Events

 The OPS annual art auction will take place on March 30. The event features submissions from amateur artists from Ocracoke and across the country and is one of our top fundraisers.

 For more information, contact OPS at (252) 928-7375, or info@ocracokepreservation.org.

The Ocracoke Earth Day Weekend Celebration sponsored by Ocracoke Alive will begin on Friday, April 19th with a afternoon tour of the Island Inn Commons. Weekend events offer many choices, indoors and out, for all ages including nature walks, history talks, gardening, nature crafts, live music, stargazing, a village litter pick-up, and many informative discussions and presentations about sustainability and solutions. The weekend ends with a community beach fire (with s’mores!) at Ocracoke’s lifeguard beach.

If you have any other questions feel free to contact  info@ocracokealive.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. Check back for a schedule and details on this event!

Every other year, the Friends of Portsmouth Island, in cooperation with Cape Lookout National Seashore, sponsor an old-fashioned homecoming in Portsmouth Village.
In addition to the homecoming service, the village is open for visiting, and the service itself is followed by a traditional “dinner on the grounds.”

The 2024 Homecoming will be focused on the Lifesaving Station – stayed tuned for updates and announcements!

Check out Friends of Portsmouth Island for more info!

Join us at Hyde County Hotline’s Living on Island Time event!

There will be a band, DJ, food, coffee trailer,  photography booth and lots of fun!

Don’t miss out on this exciting event.

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. 

Ocracoke’s 39th annual Surf Fishing Invitational brings together anglers from far and wide, eager to cast their lines into the Atlantic’s rolling waves. Against the backdrop of stunning coastal scenery, competitors vie for bragging rights and prizes, fostering a sense of camaraderie amidst the thrill of the chase.

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

**Rain Date May 5**

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.

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

Tuesday, July 2

7:00 pm: Pre-fireworks gathering Ocracoke Island deejay Tommy Hutcherson will spin dance tunes and patriotic songs at the NPS docks.

9:15 pm: Fireworks by Pyrotecnico will be launched from the large National Park Service parking area at the southern end of the island.

The NPS parking lot will be closed all day July 2 for display setup.

Wednesday, July 3

3:00pm to 6:00 p.m. Fundraising Fish Fry for OPS at the Island Inn Commons.

7:00 to 8:30 p.m.: Old fashioned Ocracoke Square Dance: in the Berkley

Barn with Molasses Creek. Charge at the door: $5 for adults 13 and over.

Thursday, July 4

9:30 am – Noon: 43rd Annual Sand Sculpture Contest at the NPS Lifeguard Beach.

10:00 to 12:30 pm and 1:30 – 4:30: Ocracoke Lighthouse open. The lighthouse is open for viewing the inside. No climbing. Islander Chester Lynn will be there

to talk.

4 pm: Old Time Independence Day Parade

Theme: Old Tyme Ocracoke

All are welcome to enter the parade to vie for Best Walk & Roll, Best Wheels, Best Float, Best Theme and Best in Show. Entry forms available at post office. Sign up starts at 2:30 pm at Old Beach Road. Parade starts at Old Beach Road and ends at NPS docks. The Hyde County Sheriff’s Office admonishes spectators not to throw water of any kind at the parade members, and no political themes. 

5:30 pm: Awards presentation: Parade & Sculpture Contest winners; Books to Be Red stage. BYO seating.

6:00 pm: Fundraising cookout at the United Methodist Church

7 to 10 pm: Community Beach Fire under the Stars at the Ocracoke Day Use Area/NPS Lifeguard Beach. BYO beach blankets, chairs,

marshmallows, and roasting sticks.

Join us on Ocracoke Island for a savory celebration of coastal cuisine at the  Ocracoke Preservation Society’s Fish Fry event. Indulge in a mouthwatering array of freshly fried seafood delicacies and lively island vibes.

The 11th annual Ocracoke Fig Festival will take place August 2nd-3rd, 2024. The festival will have live music, a traditional Ocracoke square dance, children’s crafts, talks by local fig experts, and vendor booths offering fig preserves, fig cakes, fig trees, and other fig-tastic items. The weekend’s finale will be a dance with the Ocracoke Rockers.

Find more information here. 

Join us for Ocracoke’s Seafood Festival benefiting the Ocracoke Health Center. This  fund-raising event helps support the Ocracoke Health Center in repairing, renovating, and expanding the facility, as well as help support their mission to provide quality, accessible, and affordable community-based medical care to our community and visitors.

Join us for the first Ocracoke Red Drum Shootout, a thrilling event for anglers of all skill levels! Held at one of the premier fishing destinations on the East Coast, the tournament features competitive fishing for Red Drum, with cash prizes and trophies for the top catches. Come and enjoy the camaraderie, excitement, and challenge of reeling in the biggest fish! Along with the main event, there is a lunch and awards ceremony at the Berkley Manor. Don’t miss out on this chance to showcase your fishing skills and create unforgettable memories!

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.

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,  spend an afternoon with friends and family sampling products from local shops and vendors. 

Join the Ocracoke Preservation Society in toasting the holiday season with a warming cup of wassail and a treat. The Wassail Party includes a raffle and it’s a great time to browse the museum’s gift shop for holiday gifts.