Outer Banks History Events - 2026 Schedule

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.