Outer Banks Annual Events - Community

This event has become an Outer Banks spring tradition, and there could be no more beautiful setting than The Elizabethan Gardens in full bloom. The event features an egg scavenger hunt, photo ops, a homemade bake sale, an egg roll on the Great Lawn, visits from Sir Walter “Peter” Wabbit, make and take crafts, gift certificates, stuffed animals, bake sales and more. All of the family fun activities make this a favorite for the little bunnies in your house. The Great Lawn features entertaining performances from local music groups, dance troupes and storytellers. Kids with festive hats and bonnets will even get to enter a contest for their finery. This Outer Banks event takes place the Saturday before Easter.

You can see fantastic Fourth of July fireworks at many locations on the Outer Banks — Whalehead in Corolla, Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head Pier in Nags Head, Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo and Avon Pier in Avon. Gather up your family and friends and head out to ooo and ahhh over the crackling fireworks. Just don’t set off any fireworks of your own; it’s illegal in Dare County.

Calling all swashbucklers, buccaneers and everything in between to lace up your finest running shoes and enjoy a great race through some beautiful scenery. You and the members of your crew can walk, jog or run in this half marathon or 5K that’ll take you through the picturesque maritime forest in Nags Head Woods, along the Albemarle Sound and around the Wright Brothers Memorial. And don’t forget, a respectable pirate always looks his or her best, so make sure you’re dressed for the part. Prizes are awarded to the best-dressed and most enthusiastic participants. After the run, you and fellow scallywags can celebrate with the Pirate Jamboree in Nags Head. There is free beer and food for runners and live music to groove to. This Outer Banks event is held in mid-April. Go to www.flyingpiratehalfmarathon.com to register.

True to the spirit of Hatteras Island and the close-knit community, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum hosts an annual holiday bash to celebrate the season and the local island community’s endless resilience. The Holiday at the Museum offers attractive activities for visitors of all ages. Children can work on their letters to Santa and create holiday crafts to take home. Local vendors and artisans sell handcrafted holiday decor, and adults looking for decorating inspiration or for gift ideas will love browsing the selection. Live music from local musicians – ranging from choral groups to bands – fill the air with the sounds of Christmas. There are plenty of delightful spectacles to feast your eyes on including the Winter Wonderland train display and the elaborately decorated Christmas trees. Speaking of feasting, come hungry for home-style Hatteras cooking – characters like ham biscuits, hot soup and cookies may appear on the refreshments table. This event is free to the public, and visitors are asked to bring a donation for the local food bank. Visit the museum’s website to learn more about each year’s event.

The lovely little Town of Manteo kicks off the holiday season with a tree-lighting ceremony and other festivities on the first Friday night in December. Hundreds of people gather on Queen Elizabeth Avenue in front of the historic Dare County Courthouse to enjoy performances of holiday music, to sip hot cocoa and to watch the lighting of the waterfront Christmas tree. The event coincides with downtown Manteo's monthly First Friday event, which means that after the lighting you can stick around for live music around town, art exhibits and receptions, a book signing, dining in the restaurants and shopping in the shops. Try to arrive downtown by 5:30 p.m., and keep in mind that traffic will be heavy coming into town and that you may have to park a ways back on a Manteo side street and walk to the downtown area.