Outer Banks Seafood Festival Archives - Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates

Outer Banks Seafood Festival and Mustang Rock & Roast – So Much To Do!

An Outer Banks event dilemma. Seafood Festival, Mustang Rock & Roast or both?

We admit it. With the Outer Banks Seafood Festival and Mustang Rock & Roast happening this weekend, we have a real dilemma on our hands.

Actually, it’s just Saturday that is causing all the angst.

Do we go to the Seafood Festival at the Nags Head Event Site with amazing food, a wonderful family atmosphere and a great musical lineup featuring Country Music Star Celeste Kellogg and local bluesman Mojo Collins and Triple Vision? Or do we head up to Corolla for the first day of Rock & Roast with amazing food, a wonderful family atmosphere and a great musical lineup?

Adding to the dilemma, Sunday is looking very iffy at this point in time with Tropical Storm Nestor forecast to be passing over the Outer Banks on Sunday. The forecast track looks promising at this point, with the storm apparently staying to the south of Corolla. However, the weather forecast for the day is calling for a lot of rain and some strong winds. Although those strong winds, according to the forecast shouldn’t go much above 20mph.

There is always the option of starting at the Seafood Festival and then heading north to Corolla. In theory, it could work the other way, but the Seafood Festival wraps up at 6:00 p.m. and the music at Rock and Roast goes until 10.

The Seafood Festival does feature 12 local restaurant preparing local seafood and that is a pretty big draw. On the other hand the Rock & Roast is all about music and Saturday North Carolina barbecue—that’s the roast. Sunday it’s oysters—the rock.

Such a dilemma. We’ll get back to you and let you know how we’ve resolved it.

So much to do a on the Outer Banks. Reserve your Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates home and see for yourself how wonderful the real Outer Banks is.

Seafood Festival a Celebration of Outer Banks History and Culture

The Outer Banks Seafood Festival was a fun day celebrating the history and culture of Outer Banks fishermen.

Great Food & a Great Time at the Outer Banks Seafood Festival

Now that the 2018 Outer Banks Seafood Festival is history we can safely say that it was a blast. There was a little bit of rain but nothing an umbrella or rain jacket couldn’t handle, and the rain was on again, off again, making it easier for festival goers.

There was so much to see and do at the Festival that it’s a bit hard to even know what to talk about.

The food, of course…that has to take center stage. Fresh North Carolina seafood prepared by some of the best of the Outer Banks restaurants—that’s a reason to go right there.

We probably didn’t even have a favorite, although the Shrimp and Corn Chowder from Dirty Dick’s got high marks for flavor and lots of shrimp.

The Festival was also a day filled with music, starting almost as soon as the gates opened at 10:30. Headlined by The Main Event Band out of Greenville, the sound was great dance music and a lot of people were up and moving.

The kids especially were dancing. Evidently the same music that had people moving in the 1970s and 1980s still works its magic on the preteen set. It was wonderful to see parents and their children dancing to the music.

The Seafood Festival is a wonderful celebration of the culture and history of the Outer Banks. Visitors are such an important part of the local economy that it be easy to forget or overlook the role commercial fishing has played in local life.

But the before there bridges connecting these strips of sand to the rest of the world, fishermen were working the sounds and waters of the ocean, and the local fishermen remain an important part of our community.

Next up on the festival calendar is BrewTag next Saturday, October 27 at the Nags Head Event Site. Proving somewhat conclusively that beer can fly, BrewTag is a fun and funny festival celebrating flight.

Fall is a great time to visit the Outer Banks. Check out Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates for the best listings.

7th Annual Outer Banks Seafood Festival Promises a Great Time

Seafood Festival Is One of Our Favorites

Bring your umbrellas and a little bit of humor, but by all means bring yourself to the 7th Annual Outer Banks Seafood Festival held at the Outer Banks Event Site in Nags Head.

The annual affair celebrating the amazing heritage and history of our Outer Banks watermen who have eked out a living working the Ocean and sounds is remarkable, and the Seafood Festival tells a part of that story.

The story is told through demonstrations of fishermen working with nets; through cooking demonstrations and best of all, lots and lots of freshly prepared local seafood from 11 or the Outer Banks finest restaurants.

It’s a great time, and yes, it is supposed to rain a little bit tomorrow, but every forecast we’ve seen call for light rain, so we’re going to accept the forecast is accurate.

The festival is more than just seafood and some working watermen showing how they earn a living. There’s live music all day, games for that the whole family will enjoy and crafts and some excellent artwork from Outer Banks artists.

