Issue 15.3
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THIS PLACE IS A ZOO. And I ain’t talking about the humans. I’m referring to all the other fur-feather-andfinned fixtures. From the crusty crustaceans that crawled out of our proverbial, primordial ooze, to the migrating loons that just landed last season, the Outer Banks is crawling with crazy critters. Just a five-minute foray across our skinny sandbar can reveal fauna and flora of every phylum and class. Stinging cnidarians that sail the sea’s surface — squishy mollusks buried deep in the silty sound. In-between, there’s slithering serpents and soaring seabirds, creepy lizards and shiny scarabs.
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Hell, my backyard is like a biology textbook come to life — or maybe a page from The Jungle Book. (If Kipling’d been born in Eastern NC instead of 1800s Mumbai.) A walking, squawking, behavioral display worthy of a BBC special.
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Cute bunnies and frogs play hopscotch from bush to flower bed. Squirrels and cardinals flit and flirt between trees. (At least until a gang of black-vested crows show up to clear the playground.) I can barely take a backyard tinkle beneath the porch without some spider slinking down to whisper “Wassup?” in my ear.
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And don’t even talk to me about the box turtles. These party animals put any college frathouse to shame. Each morning, I find a half-dozen raging into the dawn. Chomping mushrooms. Streaking sprinklers. (I swear, I caught one sipping a spilled PBR.)
MY BACKYARD FEELS LIKE A PAGE FROM THE JUNGLE BOOK.
Leave the house, the encounters only grow more eye-popping. Drive south or west, you’ll find grazing deer or lounging gators — possibly a lumbering bear. Head north, a wild mustang might leap into view. Hit the beach, it only gets more interesting. Dolphins and pelicans perform acrobatic stunts along the horizon; silvery fish shoot the pier. Hop in, it’s a 100 percent immersive experience, where maybe you’ll step on a skate — or get sideswiped by something you’d rather not picture. It’s as if the Ringmaster of the Universe emptied out a whole menagerie to run amok. Meanwhile, we humans just keep boxing ourselves in. Paving streets and putting up strip malls. Clearcutting lots and posting up fences. Hunkering down inside climate-controlled confines of our own creations, from gated communities to grinding work schedules. Never stopping to notice that every man-made wall doesn’t just crowd out the critters, but our own natural habitats and instincts.
Feeding time at the local spider exhibit. Photo: Ralph Alfred
Fall’s the perfect time to break those old habits. Go take a long beach walk before work. Even better, call in sick, slack the tires and rove some stretch of unspoiled seashore — or seek refuge in a local refuge. (Respectfully, of course.) At the very least, ride the back porch and bathe in some bird song or watch an orb weaver work its magic. Bust out of your cage. The wild times await. — Matt Walker
Thank you for reading Outer Banks Milepost. We hope you enjoy it. If not — before chucking this issue into the nearest dumpster — please consider one of the following equally satisfying ways to express your disgust: make a newspaper beer bong for your yard turtles’ next rager; shred it to pieces and donate it to your local squirrel nest construction crew! On second thought, maybe just toss it on that 6-month pile of newspapers you’ve yet to recycle. (Trust us, you’ll feel better.) Then, send any and all feedback — positive, negative or just plain confused — to: editor@outerbanksmilepost.com. We promise to find some way to re-purpose them. milepost 3
