Kill Devil Hills Events - 2026 Schedule

Get ready for a delicious afternoon of fresh seafood, friendly competition, and community spirit at the annual Outer Banks Shrimp Cookoff. This popular culinary event brings together talented chefs from local restaurants to showcase their creativity and compete for the title of best shrimp dish on the beach. Held at the Sea Ranch Resort in Kill Devil Hills, the cookoff offers seafood lovers a unique opportunity to sample a variety of flavorful creations while supporting an important local cause.

Enjoy a full day of live music, coastal scenery, and community spirit at the GrassFed Bluegrass Music Festival, held at the Soundside Event Site in Nags Head. This outdoor music festival brings together talented bluegrass musicians, local vendors, and music lovers for a celebration of great entertainment in a beautiful waterfront setting along the Roanoke Sound.

Get your Thanksgiving off to a fun and active start with this event that combines a little fitness with a world of exceptional brews. The Tipsy Turkey Beer Mile is a great Wednesday precursor to the Thanksgiving Day feast, and it entails a drink-and-run course that beer lovers and runners alike will enjoy to the fullest.

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.

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.

The Coastal Gardening Festival celebrates gardening on the Outer Banks, bringing together plant enthusiasts, home gardeners, and residents interested in creating beautiful, sustainable landscapes in the region's unique coastal environment.The event offers an opportunity to explore gardening ideas, learn about plants suited to the Outer Banks, and connect with others who share an interest in horticulture. From native plants and flowering perennials to landscaping techniques that accommodate sandy soils, salt spray, and coastal winds, the festival highlights the opportunities and challenges of gardening along North Carolina's coast.

Come and enjoy a scenic 5k run or 1-mile walk through some of the prettiest terrain that the central Outer Banks has to offer with this race that has been going strong for more than 35 years. The Annual Nags Head Woods 5K Run is a great running event that falls on Mother’s Day Weekend, and which features plenty of reasons to put on your sneakers and hit the road, and the sandy, wooded trails.

Join the Outer Banks Brewing Station in a fun Independence Day weekend run that presents plenty of reason to celebrate. This adult 21 and over celebration starts with a refreshing brew before an easy-going, mile-long jog, walk or run around the heart of the Outer Banks in Kill Devil Hills.