The Seafood Festival is one event that truly is family friendly and every year in the past families have come and had a great time.

Some information that’s really important to know.

Gates open at 10:30 and music begins at 10:45. Performances are constant throughout the day.

There is no onsite parking and no passenger drop-off allowed. There are shuttle busses running from a number of parking lots.

Parking Lots:

Whalebone Park [Blue Lot]:

In the 7200 block of S. Virginia Dare Trail, across from Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head, 10:00am – 7:00pm. (8:00 a.m. for vendors)

Nags Head Town Hall [Red Lot]:

Handicap Parking ONLY

5401 S. Croatan Hwy. Nags Head, 10:00am – 6:30pm.

Nags Head Elementary School, Nags Head [Gold Lot]:

3100 S Wrightsville Ave, Nags Head, 10:00 am – 6:30 pm

First Flight High School, Kill Devil Hills [Purple Lot]:

100 Veterans Drive, Kill Devil Hills, 10:00am – 7:00pm

There is still a lot happening on the Outer Banks and the weather is great. Check out Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates for the finest accommodations.

Party On-Outer Banks Seafood Fest Best Yet

Serving hungry festival goers, Dirty Dicks's Crab House, 2017 Outer Banks Seafood Festival. — Serving hungry festival goers, Dirty Dicks’s Crab House, 2017 Outer Banks Seafood Festival.

A Special Outer Banks Party Day

Is the Outer Banks Seafood Festival a celebration of great food, a mini-music fest, or just an all day party?

Hard to tell, because it seems to have something for everyone.

Featuring perfect weather, the 2017 Outer Banks Seafood Festival may have been the best yet. That’s really saying something because ever since the inaugural event, the day has been one to remember.

This year, though, things really seemed to move up a notch.

The food, as always, was outstanding. This is an event that cries out for group participation. With 11 restaurants offering three to four selections, one person cannot possibly try everything. But with a group and judicious sharing, many more dishes can be sampled.

Local wines from Sanctuary Vineyards were available as well as local breweries Weeping Radish and the Outer Banks Brewing Station.

All of that creates a very local flair.

Maybe it’s the music that takes the day from festival to party. This year, with country rock musician Kevin Mac headlining , the music was great. However, the local music seen was well represented with Old Enough to Know Better and The Crowd kicking out some jams.

There is so much to like about how this festival is organized that calling out everything that went well becomes a bit overwhelming.

Local artists and crafters have always played a part in making the day special. This year it seemed as though there were more than in past years, and the quality of what they were showing seemed better.

One of the nicest aspects of the festival is the emphasis placed on making this a family-friendly event. By partnering with Children and Youth Partnership of Dare County to insure kids have a positive and safe place to play, organizers have shown they understand what is most important to parents.

Every year in the past, the Seafood Fest has been an October day to look forward to. This year, though, it seemed as though everything came together—the food, the music, the crafts…and the weather.

Throw in a beautiful setting at the Nags Head Event Site on Ronaoke Sound, add it all up, and it was a fantastic Outer Banks party.

2017 Outer Banks Seafood Fest Looks Great

Sampling great seafood at last year's Outer Banks Seafood Festival. — Sampling great seafood at last year’s Outer Banks Seafood Fest.

With the weather looking great, fantastic entertainment and lots to do, the 2017 Outer Banks Seafood Festival looks like it will be the best yet. And that’s saying lot because the festival keeps getting better every year.

The entertainment, the wonderful crafts from local vendors, the beautiful setting on the Roanoke Sound—all of that is window dressing, though. What this festival is all about about is fresh Outer Banks seafood prepared by some of the finest local restaurants.

What It’s all About

Yet it is more than that—the Outer Banks Seafood Fest celebrates history, heritage and a way of life.

Before the Outer Banks was discovered as a great place to visit, working the waters of the sounds a ocean, eking out a living from the sea.

The Seafood Fest recalls that tradition.

Fall is one of the most abundant time of the year for our commercial fishing fleet. In the Atlantic Yellow tuna are running, as well as mahi and wahoo. In the sounds fresh shrimp and crab are staples. With 11 restaurants on hand, there is sure to be a style that will please everyone in the party.

Beyond the seafood and entertainment what really seems to set the Outer Banks Seafood Fest apart is the family atmosphere of the event. From the outset organizers were determined to create a family friendly event and they have and with event set aside just for kids happening all day the day can be a special one for everyone.