“For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.” — Rudyard Kipling “Better watch out: there may be dogs about.” — Pink Floyd Issue 15.3 Fall 2026 Cover: Beware the Blob. Photo: Daniel Pullen Reader You Brushes & Ink Carnell Boyle, Jared Cera, George Cheeseman, Marcia Cline, Carolina Coto, Kim Cowen, Cloey Davis, Michael J. Davis, Fay Davis Edwards, Mary Edwards, Laine Edwards, Marc Felton, Janet Fenton, Travis Fowler, Adriana Gomez-Nichols, Amelia Kasten, Chris Kemp, Nathan Lawrenson, Dave Lekens, Tim Lusk, Elisa McVearry, James Melvin, Ben Miller, Dawn Moraga, Ben Morris, Holly Nettles, Stella Nettles, Rick Nilson, Barbara Noel, Kyle Oden, Holly Overton, Stuart Parks II, James Perry, Tisch Perry, Charlotte Quinn, Meg Rubino, Shirley Ruff, Amy Snowden, Noah Snyder, Rob Snyder, Griffin Soderberg, Janet Stapelman, Alyse Stewart, Willow Temple, Kenneth Templeton, Stephen Templeton, Shane Thomas, George Tsonev, CW, Christina Weisner, Chris Wheeler, John Wilson, Mark Wiseman, Bri Young, Mike Zafra Lensfolk Nate Appel, Matt Artz, Nathan Beane, Chris Bickford, Russell Blackwood, Mike Booher, Don Bower, Aycock Brown, Mark Buckler, Jon Carter, Rich Coleman, Marc Corbett, Kim Cowen, Chris Creighton, Mere Crockett, Benny Crum, Jason Denson, Amy Dixon, Susan Dotterer Dixon, Lori Douglas, Julie Dreelin, Tom Dugan/ESM, Roy Edlund, Bryan Elkus, Ben Gallop, Cory Godwin, Treveon Govan, Michael Halminski, Cody Hammer, Chris Hannant, Katie Harms, Bryan Harvey, David Alan Harvey, Ginger Harvey, Bob Hovey, Biff Jennings, Jenni Koontz, Daryl Law, Mike Leech, Anthony Leone, Jeff Lewis, Jared Lloyd, Matt Lusk, Ray Matthews, Brooke Mayo, Mickey McCarthy, Nic McLean, Roger Meekins, D. Victor Meekins, Richard L. Miller, Dick Meseroll/ ESM, Ashley Milteer, David Molnar, Rachel Moser, Ryan Moser, Elizabeth Neal, Rob Nelson, Candace Owens, Anne Snape Parsons, Crystal Polston, Daniel Pullen, Cal Ramsey, Ryan Rhodes, Casey Robertson, Terry Rowell, Cyndi Goetcheus Sarfan, Katie Slater, Tom Sloate, Wes Snyder, David Thomas, Ed Tupper, Eve Turek, Chris Updegrave, Dan Waters, Kati Wilkins, Cyrus Welch, Jay Wickens, Cody Wright Penfolk Ashley Bahen, Madeline Bailey, Sarah Downing, Ty Evans, Laura Gomez-Nichols, Jim Gould, Steve Hanf, Sam Harriss, Catherine Kozak, Katrina Leuzinger Owens, Dan Lewis, Michelle Lewis, Terri Mackleberry, Fran Marler, Amanda McDanel, Maggie Miles, Matt Pruett, Mary Ellen Riddle, Peter Graves Roberts, Arabella Saunders, Corinne Saunders, Kip Tabb, Brian Tress, Emmy Trivette, Kathleen Wasniewski, Hannah West, Clumpy White, Sharon Whitehurst, Natalie Wolfe, Michele Young-Stone Pointing/Clicking Jesse Davis Sales Force Laurin Walker Big Mouth In Chief Matt Walker Blame It All On Suite P Inc. PO Box 7100 • KDH, NC 27948 Office: 252-441-6203 • Sales: 949-275-5115 editor@outerbanksmilepost.com • sales@outerbanksmilepost.com Outer Banks Milepost is published quarterly (sorterly) by Suite P Inc. All contents are the property of Suite P Inc. and do not reflect the opinion of advertisers or distributors. Nor do their contents reflect that of the creative types (who would never, ever sell out). Comments, letters and submissions are usually welcome. Please include SASE for return delivery of all snail mail, however, Milepost and Suite P Inc. still aren’t responsible for any unsolicited materials. And don’t expect much else to move much faster than IST (Island Standard Time). Oh yeah: if you reprint a lick of this content you’re ripping us off. (Shame on you.) To discuss editorial ideas, find out about advertising or tell us we blew it – or just find out what the waves are doing – call 252-441-6203 or email: editor@ outerbanksmilepost.com; sales@outerbanksmilepost.com.
