Thanksgiving Archives - Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates

Thanksgiving Gatherings on The Outer Banks

Exciting food and family gatherings are waiting for you. It is time to celebrate everything with friends and family by consuming more turkey, and pumpkin pie than anyone thought was humanly possible. It’s the time of the year to be thankful.

An Outer Banks Thanksgiving may be the perfect beginning for a brand new family tradition if you’d like to find a great way to spend a holiday this year. Read below for further information about the OBX area and what the holiday season in the Outer Banks brings to the table.

Before you plan your trip, don’t forget to check out our “Area Guide” section of our website. The Things To Do page is filled with ideas and suggestions from a few different OBX areas, making it the ideal tool to plan your Thanksgiving family getaway!

OBX Vacation Rental Thanksgivings

A family gathering and admiring a perfectly cooked turkey around the dinner table during Thanksgiving

The Outer Banks have been a holiday destination year after year for families and large groups of friends to gather at the beach. It’s a great way to reserve a vacation rental for a celebration surrounded by those you love for a long weekend away from work.

Thanksgiving with the family on the Outer Banks is an excellent way to start the holiday season. The weather in November is usually in the mid-60s is generally mild, and the night falls to a little cooler mid-50s. You may have a warm enough sunny Thanksgiving Day to relax on the beach most of the day. In this case, we advise planning your Thanksgiving meal ahead of time.

Grocery Store Shopping or Restaurant Take Out

Complete Thanksgiving meals are sometimes available for ordering and pick up.

Take the guessing game out of your feast by ordering a full Thanksgiving dinner from a local OBX restaurant or grocery store. You can simply pick it up. Some foods have to be cooked and others are fresh. Full meals should be pre-ordered and advanced time limits are generally available before ordering.

This is an excellent option if you do not have a lot of experience making a huge feast or want to make things simple for the family but still want to eat in private. Make sure to see the November 2022 hours of every restaurant or grocery store for additional information and ordering policy.

What To Expect At The Rental

Visiting our quiet and peaceful beaches to enjoy a holiday home in Outer Banks this turkey day? Our rentals are ideal for families, friends, and some even welcome the family dog!

Many of our rentals have kitchens that are large enough to make the whole family’s food; several turkey accommodating ovens and stoves, larger fridges for drinks and pies, and even an extra burner or two to create your own signature sides for all the family chefs and foodie travelers.

With most homes having multiple levels, there’s also plenty of room for children to stay clear of the kitchen until the meal is ready.

Where To Find Thanksgiving Dinner In The Outer Banks

A thanksgiving buffet with a cooked turkey being sliced and people waiting in line to get a piece

For Thanksgiving on the OBX, we have suggested our dining recommendations below. We have covered you whether you are looking for a buffet dinner close to your vacation rental or a full-blown feast at a local restaurant this November.

Buffets

Thanksgiving annual buffets are sure to ease every pallet. Some seafood buffets in addition to favorites like crab legs, steamed shrimp, and more, offer traditional Thanksgiving food like turkey and ham! You’ve also often got homemade desserts, greens, sides, soups, and salads at some buffets!

We recommend calling your favorite seafood buffet to see if they have a Thanksgiving buffet this year!

Thanksgiving Menus

Would you like to visit a Thanksgiving 2022 OBX restaurant? Several restaurants of Outer Banks are open at Thanksgiving for lunch or dinner. Some of them will offer special Thanksgiving menus, of which many are well known for their foods and treats among visitors and locals on the Outer Banks.

For details on menus, reservations, and availability, visit each restaurant’s website. You may be able to have Thanksgiving dinner during another day if your favorite OBX restaurant is not open on Thanksgiving Day.

Call or check this list compiled by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau for more turkey day restaurant openings.

Book Your Thanksgiving Rental Today!

Year after year, the Outer Banks have been a holiday destination for families and big groups of friends on the shore. It’s the ideal chance to book a holiday rental for a celebration that you love for that long weekend away from work!

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Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates is one of the most trusted vacation rental managers in the local area by growing into a market leader in the Vacation Rental and Sales Industry. Joe Lamb Jr. and his family have played a vital and intricate role in the Outer Banks Community for decades.

Over the past 50+ years, Joe Lamb Jr. & Associates have worked diligently to help promote the Outer Banks for the amazing beach and family vacation destination that it is, helping to increase tourism in the area and grow our beautiful community.

Big Currishuck, Great Food, Great Music and a Great Good Time

All you can eat oysters, freshly steamed and tasty. One of the best parts of the Big Currishuck.

If it’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving it has got to be the Big Currishuck at Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg. It’s just a little ways north of the Outer Banks. Close enough that we can still call it the Outer Banks.