There is no onsite parking so parking can a bit of a problem. However, there are a number of offsite parking lots with regular shuttle service.

Here’s the Parking and Shuttle Information:

The Outer Banks Seafood Festival will be held at:

The Outer Banks Event Site

6800 S. Croatan Hwy, Nags Head, NC 27959 (MP 16.5 on Route 158).

There is no onsite parking. Free shuttle service will be provided to and from the Festival. Shuttle/off-site parking locations are shown below the map.

Whalebone Park [Blue Lot]:

Nags Head Town Hall [Red Lot]:

▪ Handicap Parking ONLY

First Flight High School, Kill Devil Hills [Green Lot]:

Nags Head Elementary School, Nags Head [Gold Lot]:

Shuttles run approximately every half hour or less.

• Travel lightly and pack well. What you bring on has to fit in your lap.

• No pets will be allowed on the shuttles or on the festival grounds.

• No alcohol or coolers are permitted on the shuttles.

• No food or beverages will be allowed on the shuttles.

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.

Outer Banks Seafood Fest-Expect a Great Time

Outer Banks Seafood Festival this Saturday.

The Outer Banks Seafood Festival is coming at just the right time. Gates open at 10:30 on Saturday and the food and entertainment keeps going until six. The setting at the Nags Head Event Site is perfect with Roanoke Sound as a backdrop and helping to create what looks like an ideal day, the forecast is calling for bright sunshine and a high temperature of 70.

And that is the way to put Hurricane Matthew behind us!

There is no doubt that Matthew walloped the Outer Banks. Nothing at all like the reports we’re getting from mainland North Carolina, yet, here it is Thursday and there is still standing water in some roadways and yards.

The first damage estimates have come out and Dare County officials have set a preliminary figure of $42.6 million. Hardest hit area was Hatteras Island, but every area of Dare County experienced some damage. We haven’t heard a damage estimate for the Corolla area yet, but the flooding in Corolla and Carova was significant.

With all of that in our rear view mirror, the Outer Banks Seafood Festival is coming along at just the right time.

If past is any predictor of future, it will be magnificent.

This is the fifth Seafood Festival and the food is always spectacular. Couple that with excellent music from local bands, Mojo Collins and Triple Vision, The Crowd and Old Enough to Know Better and great day is assured. Adding to the mix, the Outer Banks Seafood Festival truly family friendly event.

There is no onsite parking for the Festival. Some people park at the Tanger Outlet Mall about a quarter mile to the south and walk to the event. There is also offsite parking available with shuttle service.

OFF-SITE PARKING LOTS ■ Blue Whalebone Parking Lot

Across from Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head

■ Green Dowdy’s

3100 S. Wrightsville Ave. Nags Head

■ Red Nags Head Town Hall Parking Lot

54100 S. Croatan Hwy., Nags Head

■ Purple Dare Co. Admin Center Lot, Manteo

954 Marshall C. Collins Street, Manteo

■ Gold TowneBank

2808 S. Croatan Hwy, Nags Head

OBX Matthew News-This Weekend and Beyond

Hurricane Matthew should be long gone by next weekend when the Outer Banks Seafood Festival takes center stage.

Even though it looks as though Hurricane Matthew is going to pass well to the south of the Outer Banks as it heads out to sea, we’re still feeling some of the effects of the storm. Nothing at all like Florida is experiencing—and Georgia and South Carolina after that, and we really hope coastal residents in those areas are staying safe and out of the way of the wind and surging seas.

One of the characteristics of tropical systems is they pump a lot of moisture into the atmosphere. That moisture is coming down locally in the form of rain and a lot of it…6-8” on Saturday into Sunday.

That rain—and it’s going to be windy too—means two of the best music festivals around had to be canceled. The Mustang Music Festival and the 10th Annual Duck Jazz Festival will not be happening this year.

A piece of good news: The 24th Annual Parade of Homes is going forward, and talking to some of the builders today, it looks as though the turn out was pretty good.

The ocean is certainly stirred up right now, and there has been some overwash; the Beach Road around the Black Pelican is closed and NCDOT crews are working to hold the ocean back, piling sand on the dune line as quickly as they can.

If this weekend seems too wet, think about visiting us next Saturday for the Outer Banks Seafood Festival. The early read is the weather looks great.

For some great information about local effects of Hurricane Matthew, check out the National Weather Service briefing: http://www.weather.gov/media/mhx/LatestBriefing.pdf

Tag: Outer Banks Seafood Festival