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roadmap gokite milepost graphiccontent gosurf outthere gohunt rearview photofinish “I Get by With a Little Help From My Friends” By Martha Johnson www.obxlocalart.com
03 StartingPoint Wild kingdom. 06 UpFront Ticks bite, sharks circle, and Scabby scoops. 22 GetActive Dive in at the NC Aquarium. 24 Handle With Care Tips for your next unexpected beach critter encounter.
“I’ve lived in the woods. At the beach. A few years ago, I moved to Asheville. I never expected to get hit by a hurricane in the mountains. But I do feel like I was more prepared than most. Because the Outer Banks teaches you to be in tune with nature. For example, I never knew we had great blue herons this far west until I recognized its call and found one living on the pond behind my property. I used to leave the studio and go look for it every time I heard it. Sadly, I haven’t seen or heard it since Helene. But I still have lots of birds in my backyard. The ones I have an affinity for end up in my collages and seem to stick around. We have a few crows and owls — and a woodpecker that’s very special. Maybe I’ll put a blue heron in my next piece; see if I can call him home.” — Martha Johnson
32 GraphicContent Wanna see something really scary?...
48 SoundCheck Two plush patches of fall bluegrass.
34 Animal Instincts Wildlife photogs share lessons learned in the field.
51 OutThere Casting questions.
46 FoodDrink A tapas crawl of tasty atmospheres.
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53 PhotoFinish Pier rats with wings. 54 EndNotes Every species of fall event.
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A REAL HEAD SCRATCHER
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Just how bad is the Outer Banks’ tick situation?
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“Evidence of infected deer ticks in the Outer Banks suggests Lyme disease risk in North Carolina may be more geographically complex than reported case numbers alone suggest,” Cameron later wrote about the 2016 study.
milepost What has two arms, two legs and ticks? It seems like most of America these days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that tick-related emergency room visits nationwide are the highest this year since 2017, leading to a rise in cases of a variety of tickborne illnesses. But while much of the nation is on red alert, the state of the Outer Banks is slightly less clear.
for Dare’s Department of Health and
In fact, according to Kelly Nettnin Fleming, Health Education & Outreach Supervisor
According to Dare’s 2015-2024 reported data, Lyme and Spotted Fever are the most
Human Services: “We have seen a decrease graphiccontent over time in reported Vector Borne
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diseases [between 2017 and 2024].”
North Carolina law requires all counties to report cases of Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and other rickettsioses to the state health department for public health surveillance and investigation.
commonly reported tickborne diseases. Over that period, the highest rate of Lyme per a 100,000 population was reported in 2017, at 13.8 incidents; in 2024 the rate was 5.2. For Spotted Fever, the highest rate was also in 2017 at 13.8 and had dropped in 2024 to zero. But that data doesn’t reflect the past two years. Furthermore, Fleming says that cases are assigned to a patient’s county of residence, not where the exposure happened, which could result in inaccurate
Cameron says he has no knowledge of the current rate of infected ticks on the Outer Banks, but considering the spike nationally, he says he would expect it has increased. “Documented infected ticks do not always translate into recognized endemic status,” he notes, “which may complicate risk assessment for patients and clinicians.” However, we do know what tickborne diseases can do if you’re infected. With an estimated 476,000 people a
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Also, experts warn that some types of testing are imperfect at detection and may lead to inaccurate case estimates. Dr. Daniel Cameron is a Mt. Kisco, N.Y. internist and epidemiologist who specializes in the treatment of Lyme disease and other tickborne illnesses. Ten years ago, he participated in research that found a mismatch between reported ticks on the Outer Banks and the number of infected ticks identified at 50 percent of the eight sites that were studied.
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numbers on the Outer Banks, where visitors often outnumber residents. Plus, tickborne diseases in general can have similar broad or vague symptoms, especially in the early stages, making them a challenge to diagnose and monitor.
