Week of April 29, 2024 - May 5, 2024

  • Friday, May 3rd - Saturday, May 4th
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 6, 2024 - May 12, 2024

  • Friday, May 10th
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 10th
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 May 27, 2024 - June 2, 2024

  • Thursday, May 30th 7:45 PM - 10:00 PM
Manteo

Toast the beginning of the 2024 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 July 1, 2024 - July 7, 2024

  • Thursday, July 4th 10:00 AM - 4:00 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.

  • Thursday, July 4th
Ocracoke

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.

Week of August 5, 2024 - August 11, 2024

  • Wednesday, August 7th - Thursday, August 8th 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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.

Week of August 12, 2024 - August 18, 2024

  • Friday, 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 19, 2024 - August 25, 2024

  • Monday, 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 14, 2024 - October 20, 2024

  • Saturday, October 19th
Nags Head

The Outer Banks Seafood Festival is rapidly becoming one of the highlights of the fall season, with plenty of fresh seafood, storytelling, and activities to keep everyone fully entertained. This all-day event takes place at the waterfront Event Site in Nags Head, and is a family-friendly outing that will make anyone fall in love with this staple of the Outer Banks’ culinary cuisine.

Week of October 21, 2024 - October 27, 2024

  • Tuesday, October 22nd - Sunday, October 27th
Rodanthe

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.

Week of November 4, 2024 - November 10, 2024

  • Friday, November 8th - Saturday, November 9th
Ocracoke

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.

Week of December 2, 2024 - December 8, 2024

  • Friday, December 6th - Sunday, December 8th
Manteo

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.

Week of December 16, 2024 - December 22, 2024

  • Tuesday, 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.