Events

 The OPS annual art auction will take place on March 18. The event features submissions from amateur artists from Ocracoke and across the country and is one of our top fundraisers.

Online bidding will begin on March 5, and entries will be accepted until March 17. The in-person auction will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, at Ocracoke Community Center, 999 Irvin Garrish Highway, Ocracoke. Refreshments will be served. Winning bids will be live-streamed on OPS’ Facebook page.

OPS provides mini-canvases for interested artists at every level and encourages a broad range of submissions, not limited to paintings. For more information, contact OPS at (252) 928-7375, or info@ocracokepreservation.org.

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.

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, around Silver Lake Harbor, and by the second oldest lighthouse in the nation. Each participant receives a t-shirt and a medal. The top three male and female contestants of each category receive an award. Sign up here. 

This ceremony and reception commemorates 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.

On Thursday, May 18, from 1-2 p.m., the public is invited to the Ocracoke Light Station for a special 200th anniversary event. The event will feature several speeches, activities, a birthday cake and more. Outer Banks Forever, the Seashore’s official philanthropic partner, plans to livestream the event for those who cannot attend.

Find more information here.

No gowns or tuxedos required for a good time here. Our Memorial Day weekend Fireman’s Ball starts with a pig picking, includes a silent auction and live auction that encourages good-natured bidding wars, all to support Ocracoke’s Volunteer Fire Department. Following the auctions, three live bands rock out all night long for your listening and dancing pleasure.

Ocrafolk Festival features musicians, storytellers, artisans, and characters of Ocracoke Island and beyond who come together for one incredible weekend of performances and fun! For details visit https://www.ocracokealive.org/general-info-and-tickets.html

Our Independence Day festivities kick off July 2 with a firework show over Silver Lake. The fun continues July 3 and 4 with activities each day, including a sand sculpture contest, a scavenger hunt, a traditional hometown parade, a square dance, and a community beach bonfire. Check back for a detailed schedule of events.

The Ocracoke Fig Festival offers something for everyone. The festival celebrates the island’s sweetest traditions, Ocracoke figs, fig preserves, fig cakes, and fig trees! This family friendly event includes exhibits, demonstrations, fig preserve and fig cake contests, porch talks, vendors, music, and dancing. Everyone is welcome to submit a cake to the Fig Cake Bake-Off. A panel of judges, often James Beard award winners, will choose the winners with free samples for everyone after the contest. 

The 2023 Fig Festival’s special guest will be the renowned southern chef and author Bill Smith. The festival is set for August 4-5, with a private “Higo Latino” dinner with Smith on August 2. Tickets for the dinner go on sale July 1.

Find more information here. 

Join us for Ocracoke’s Seafood Festival benefiting the Ocracoke Health Center. With seafood, awesome music, a live and silent auction, and all of the island fun, you won’t want to miss this!

4:00 pm to 5:00 pm – Silent Auction

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm – Food

6:00 pm – Live Auction

7:00 pm- Live music with the Ocracoke Rockers and The Ray McAllister Band

Sell, buy, browse—or do all three—at the Ocracoke Island-Wide Yard Sale.

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 shanties, 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.

Festival Latino de Ocracoke Celebrates Unique Community on Remote North Carolina Island. November 3-4, 2023.

6th Annual Ocracoke Island Event features Latino Music, Dance, Food, Games, & Community on Ocracoke Island, NC.

The 6th annual Festival Latino de Ocracoke will take place on Ocracoke Island, NC, the first weekend of November. Produced by the island non-profit, Ocracoke Alive, in partnership with Ocracoke’s vibrant Latino community, the festival will feature music, ballet folklorico dances, incredible food, games, and more.

Proceeds from the Festival Latino de Ocracoke will benefit programming in the island community. The Festival Latino is supported by Ocracoke Alive with assistance from the Ocracoke Township TDA (visitocracokenc.com) and additional sponsors.

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.