This is the seventh or eighth version of the annual event and it always seems to keep getting better and better. Or maybe it’s just that the latest one is so good that memory pushes the last one to the far reaches of our minds.

The Big Currishuck is all about fresh steamed oysers, all you can eat. And crab, all you can eat. And fantastic eastern North Carolina barbecue…all you can eat.

And music—we don’t want to forget about the music. This year from Jonny Waters & Company and Trae Pierce & the T-Stones back for the fourth year in a row. They’re a central Florida band with an amazing range of music all done in their own hiphop, jazzy kind of style.

Can’t forget the four local microbrews that were on hand either. Nor the wines from Sanctuary Vineyards.

In short, it’s a great event and the perfect way to wrap up Thanksgiving Weekend.

It has become such an event that people plan their visits around it. Really, there were a couple of visitors who mentioned that the Big Currishuck is right up there with Thanksgiving dinner as a highlight for the weekend.

The oysters are the main attraction and a big shout out to I Got Your Crabs down in Kitty Hawk for steaming up so many, and keeping everyone stocked. According to what we heard they were form Chesapeake Bay this year. Makes sense. Hurricane Dorian did a number on the local oyster farmers.

Also a shoutout to John Wright of Sanctuary Vineyards for putting it all together. Can’t wait for next year.

Winter is special on the Outer Banks. Discover the hidden side of life on a sandbar in a Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates home.

A Happy Thanksgiving Wish from Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates

Thanksgiving, we have decided, has a very good case for being our favorite holiday. The requirements are simple—spend time with the people we care about the most and eat a lot of food, and be thankful that those people are in our lives.

As a requirement for a successful holiday, it doesn’t get much simpler than that.

For those of us lucky enough to live on the Outer Banks, well, we generally feel as though there are some additional reasons to be thankful.

Surrounded by the beauty of nature and living in communities that seem to naturally care about our friends and neighbors, is one of those things we agree makes the Outer Banks special.

As a celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Outer Banks is much like the rest of our country—for the most part it’s day to relax and reflect on those things we are most grateful for—and, of course, to eat a lot of food.

Turkey is, naturally, the number one item on the menu with ham a very close second, but there are a couple of southern twists to the other dishes.

Collard greens are really popular. Although it’s been chilly, we haven’t had a freeze yet, so they’re not quite at full flavor yet, but what we’ve sampled has been awfully good. It takes a while to to cook them right, and every kitchen has their own recipe, but when done the way they should be, they are wonderful.

Sweet potatoes are an important part of the sides as well—makes sense since North Carolina grows more of them than any other state and the Outer Banks borders where they’re grown.

Biscuits take the place of bread a lot of times—and sometimes sweet potato biscuits, which are a true southern treat.

Overall, though, someone from any part of our country could sit in at an Outer Banks Thanksgiving table and feel right at home. And it wouldn’t be just the food that made them feel that way—it’s the Outer Banks welcome that would make it special.

From Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates to all the friends we’ve made over the years, may your Thanksgiving be all you wish for.

The Big Curri-Shuck…the Perfect Way to End Thanksgiving Weekend

The Big Curri-Shuck is the perfect post Thanksgiving celebration. Thanksgiving is all about food, family and just enjoying the day without worrying about eating too much or really anything.

The Big Curric-Shuck is pretty much the same thing with some live music thrown in.

Held the Saturday after Thanksgiving at Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg on the mainland, the premise is simple—steam a few hundred bushels of oysters and maybe some crabs as well, and let people eat as much as they want. Add in some local North Carolina barbecue, wines from Sanctuary Vineyards, beer from local micro breweries and great music…well, what’s not to like.

Sanctuary Vineyards is owned by the Wright family, the same folks that own the Cotton Gin—which is next door—and like all events held there, it is kid friendly. Hayrides for the kids all day and the music is great for dancing but the words never have to be explained.

It looks as temperatures will be mild…November mild, low 60s…with some showers. Don’t let the rain keep you away. There is plenty of covered area to feast on oysters and barbecue, so staying mostly dry should not be a problem.

Although there are a number of events sponsored by Sanctuary Vineyards throughout the year, this is the big one—and it is a great time. It does sell out every year and we’re getting close to the day of the event, so contact Sanctuary Vineyards as soon as possible about tickets.

The Big Curri-Shuck is an afternoon event with the door opening at noon and things closing down at 5:00—making it a perfect way to wrap up Thanksgiving Weekend.

The holidays are truly special on the Outer Banks. Check out the great homes that are available through Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates for the Outer Banks holiday experience.

