We have often said the best way to get to know a place you are visiting is by attending the events and festivals that the locals know and love, and in Cape Hatteras, there are a lot that make us happy. We at Lighthouse View often start looking forward to certain festivals just minutes after the current one has ended, sometimes wishing we had a time machine that would allow us set the clock back to the beginning of the festival, just to enjoy it a little longer. This guide to the top five events in Cape Hatteras will give you some ideas as to when you might want to schedule your Outer Banks getaway, making you wish for your own time machine after experiencing any or all of them.
Hatteras Island Oyster Roast in February
February brings one of the most delicious festivals in Cape Hatteras. The Hatteras Island Oyster Roast lasts just one afternoon, generally in the middle of February, offering clam chowder, cornbread, and the best fresh oysters in the world. Live music brings the event joy, and a silent auction with many items created by some of our best artists will offer the opportunity to take home the most unique souvenirs. This outdoor event celebrates the sea, what we harvest from it, and community, and goes by all too quickly.
Rogallo Kite Festival in June at Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Is there any finer way to spend a windy summer day than by flying a kite while on top of one of the world’s largest sand dunes? We think not, and this annual festival shows how much Kitty Hawk Kites agrees with us. The kites flown here will range in length from 30 to 100 feet long, but smaller kites are welcome to join in the fun as well. Offering stunt kite flying lessons and kite making lessons that your children will love, the blue skies of Jockey’s Ridge State Park will be filled with all the colors of the rainbow. Dedicated to Frank Rogallo, a scientist at NASA who invented the flexible wing from which the sport of hang gliding began, this festival also celebrates the youth inside us all.
The Outer Banks Pirate’s Festival, August in Nags Head
This part of the world has a history intertwined with the pirates and the Outer Banks Pirate’s Festival held in mid-August celebrates the connection! Our kids adore the Scallywag School, in which they are trained to be proper pirates, and the photo ops with mermaids, living history pirate encampment, and games, historical talks, food, and beverages are sure to be popular with every member in your family! The day ends with a meal with the pirates, ensuring memories that your children will treasure forever, and although the school will be exciting and the pirate encampment always pleases, for some reason our own kids always talk about the cannon fire demonstrations that take place at different times throughout the day!
Day at the Docks, September in Hatteras Village
Why is it our favorite celebrations often revolve around seafood here in the Outer Banks? The Day at the Docks festival is actually a celebration of the men and women who make their living on the sea. Offering, as you can imagine, a cornucopia of fresh, sweet, and locally harvested seafood, live entertainment, art shows, and a touching memorial to all those who have lost their lives to the sea, this festival may be the most meaningful of all our events. It may also be the most authentic, honoring the spirit of those who live here and providing visitors a peek into a world that depends on the sea for employment, entertainment, and food.
Cape Hatteras Anglers Club Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament in November
Perhaps signifying the end of the summer fishing season on the Outer Banks or introducing us to the beginning of the fall fishing season, the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament is one of the largest and oldest Cape Hatteras fishing tournaments in the area. Hundreds of anglers cast their line from the beaches of Cape Hatteras, all hoping to win the big prize with more than $10,000 in cash and prizes on the table, but secretly not minding if they lose, because it is all about the fishing and less about the prizes. On Friday of the tournament, there will be a tournament within the tournament, open to the public and costing nothing for anglers under 16 years of age, so if you are traveling with your kids, this may be an event they can get excited about!
Every Day Is a Festival of Fun with Lighthouse View
Reserve your favorite beachfront retreat today and celebrate everything that makes Cape Hatteras feel like paradise!