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year receiving treatment, Lyme disease is the most prevalent tickborne illness in the US. Lyme, an infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, is primarily transmitted by the deer tick, which can also carry as many as three other germs that can co-infect the same person. Although it is treatable with antibiotics, Lyme can also become chronic. In addition to the bull’s eye rash Lyme is known for, other symptoms can include fever, muscle and joint aches, fatigue, headache, and a stiff neck, according to a June 2025 article in Harvard Health. The article also lists Bell’s palsy, meningitis, myocarditis, migrating arthritis, and neurologic disease as among other potential health problems. Spotted Fever, which is associated more with American dog ticks, can also quickly become a serious and life-threatening illness. In addition to fever, headache and a splotchy or dotted red rash, symptoms include vomiting, stomach pain, muscle pain, and loss of appetite. The disease can cause permanent blood vessel damage, hearing loss or mental disability. It can be avoided by getting treated early with an antibiotic. But there’s now a third carrier for Outer Bankers to worry about: the infamously aggressive Lone Star tick. Its bite can create a mysterious meat allergy called alpha-gal syndrome. An allergic reaction develops within hours after eating meat like beef and pork in people who have previously been bitten, with health effects ranging from relatively minor digestive discomfort to potentially life-threatening anaphylactic
shock. (In 2024, a New Jersey man died within hours of eating a hamburger.)
Of course, the best course of action for all these illnesses is to avoid being bitten.
And yet, many aren’t aware that alpha-gal even exists until they feel it firsthand.
People who spend time outside, especially in wooded and grassy areas, should protect themselves with light clothing, use Deet on their skin, shower when they come inside, and then check their skin. And if you find a tick, remove it immediately and visit your doctor.
One local woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, went to her doctor last year after experiencing cramping and stomach issues. “Even when she told me that [alpha-gal] came up on my blood test, I was just oblivious,” she recalls. “I was like ‘Okay, what’s that?’” Alpha-gal is a molecule found in most mammals, but not humans. It is also present in the saliva of the Lone Star tick, and sometimes the black-legged tick transfers alpha-gal to the person it bites. In addition to avoiding hamburgers, hot dogs and ribs, folks with the allergy need to stay away from rabbit, lamb, venison, and possibly gelatin and dairy products. But the allergy can also develop months after the bite. And unlike other vectorborne illnesses, counties are not required to report alpha-gal, because it is not a communicable disease, which makes it even harder to track.
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MANY AREN’T AWARE THAT ALPHA-GAL EVEN EXISTS UNTIL THEY FEEL IT FIRSTHAND.
Pet-owners should be equally vigilant about checking dogs and cats for ticks and ask their vets about the most effective preventative treatments. And just because you’re a beach bum, don’t think you’re safe — ticks love the high grasses that can line our ocean and sounds.
He and other researchers recently finished a study around Asheville that concluded about one-third of the ticks in Biltmore were carrying Lyme disease. “And that’s a comparable number to a lot of states in the Northeast,” Boyce says. “It was shocking, even to our CDC collaborators.” But Boyce says that from what he can glean from an earlier study, titled “Spatiotemporal patterns of Lyme disease in North Carolina: 2010-2020” and published in The Lancet in July 2024, which surveyed the entire state using zip codes, it appears that there is not nearly as much growth in tick populations in Eastern North Carolina. “There’s some little spots along the coast, but they kind of come and go . . . so it’s more variable,” Boyce says. “It’s not a clear trend happening.” Alpha-gal syndrome, meanwhile, is “very much” in NC, he says.
In fact, while the CDC counted more than 110,000 cases of alpha-gal between 2010 and 2022, it cautions “the number of cases could be 450,000.”
Still, we’re doing better than the mountains. According to Ross Boyce, Associate Professor of Medicine, Institute of Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Lyme disease in North Carolina has spread significantly in the west.
