Outer Banks Seafood Festival Delivers

It's all about seafood at the Outer Banks Seafood Festival.
It’s all about seafood at the Outer Banks Seafood Festival.

The 5th Annual Outer Banks Seafood Festival at Nags Head on Saturday was a great reminder about what the Outer Banks is all about. And it feels so good to put Hurricane Matthew in the rearview mirror. There’s still cleanup to do, some damage to assess, but it sure did feel good to have a day in the sun with great food, great music, a fantastic crafts area and lots of people on hand.

What makes it even nicer is the Seafood Festival really is a celebration of the history and culture of the Outer Banks.

A  lot of out of town visitors were on hand and that is great news. As always the folks from Virginia seem to love coming to the Outer Banks, but we also had visitors from all over the United States. A map with a message reading “Tell us where you’re from” showed visitors from Oregon, California and even Utah. Most of the festival goers were, or course, from nearby states, but a surprising number seemed to hail from upstate New York and New England.

There was a very real sense of celebration about this year’s festival. The music was great and people were dancing. Local groups The Crowd and Old Enough to Know Better really seemed to hit a chord (ok, that was a pun) with the crowd and people were up and dancing.

Mathew is still on the minds of Outer Banks residents, and it was good to see the Outer Banks Community Foundation on hand to talk about their relief fund. Everything they take in to their relief fund goes back to the community including the interest they’re charged on credit cards.

It was nice to hear from the Festival organizers that a portion of the proceeds was going to be donated to the OBCF for disaster relief.

Easter Gateway to OBX Springtime

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Easter on the Outer Banks is pretty much like it is everywhere else—except the setting is prettier, although honestly it would be tough to make that case today. It’s certainly a cool, rainy day on the Outer Banks, although we’re looking forward to some better weather later this week.

With Easter falling early this year, there is a little bit of a gap between the spring the full force of the springtime schedule and the holiday, but things are going to really start popping on the Outer Banks soon.

There are some great events coming up in April creating a perfect reason to take a long weekend and visit the Outer Banks.

An interesting two days may be the Kill Devil Hills Historic tour followed by the Southern Shores Flat Top Tour on Friday and Saturday April 22 and 23.

Bikers, kick your Harleys into gear and plan on coming to the Outer Banks the week of the 16th to the 24th for the Outer Banks Bike Week, which is actually nine days, but who’s counting.

Here at Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates we do have some availability that week, so if that can be fit into plans, check us out online or call us at (800)-562-6257.

April OBX Events

Dare County High Schools Annual Art Show

March 28-April 28

Opening reception April 3, 2-4 p.m.

The Event Room at Roanoke Island Festival Park

Free exhibit, located in the Art Gallery, features works of Manteo, First Flight and Hatteras High Schools. Come enjoy the creativity and promise in our young students. Open Monday- Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 252-475-1500/ roanokeisland.com

FLYING PIRATE HALF MARATHON & FIRST FLIGHT 5K

April 16 & 17

2 Day Jolly Roger Pirate Expo

First Flight 5K – Event Shirt & Custom First Flight 5K Finisher Medal!

Free parking 

Free shuttle service & bag check for 13.1

Kill Devil Hills Historic Landmarks Open House

April 22

Kill Devil Hills Town Hall

The self-guided tour of a sampling of the historic homes will began with a reception for recent historic home designations at the Town Hall at 1 p.m. For more information call (252) 449-5318.

SOUTHERN SHORES HISTORIC FLAT TOP TOUR

April 23

1-5 p.m.

Sponsored by the Southern Shores flat top cottage owners who wish to promote awareness of these historic homes. Ticket price and the proceeds benefit the Flat Top Preservation Fund of the Outer Banks Community Foundation.

Outer Banks Bike Week

April 16-24

ike Shows, Poker Runs, Guided Tours, Party Nights, Tattoo and Bikini Contests, Over 100 Vendors, Live Music, Outdoor Concerts, Pig Pickin & more!

Earth Day at Jockey’s Ridge

April 23

Jockey’s Ridge State Park

Celebrate Earth Day on the Outer Banks and the N.C. Science Festival at Jockey’s Ridge State Park and participate in a variety of engaging activities. For the 5th consecutive year, the event will bring together many Outer Banks organizations that offer environmental education

3RD ANNUAL OUTER BANKS DUATHLON RUN BIKE EVENT

April 30

Jennette’s Pier

The run course takes you through South Nags Head, and is set-up against a challenging fast 20 mile ride through the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge including Bodie Island Lighthouse and Oregon Inlet. 5K run to finish this event, is held on the beach at Jennette’s Pier.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Theatre of Dare

April 22- May 1

Long running Off-Broadway absurdist comedy places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904. Actor and screenwriter Steve Martin’s script plays fast and loose with fact, fame and fortune.