Annual Outer Banks Events

Including Your Favorite Outer Banks Events

Each year brings an array of Outer Banks events to these beaches. Some of them are just so good that they return the following year, then the next and so on. These annual Outer Banks events range from those just starting to make a name for themselves to others that people mark their calendars for a year in advance. With the abundance of Outer Banks events that are always going on, you can probably guess several annual spectacles are often included in the mix. Winter or summer, rain or shine, it isn't hard to find nearby annual Outer Banks events. You may want to go to a music festival, arts and crafts fair, fun run, triathlon or marathon, fundraiser or family friendly festival, and this is your trusty compilation of what's happening when and where. As a whole annual Outer Banks events offer something for people of all ages and interests. Go to art shows or athletic competitions, foodie fun to music festivals, holiday festivities or cultural celebrations – there’s something for everyone here.

Annual Outer Banks Events are Everywhere

Every town prides itself on its annual events, and they're all presented with the utmost care and planning. Just attending one or two of them might have you second guessing if you're really on the Outer Banks or somehow got whisked away to the artsy Chelsea district in Manhattan. Ok, maybe that's a stretch, but we are pretty proud of them. We have our share of galas with attendees in formal attire; there are Outer Banks events where you end up covered in sand, wet and proud of your athletic accomplishment; we have refined jazz festivals, day-long rock/folk events and days full of Outer Banks beach music. These events are bursting with culture that is local to this area, and you’re invited to come be a part of them. Check out our listings below to see which annual Outer Banks events capture your interest.

Annual Outer Banks Events by Category or Month

 

Creepy in Corolla Trunk or Treat

Outer Banks Annual Event
1100 Club Road, Corolla
(252) 453-9040

Is it true that old buildings really are spookier? Find out for yourself at Creepy in Corolla. This annual event is organized each year by Whalehead and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. The two attractions, Currituck beach businesses and residents come together to create a family friendly Halloween experience in Historic Corolla. Children sporting their Halloween attire begin the night at the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, which...read more

Is it true that old buildings really are spookier? Find out for yourself at Creepy...read more

Currituck Heritage Bulls & BBQ

Outer Banks Annual Event
Currituck County Rural Center, 184 Milburn Sawyer Road, Powells Point
(252) 453-9040

Celebrate Currituck’s down-home, country culture with barbecue and a rodeo. The Currituck Heritage Bulls & BBQ is an annual fall event that brings excitement and family friendly fun to Currituck residents and visitors of all ages – no native ties required. The People’s Choice BBQ and Kansas City BBQ Competition are the cornerstones of this event. Local restaurants and barbecue experts battle it out for...read more

Celebrate Currituck’s down-home, country culture with barbecue and a rodeo. The Currituck Heritage Bulls &...read more

Dare Days

Outer Banks Annual Event
Downtown Manteo, Manteo
(252) 473-2133

Dare Days celebrates its 44th year in 2019. The festival, always held in downtown Manteo on the first Saturday of June, is a mix of live music, craft and food vendors, dance and activities for all ages. The morning starts with a Blessing of the Day and ends with a big-name music group with people dancing in the streets. In between you can also watch...read more

Dare Days celebrates its 44th year in 2019. The festival, always held in downtown Manteo...read more

Dare to Scare 5K and Sweet Treat Fun Run

Outer Banks Annual Event
950 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo

Swap out your witch’s broomstick for running shoes for this Halloween activity. The Dare to Scare 5K and Sweet Treat Fun Run is an annual event held on the last Saturday of October. The 5K course takes runners from the Roanoke Island’s Coastal Studies Institute to the Dare County Center on the scenic trail full of woodland and marsh views. Prizes are awarded to the...read more

Swap out your witch’s broomstick for running shoes for this Halloween activity. The Dare to...read more

Day at the Docks

Outer Banks Annual Event
N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Docks, Hatteras

Here at the Outer Banks we love our seafood – the tuna, mussels, oysters, grouper, scallops, mmmm, we could go on and on about it. Have you ever thought about the source of seafood that you buy or eat? Hatteras Island’s Day at the Docks is an event to celebrate seafood and answer all of your questions about it. Learn how seafood affects...read more

Here at the Outer Banks we love our seafood – the tuna, mussels,...read more

Duck Jazz Festival

Outer Banks Annual Event
1200 Duck Road, Duck Town Park, Duck
(252) 255-1234

Attention jazz lovers! Grab a chair and your family, friends or dog and come to Duck Town Park for a day devoted solely to jazz. One of the most anticipated music events of the year is the Duck Jazz Festival, held in October over Columbus Day weekend. Every year talented artists from all over the country come together to wow concertgoers with their...read more

Attention jazz lovers! Grab a chair and your family, friends or dog and...read more

Duck Yuletide Celebration

Outer Banks Annual Event
1200 Duck Road, Duck Town Park, Duck
(252) 255-1286

Meet at the Town Green on the first Saturday in December for an afternoon of caroling, live holiday music, hot cocoa and a visit from the jolly ol' elf himself. The Town of Duck kicks off its celebration of the holiday season with live music, carolers, the lighting of the town’s Crab Pot Tree and delicious treats. Santa delights spectators as he shows...read more

Meet at the Town Green on the first Saturday in December for an...read more

Easter Eggstravanganza at The Elizabethan Gardens

Outer Banks Annual Event
1411 National Park Drive, Manteo
(252) 473-3234

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...read more

This event has become an Outer Banks spring tradition, and there could be...read more

ESA Eastern Surfing Championships

Outer Banks Annual Event
7223 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 16.5, Jennette's Pier, Nags Head
(302) 988-1953

Hit the beaches for an exciting day at the ESA Eastern Surfing Championships. Watch some of the best amateur surfers on the East Coast come to Nags Head to show their skills during this competition. The Outer Banks annual event is open to all ages. Cheer on the participants as they put their abilities to the test. For more information about the current...read more

Hit the beaches for an exciting day at the ESA Eastern Surfing Championships....read more

Evening Lantern Tours: Draped in Black; Victorian Death Rituals

Outer Banks Annual Event
Island Farm, Manteo
(252) 473-6500

Let Island Farm show you a darker side of the Victorian era. Their annual Evening Lantern Tours explore the death rituals and traditions that accompanied loss and mourning during the mid-19th Century. Once night sets in on Roanoke Island, you’re transported back in time to the home of a grieving widow. Learn her story and the bygone ways that families dealt with loved ones’ deaths....read more

Let Island Farm show you a darker side of the Victorian era. Their annual Evening...read more

Festival Latino de Ocracoke: Unidad y Celebración

Outer Banks Annual Event
120 Schoolhouse Road, Ocracoke School, Ocracoke
(252) 921-0260
(252) 588-2242

Produced by Ocracoke's Latino residents in partnership with Ocracoke Alive, the annual Latino Festival de Ocracoke is held in early November. This celebration features music, dance, games, arts and food from the many regions of Mexico and Latin America. read more

Produced by Ocracoke's Latino residents in partnership with Ocracoke Alive, the annual Latino Festival de...read more

Fireworks on the Outer Banks

Outer Banks Annual Event
(877) 629-4386

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...read more

You can see fantastic Fourth of July fireworks at many locations on the Outer Banks...read more