“One of my colleagues, who’s an allergist and is an expert in it, has hundreds of cases,” Boyce says. “It’s a real and emerging problem.”
The good news is that most people who get bitten by a tick will have mild or no symptoms. And progress is being made on the development of a vaccine.
“It happened over the last 10 years, largely as the ticks from the Northeast have moved down along the Blue Ridge Mountains,” Boyce said in a recent interview.
“I feel like every time I tell somebody about alpha-gal,” she notes, “they know somebody else with a similar story.” — Catherine Kozak
Our Nags Head victim’s anecdotal evidence is equally damning.
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TERROR IN THE TIDE
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Remembering 2001’s “Summer of the Shark.”
startingpoint roadmap gokite milepost Peak media frenzy, July 2001.
It was a typical Labor Day in 2001. Friends and families trekked to the beach to enjoy the last gasp of summer. The weather was sunny and mild. And two Russian twentysomethings — Sergei Zaloukaev and Natalia Slobodskaya — were enjoying the final hours of a holiday weekend in Avon.
It was North Carolina’s first fatal shark encounter in 44 years. But it was just the latest in a series of attacks that gripped the nation that summer. The sensational headlines began July 6, when 8-year-old Jesse Arbogast lost his arm to a bull shark on the Florida Panhandle — and his uncle pulled the predator to the beach by its tail, where a park ranger shot and killed it. Arbogast’s arm was retrieved and reattached after an 11-hour surgery.
Around 6pm, the couple were in six feet of water maybe 10 yards from shore when both were viciously attacked. Friends watched as they tried to fend off their predator, splashing and screaming.
Within days, a New York man lost his leg while diving in the Bahamas; on July 15, another Panhandle attack occurred just six miles from Arbogast’s. By then, a media frenzy intensified with every fresh sighting, whether it was hundreds of hammerheads casually migrating off Southwest Florida or juvenile white sharks leaping out
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The shark bit Zaloukaev, a computer consultant, three times and severed his leg below the knee. He died at the Avon Medical Center from cardiac arrest following an acute loss of blood. Slobodskaya, a graduate student at George Washington University, was airlifted to Norfolk Sentara Hospital where she underwent a series of operations. She lost part of her left foot, a finger from her left hand, and her left torso and buttocks were seriously lacerated.
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The July 30 issue of Time magazine went so far as to proclaim 2001 “The Summer of the Shark.” But the season wasn’t over yet. On Saturday, Sept. 1, Richard Peltier and his three sons were surfing 50 yards off the beach in Sandbridge, Virginia, when 10-year-old David was bitten by a shark in four feet of water.
Daughters in Norfolk — the first such encounter in the Virginia Beach area in 30 years. Two days later, our young Russian couple was attacked in Avon.
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IT WAS NORTH CAROLINA’S FIRST FATAL SHARK ENCOUNTER IN 44 YEARS.
Richard saw the shark in the clear water and instructed his boys to get on their surfboards. He tried to lift David, but the shark bit the boy before he could get fully on his board. Richard then hit the shark on the head and pulled his son from the animal’s jaw and carried David to shore.
Both incidents happened around 6pm, a time when sharks are known to be active. In fact, experts originally believed bull sharks were responsible for both incidents. But Hatteras Island resident Mel Covey surmised the Avon culprit was a tiger shark.
The fifth-grader had a 17-inch gash in his thigh and a severed artery and was bleeding profusely. He died early Sunday morning at Children’s Hospital of the Kings
“Female tiger sharks are very territorial of the spot where they are born,” says the marine biology major, surfer and former commercial fisherman. “And she goes back
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to that spot to birth her pups.” Covey also says that a pregnant female can be especially aggressive. A November 2001 follow-up report issued by the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences confirmed Covey’s theory: “The Virginia attack was perpetuated by a bull shark and the North Carolina attack most likely was from a larger tiger shark.” Not that it matters much to the victims, their families, or any witnesses. “It was sad all the way around,” Covey recollects. Ironically, for all the hype, there were actually fewer shark/human encounters in 2001 than the previous year. According to data from the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, there were 52 unprovoked shark attacks in the United States in 2000, and 50 in 2001. The years
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of the water along Southern California’s surfing lineups.
