• This is a past event. We will update next upcoming event details as soon as they are available.

Grab a mint julip and don your best and most elaborate hat for this fun and truly southern event that takes place at one of the most enchanting destinations on the Outer Banks. The Kentucky Derby Party is a festive celebration that is held at the famed Elizabethan Gardens, and which features a host of revels and embellishments to coincide with the annual race, and which will benefit a number of worthy local causes.

The event will feature plenty of reasons to toast the race as well as the stunning landscape of the gardens, which includes mint juleps, live and silent auctions, sumptuous derby pies, a hat contest, and an assortment of live music, games and entertainment for attendees of all ages. Visitors will want to reserve a little time to explore the gardens themselves, which are gorgeous in the warm May weather, and can also participate in all sorts of contests and competitions to celebrate Race Day. With proceeds going to the Elizabethan Gardens, the Beach Food Pantry and the Dare Education Foundation, feel free to feel good about enjoying the Kentucky Derby to the fullest with this glittering event that celebrates the race with miles of fun and southern style.