Take some time away with loved ones this Christmas to enjoy an escape featuring plenty of sand, sun, water, and loads of Christmas fun. North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and especially Cape Hatteras, have something for everyone to enjoy during a well-deserved Christmas respite. Relax and unwind indoors or out, with a myriad of year-round and Outer Banks Christmas events and activities to choose from.
Winter Lights at Elizabeth Gardens
Make a day trip to nearby Roanoke Island. Come see the gardens light up with plenty of festive, holiday cheer. Stroll through the garden’s paths, which are lit up by millions of twinkling holiday lights. Wander through the ten-acre property and all its displays. Warm yourself with the crackling open-air fire, or enjoy the live entertainment available on select nights. Finish up some of your holiday shopping with seasonal plants and holiday gifts in the Gift Shop and Nursery. The display is available on select nights November 17 – December 30, and is closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This is a weather-dependent event, and ticket holders will be contacted by 2 p.m. on the day of the ticket with cancellation details.
Christmas Dinner
You won’t have to miss out on a yummy traditional meal while you’re here. If you want to do the cooking and serving yourself, all of our vacation rentals boast fully-equipped kitchens, including all the basic utensils, cookware, and place settings you’ll need. While many shops and restaurants are closed for the season, there are a select few that stay open for our winter residents and guests. Gather everyone around the table for a private holiday meal. Some of the restaurants that remain open during the Christmas season will be hosting the meal on Christmas Eve, some on Christmas Day, and others will be offering catering services so you can pick up the meal and warm it up back home!
Christmas Services
The residents and guests of Cape Hatteras celebrate both the secular and religious aspects of the holiday. There are churches of various denominations holding holiday services. Check with your preferred place of worship regarding dates, times, and locations for services.
Escape Hatteras
You came for an island escape this Christmas. Take the “escape” a little further and attempt an escape room with loved ones. The activity has been growing in popularity, and you’ll want to add it to your Cape Hatteras Christmas itinerary. Located in Frisco, you can challenge yourself to stories like “The Crazy Keeper,” “The Spanish Flu,” and others. Each room is rated by difficulty and an ideal group is 2-6 participants. While they are open during the off-season, hours may vary. Please make advanced reservations online.
Avon Fishing Pier
Although the waters are a bit chilly for humans to swim in, the fish don’t mind. For the anglers of the group, there are a number of places and ways to drop a line and try their luck this Christmas. Choose to charter a boat, stick to shore, or head to the Avon Fishing Pier to see what’s biting. The pier is open 365 days a year, but hours may vary during the off-season. Stroll the pier that stretches 665 feet out into the Atlantic! That means anglers fishing off the end will no doubt snag some interesting catches not always found in locales closer to shore. When you arrive, be sure to admire the crooked bends and weathered wood of the pier, a testament to time and Mother Nature beating away at what is the only operating pier on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore today.
Shelling
While you might consider any beach activity a spring or summer activity, in Cape Hatteras, you’d be wrong. Beachcombing and shelling in the cape this time of year brings unique finds you may not see the rest of the year. Winter storms kick up more unique shells and wash them ashore. Just after one of these storms is a great time to come, as the pickings will be fresh. Another optimum time is the hours following low tide. Find gems like the scotch bonnet, North Carolina’s state shell, Eastern murex, and whelks – often mistaken for conch shells.
Buxton Village Books
Not only will you be able to admire the vintage building full of new books. That’s their motto: our building is vintage, but our books are new. If you’ve finished all your plane reading and want something new for a day in, stop by. The store offers a wide variety of books on many topics and in many genres. Discover a new favorite author in the stacks of indie author books, or learn more about Hatteras Island. Visit their website for their holiday catalog, as well as digital content including e-books and audiobooks.
Spend Christmas with Us in Cape Hatteras
While planning all the fun activities and adventures for your Cape Hatteras Christmas retreat, make sure that booking comfortable and stylish accommodations are a top priority. You’ll secure those accommodations when you book a vacation rental with Lighthouse View Oceanfront Lodging. We have accommodations as small as one bedroom for a sweetheart or solo Christmastime adventure, all the way up to a six-bedroom home so you and all your loved ones can enjoy an island Christmas.
Contact us today!
