Events

Join us for a Runfest that includes a half marathon, 5K and 10K races, and a one-mile family fun run. The races take place in village through historic roads, by Ocracoke Harbor, and by the second oldest lighthouse in the nation. Each participant receives a t-shirt and a finisher medal. The top three male and female contestants of each category receive an award. Sign up here.

Presented by the Friends of Portsmouth Island, the Portsmouth Island Homecoming is a great way to see the uninhabited Island. Bring your special covered dish to the picnic on the grounds and enjoy meeting old and new friends. This Homecoming will be a great opportunity to see for yourself what the National Park Service, Cape Lookout National Seashore, and Friends of Portsmouth Island have done to save this village after the devastation of Hurricane Dorian.

Find more information here.

Presented by the non-profit Ocracoke Island Decoy Carvers Guild, this annual event draws decoy carvers and collectors in celebration of a time-honored art. Attendees can also enjoy food, raffles, kids decoy painting sessions, and a decoy head carving contest.

This ceremony and reception commemorate the sinking of the H.M.T. Bedfordshire off the coast of Ocracoke Island in 1942. Four sailors from the Bedfordshire are buried on the island in a small plot of land that is “forever England.” Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, British Royal Navy, and Canadian Royal Navy, as well as Ocracoke High School students participate in the ceremony, which includes a reading of the crew list, the playing of bagpipes, and a 21-gun salute. The event is open to all who wish to pay their respects.

Presented by Ocracoke Alive, this three-day festival celebrates music, storytelling, and artisans from the North Carolina coastal region and beyond. Wander the festival grounds for delicious food from local restaurants and an amazing selection of fine arts and crafts.

Saturday, July 2
6 pm: Pre-fireworks gathering: Ocracoke Island deejay with Tommy Hutcherson will spin dance tunes and patriotic songs at the NPS docks.

9:15 pm: Fireworks will be launched from the large National Park Service parking area at the southern end of the island. Hyde County sponsors the show in conjunction with the National Park Service. The NPS parking lot will be closed all day July 2 while the company sets up the pyrotechnics.

Sunday, July 3
11 am to 2 pm: Island-wide scavenger hunt. Sign up at Spencer’s Market porch. No early signups.

6:30-8:30 p.m. Old fashioned Ocracoke square dance in the Berkley Barn with Molasses Creek.

Monday, July 4:
9:30 am: Meet the Ocracoke ponies whose ancestors once roamed as a wild herd and learn about their living history on Ocracoke Island. NPS talk at the pony pens.

9:30 am–Noon: Sand Sculpture Contest for all ages at the NPS Lifeguard Beach. Sign-up starts at 9 am.

10:30 am to 12:30 pm & 1:30 to 4:30: Ocracoke Lighthouse open for viewing. No climbing. Islander Chester Lynn will talk between 10:30 and 12:30.

4 pm: Old Time Independence Day Parade. Theme: Famous Duos. Can be anything: people, cartoon characters, food, ideas…Be creative!  Cash prizes for walk & roll, wheels, float and best theme. Sign-up starts at 3 pm at Wheelie Fun Golf Carts, Irvin Garrish Hwy. & Old Beach Road. Parade starts at 4 pm at Wheelie Fun; ends at NPS parking lot. The Hyde County Sheriff’s Department admonishes spectators not to throw water of any kind at the parade members.

5:30 pm: Singing of national anthem & awards presentation for parade & sculpture contest winners; Books to be Red stage. BYO seating.

5:45 to 6:30 pm: Storytelling with Donald Davis at Books to be Red. BYO seating.

7 to 10 pm: Community Beach Fire under the stars at NPS Lifeguard Beach. BYO chairs. You are welcome to bring marshmallows to roast. Please pack in and Pack out.

Learn about Ocracoke’s fig history and culture while enjoying old-fashioned crafts and games. Local vendors provide fresh figs, fig preserves, local cookbooks, fig-smoked BBQ, and other fig-tastic items. Everyone is welcome to submit a cake to the Fig Cake Bake-Off. A panel of judges chooses the winners with free samples for everyone after the contest.

You don’t want to miss Ocracoke’s annual Island Wide Yard Sale! Take advantage of this opportunity to turn your seldom-used or “clearance” items into cash, or shop for great bargains! Participation in this event is free to all visitors, Ocracoke individuals and businesses.

Come celebrate Ocracoke’s unique pirate history with a weekend of swashbuckling fun. The Jamboree features an historically-accurate pirate encampment and a reenactment of the infamous pirate Blackbeard’s last battle. Interactive living history exhibits, sea chanteys, music, and a shopping marketplace of seafaring fine arts and wares provide entertainment for all ages. The event culminates when pirate and militia crews march to Springer’s Point to honor those killed in Blackbeard’s last battle with a eulogy, hymns, and final cannon salute.

The annual 5K Turkey Trot on Ocracoke Island takes place Thanksgiving morning. Get together with family, friends, and fellow runners, burn some calories, and have fun before the Thanksgiving feast!

Ring in the holidays island-style with this seasonal parade that takes place on Silver Lake Harbor.

Do your local holiday shopping and support Ocracoke Island’s local businesses, bring the kids out for some holiday gift-making, or spend an afternoon with friends sampling products from local shops.

The Festival Latino de Ocracoke is a day to honor vibrant Latino traditions and celebrate the unity of all who are part of this great community. Through delicious authentic food, traditional dances and music, exciting games, crafts, and fun for all ages, organizers hope this festival will bring the community together to experience and enjoy the friendship of our cultures.

By far our most popular December event, the annual Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association Oyster Roast & Shrimp Boil brings hundreds of eager seafood lovers to the island to line up at makeshift tables in the bright winter sunshine to shuck oysters, peel ‘n’ eat shrimp, and slurp fish stew, washed down with cold beverages. Dessert is offered at the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Exhibit in the Community Square. All are welcome.