahoe...

  • Duck
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
7/18 - 7/24
$2,145  $2,395
$250 off
Lost Treasure Golf

The noted explorer, archaeologist, anthropologist, paleontologist, and part-time plumbing contractor from the University of Chicago, Professor Duffer A. Hacker, led two expeditions to the outer banks in the late 1920’s. The purpose of these...

5070 - Beach Fort

BEACH GEAR RENTAL INCLUDED! Always Included, complimentary linens and made beds! Beach Fort is a charming 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom Outer Banks rental nestled on the oceanside of Kill Devil Hills. With...

  • Kill Devil Hills
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 4 Bathrooms
Carolina Designs

Plan your Outer Banks vacation with us! Browse our inventory of 350+ premier Outer Banks vacation rentals, including houses in Duck, Corolla, Southern Shores, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, and Nags Head!

BELLA PLAYA

Overview Bella Playa - the name says it all! Experience the beauty of our beaches with a vacation at this thoughtfully designed six-bedroom home in the Ocean Lake community of Corolla. Built to incorporate all the amenities that make...

  • Corolla
  • 6 Bedrooms
  • 5.5 Bathrooms
Moge Tee

QUALITY YOU CAN SEE, FRESHNESS YOU CAN TASTE! Every cup made to order with the freshest ingredients and handcrafted loose leaf tea brewed to perfection! Combining all the natural gifts from mother nature!

Lasea Days

Are you ready for some lazy days at the beach? We have the perfect spot for you at ‘Lasea Days’! Relax and enjoy some down time with your family in this comfortable, and well outfitted property by the ocean. You will enjoy amenities galore with...

  • Nags Head
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 10