As the summer winds down and the temperatures start to cool, it’s an ideal time to get out to the garden and to start planning your fall landscapes. During this special workshop that’s held at the Elizabethan Gardens, visitors will learn all about how to make the most out of the shoulder season weather, and to start planning a beautiful backyard, front porch, or other area that will stay pretty throughout the season.

The Outer Banks, and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in particular, is known as one of the best bird watching destinations in the world, and the annual Wings Over Water celebrates this distinction like no other local festival. The weeklong event, which is held each October, features a wide range of educational programs, lectures, and opportunities to meet and greet with fellow birders. During this year's festival, attendees will also have the opportunity to go on guided birding trips, attend art and photography workshops, take a tram or kayak tour of National Wildlife Refuge, visit an ancient maritime forest, and much, much more. A complete schedule can be found online at the organization's website, and attendees should note that some programs do cost a small fee to participate.

Celebrate the vibrant Latino community on Ocracoke Island which has been growing and thriving in the past 20 years with this special festival that features a wealth of tempting foods, arts and crafts, music, activities for kids, and much more. Held at the Ocracoke School during the day and the Ocracoke Community Center at night, this festival deliciously combines education and effortless fun to present a day that visitors of all tastes will adore.

Visitors who missed the annual Wings Over Water festival - or who just want a second opportunity to admire the hundreds and thousands of birds that flock to the Outer Banks – won’t want to miss this special weekend where these feathered visitors are once again in the spotlight. The Wings Over Water Encore event is a weekend-long celebration of the many wintering waterfowl that are found at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and beyond, and is a great way for birders to discover the off-season beauty of the OBX.

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.

Starry Nights is an event for children and adults who are interested in the amazing night skies. On Friday evening a visiting astronomer will give a presentation about the Hatteras night sky at the Hatteras Village Civic Center followed by viewing the stars. On Saturday there will be a free children's program with a portable planetarium. 

The Hatteras Village Waterfowl Festival in the beautiful village of Hatteras, will be back for the third year for 2022! It celebrates the diverse waterfowl resource native to the island. During festival, you will find carvers, artists, vendors and many demonstrations such as a live raptor show, historical bus tours of the village, a bird watching cruise, an interactive duck exhibit and much, much more. Gold Tickets are available and holders gain admission to the amazing "Fin, Feather and Bourbon" social on Friday evening, featuring small plates and local seafood and a Sunday Brunch. Day pass tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children over 5, which includes lunch. Gold Tickets are $50 for the whole weekend. 

The stunning butterflies of the Elizabethan Gardens take center stage at this enchanting event that is celebrating its fourth year on the Outer Banks in 2021. Back by popular demand, the Butterfly Festival at the Elizabethan Gardens will be a crowd pleaser for both the young and the young-at-heart, thanks to a colorful array of activities and events that perfectly correspond with some of the gardens’ most notable and vibrant residents.

The stunning butterflies of the Elizabethan Gardens take center stage at this enchanting event that is celebrating its fourth year on the Outer Banks in 2021. Back by popular demand, the Butterfly Festival at the Elizabethan Gardens will be a crowd pleaser for both the young and the young-at-heart, thanks to a colorful array of activities and events that perfectly correspond with some of the gardens’ most notable and vibrant residents.

The stunning butterflies of the Elizabethan Gardens take center stage at this enchanting event that is celebrating its fourth year on the Outer Banks in 2021. Back by popular demand, the Butterfly Festival at the Elizabethan Gardens will be a crowd pleaser for both the young and the young-at-heart, thanks to a colorful array of activities and events that perfectly correspond with some of the gardens’ most notable and vibrant residents.

The stunning butterflies of the Elizabethan Gardens take center stage at this enchanting event that is celebrating its fourth year on the Outer Banks in 2021. Back by popular demand, the Butterfly Festival at the Elizabethan Gardens will be a crowd pleaser for both the young and the young-at-heart, thanks to a colorful array of activities and events that perfectly correspond with some of the gardens’ most notable and vibrant residents.

The stunning butterflies of the Elizabethan Gardens take center stage at this enchanting event that is celebrating its fourth year on the Outer Banks in 2021. Back by popular demand, the Butterfly Festival at the Elizabethan Gardens will be a crowd pleaser for both the young and the young-at-heart, thanks to a colorful array of activities and events that perfectly correspond with some of the gardens’ most notable and vibrant residents.

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.

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.

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.