Thankful on the Outer Banks

Sunlight filtering through the canopy along the Maritime Forest Trail in the Currituck Estuarine Banks.

It’s Thanksgiving on the Outer Banks. Like most places there is a tendency to take those things we see in our everyday lives for granted and never stop to give thanks for them.

That’s one of great things about Thanksgiving—it’s a day to reflect on those things we should be thankful for. The holiday has become more than that, of course. It’s a day of family and gatherings—something our Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates homeowners seem to truly enjoy as many of them come to the Outer Banks to celebrate the holiday.

Things to Be Thankful for

But the essence of the holiday is to give thanks and to remember those things we are thankful for. That list is invariably personal.

There are certain things that almost any list will have on it—family and friends are make most of the lists. As does love of country.

Many of the things we are thankful for are a reflection of where we live.

Living on the Outer Banks it would be hard to not be thankful for the beauty of our surroundings. It is a complex and fragile environment, yet within that delicate and complex system there are moments and places of transcendent beauty, and that is something to be profoundly thankful for.

There is a moment when the sun rises above the Atlantic Ocean or sets behind the sounds when the sky is filled with so many colors and so many textures that neither camera nor words can truly capture what is seen. It is rare, but it is something to treasure.

There is on the Outer Banks a world away from the beach that has a power and beauty that can easily be overlooked. The sunlight filtering through the canopy of a maritime forest creates a subtle light show, a delicate dance of color and shade. Each of the maritime forests has its own characteristic, it’s own quality of light.

It is, of course, typical of us to praise the wonder and virtues of the place we live, yet that beauty that creates a sense of gratitude may be why people enjoy the Outer Banks as much as they do. And if that is the case, we should not be taking that for granted and should thankful for the beauty that surround us.

A Day of Thanksgiving on the Outer Banks

It’s a rainy Thanksgiving here on the Outer Banks, but that’s ok—we need the rain.

The holiday, especially on the Outer Banks has in so many way become what it was originally meant to be—a time for family and friends to gather and give thanks for those moment when we can spend some time together.

Those of us who live here have the turkey or ham or whatever the dinner is going to be in our ovens and relatives we haven’t seen for a while are sitting around sharing memories. It is not only the residents, though. Thanksgiving week has become a special time for many or our property owners and a lot of our visitors take the long weekend as a chance to bring family together in a favorite location.

In the sense that Thanksgiving is a time for family, it’s probably much like many other places in the United States with brothers, uncles and cousins coming for three or four days to reestablish the bonds of family and to recall that the very things that mark us as different are also the very things that bind us together.

Of course, all those other places, wherever they may be, don’t have the advantage of picture perfect settings in one of the most beautiful places on earth…but regardless of the location, Thanksgiving has a way of bringing us together.

It’s an important message; something that bears recalling.

When Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the first national day of thanksgiving in 1863 the Civil War was still raging, yet he began his proclamation with words of gratitude. “The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies,” he wrote.

Words to recall as we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner in the year 2016.

Almost Home Cooked Holiday Meal

One of the great traditions on the Outer Banks is gathering for holidays. That’s not just those of us who live here, it also homeowners and visitors coming to stay for a special November treat or to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.

Tradition holds that someone spends most of the day in the kitchen getting everything ready and that can be a lot of fun, especially if everyone chips in. However, recognizing that sometimes it’s all about spending time together and not time in the kitchen, here are some Outer Banks places to order a holiday meal.

It may be a bit late for a Thanksgiving dinner, depending on the business, but these meal should also be available at Christmas.

Tommy’s Market

1242 Duck Road

Duck

(252)-261-8990

Tommy’s Market features an extensive selection of options for holiday meals. They can even fry the smaller turkeys. Spiral cut hams and steaks are also available. And a huge selection of side dishes and desserts.

Coastal Provisions

1 Ocean Blvd. (Southern Shores Crossing)

Southern Shores

(252)-480-0023

Holiday Feast

Oven Ready Turkey (12lb average, brined and seasoned, ready to cook)
Traditional stuffing
Creamy mashed potatoes
Green bean casserole
Cranberry orang relish
Turkey Gravy
Soft Rolls

The turkey is raw and will have to be cooked, but it is seasoned and ready for the oven. Everything else is fully prepared.

There is a very extensive list of main and side dishes in addition to the dinner.

Harris Teeter

601 Currituck Clubhouse Dr. (The Shops at the Currituck Club)

Corolla

(252) 453-0153

5400 N Croatan Hwy (Shoreside Shopping Center)

Kitty Hawk

(252) 261-2220

2012 S Croatan Hwy

Kill Devil Hills

(252) 449-9191

Turkey Thanksgiving Dinner, for 8-10 people

Fully-Cooked Butterball Turkey, 9-12 lb

Cornbread Dressing, 2 lb

Creamed Corn, 2 lb

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, 2 lb

Turkey Gravy, 16 oz

Cranberry Relish, 18 oz

Spiral Ham Thanksgiving Dinner, for 8-10 people

Spiral Sliced Ham, 7-9 lb

Sweet Potato Casserole, 2 lb

Creamed Corn, 2 lb

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, 2 lb

Prime Rib Thanksgiving Dinner, for 6-8 people

Boneless Prime Rib, 4 lb

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, 2 lb

Creamed Corn, 2 lb

Sweet Potato Casserole, 2 lb

The Fresh Market

5000 S Croatan Hwy

Nags Head

(252) 255-5022

Traditional Holiday Dinner

10 – 12 lb Fully Cooked turkey

3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes

3 lbs Traditional Herb Stuffing

30 oz Turkey Gravy

16 oz Cranberry Relish with Walnuts

12 ct. Yeast Rolls

Deluxe Holiday Meal

11 – 13 lb Fully Cooked Turkey

3 lb Chef Carving Ham

4 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes

3 lbs Traditional Herb Stuffing

30 oz Turkey Gravy

2 lbs Corn Souffle

2lbs Smokey Green Beans in Bacon Sauce

16 oz Cranberry Relish with Walnuts

24 ct. Yeast Rolls

Holiday Meal for Smaller Gatherings

5 lb Fully Cooked Turkey Breast

2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes

2 lbs Traditional Herb Stuffing

1 lb Smokey Green Beans in Bacon Sauce

15 oz Turkey Gravy

8 oz Cranberry Relish

Thanksgiving Start of Outer Banks Holiday Traditions

Decorations at the Elizabethan Gardens Grand Illumination.

Thanksgiving is a pretty special holiday on the Outer Banks. It is certainly a family time when many of our homeowners come with their children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters to celebrate the holiday. Of course for the those of us who live here, it’s much the same—a day to treasure time with family and close friends.

The holiday weekend is also when many of the traditions that have become so much a part of our season fill the days.

We’re highlighting four that are occurring over Thanksgiving weekend but there is much more to do on the Outer Banks. Check out our Joe Lamb Jr., & Associates Event Listings for more information.

Grand Illumination

Friday, November 25

Elizabethan Gardens, Roanoke Island

Every December the Elizabethan Gardens fills the paths, plants and trees of the Gardens with hundreds of thousands of lights. It is a wonderful, dazzling spectacle and one that creates a lifetime memory.

The Grand Illumination is the first night of the event and includes children’s and high schools choirs, hot chocolate and a visit for Santa Claus.

Hanging with Santa and Kites with Lights

Friday & Saturday, November 25, 26

Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head

Thanksgiving is traditionally when Santa makes his first appearance and the jolly elf has been stopping by Kitty Hawk Kites at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing for as long as anyone can remember. Friday and Saturday, Santa stops by for a visit, late morning to early afternoon. Saturday evening, huge kites take to the sky over Jockey’s Ridge State Park festooned with lights.

Curri-shuck

Saturday, November 26

Sanctuary Vineyards, Jarvisburg

Oysters, and lot of them…all you can eat. Steamed to perfection, local beer and wine, crab and barbecue while it lasts. Sanctuary Vineyards is part of a working farm and there are hayrides for kids and kids at heart as well as live music.

Christmas Arts and Craft Fair

Saturday, November 26

Baum Center, Kill Devil Hills

A great event for a great cause. Proceeds benefit the Outer Banks Woman’s Club scholarship program and charitable giving. Arts, crafts and homemade goodies. What’s not to like?

Tag: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Gatherings on The Outer Banks

OBX Vacation Rental Thanksgivings

Grocery Store Shopping or Restaurant Take Out

What To Expect At The Rental

Where To Find Thanksgiving Dinner In The Outer Banks

Buffets

Thanksgiving Menus

Book Your Thanksgiving Rental Today!

Big Currishuck, Great Food, Great Music and a Great Good Time

A Happy Thanksgiving Wish from Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates

The Big Curri-Shuck…the Perfect Way to End Thanksgiving Weekend

Thankful on the Outer Banks

Things to Be Thankful for

A Day of Thanksgiving on the Outer Banks

Almost Home Cooked Holiday Meal

Tommy’s Market

Coastal Provisions

Harris Teeter

The Fresh Market

Thanksgiving Start of Outer Banks Holiday Traditions

Grand Illumination

Hanging with Santa and Kites with Lights

Curri-shuck

Christmas Arts and Craft Fair

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