AND THE
between 2014 and 2017 all had more than 50 unprovoked attacks. A more likely reason for the panic was just the summer’s slow news cycle. A week following the Avon fatality, on September 11, 2001, the world watched in horror as Al Qaeda terrorists flew airplanes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The fear surrounding America’s sharks took a back seat to a new type of terror. — Sarah Downing Sources: Maria Glod and Jennifer L. “Experts Blame Bull Sharks in Two Attacks; Aggressive Species Rarely Ventures this Far North,” The Washington Post, Sept. 7, 2001; Interview with Mel Covey, June 6, 2026; “Labor Day Shark Attack Survivor Hanging On,” Sept. 5, 2001, CNN.com; Musick, J.A., “Shark Attack in Virginia, A Report to the Governor’s Task Force,” Virginia Institute of Marine Science, 2001; “Shark Victim Called Upbeat,” The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C. Sept. 3, 2001; “Young Woman Remains Critical After Friend Dies in Shark Attack,” Coastland Times, Sept. 6, 2001.
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upfront soundcheck getactive startingpoint roadmap A cheering, jeering gokite look at recent events and their potential milepost impacts.
THIS BAND IS FIRE! “Smoke on the Water?” “Burning Down the House?” “Set Fire to the Rain?” Queue up your obnoxious audience requests for future local rock bands. Starting this fall, the Mustang Music Outreach Program has a new home inside the former KDH Fire House, thanks to a new lease agreement with the town. The beloved non-profit program provides instrument and voice lessons to Outer Banks kids ages 8-17, then teams them up to play concerts — as well as learn about sound engineering, light production and business management — so lovers of live music don’t get hosed in years to come.
SOUND THE ALARM! This report’s not quite so heart-warming. In July, a staffing analysis showed that Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and Colington fire departments were falling short of nationally recognized response standards. (Apparently, just 14 paid firefighters were available across all four stations at any given time; the National Fire Protection Association recommends 17.) And while the study’s lit a fire under local leaders to start seeking solutions, including adding personnel and improving coordination between departments, it will likely take years to get up to speed. YEAH, BUOY! Was it political blowback that turned them around? Or did economic risks force a change of course? Whatever the reason, coastal residents cheered the news that the National Science Foundation had reversed its decision to dismantle the
Ocean Observatories Initiative, a complex arrangement of monitoring devices meant to gather real-time info on ocean currents — including those off the Outer Banks — providing crucial data for weather forecasts, Coast Guard search and rescues, pollution response, and local commercial and recreational fishing operations. REVENGE OF THE NERDS And remember when DOGE’s federal frat boys booted out hundreds of NOAA scientists and shuttered its website devoted to informing the public about the threats from climate change? Well, the Poindexters fought back. Last year, a team of former employees crowd-funded enough cash to build a new online portal that “fully clones” the old data and will also post fresh info. As of July, anyone can go to www. climate.us and geek out on everything from concerning trends to current weather disasters.
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A LITTLE BLUE HUMOR Who says cops can’t be funny? Just check out Kitty Hawk Police Department’s Facebook Page, where smart-ass posts are the primary weapon for raising community awareness, from PSAs over driving safety (“Today’s weather forecast: 100% chance of someone not using their blinker.”) to self-effacing health advisories (“You know what doesn’t have parasites in it? Donuts.”) So go ahead and give ’em a “like.” When else are you gonna get a chance to laugh at the law? ONE MORE FOR THE BOOKS If you saw our spring issue, you’ll know that the Outer Banks licks most small communities when it comes to US postage representation. (Twelve stamps as of March 2026, if you include all the Wright Bros. examples.) Well, it looks like local collectors will have another piece of history to preserve under plastic: in July,
fashion designer Ralph Lauren made Bodie Island Lighthouse one of a dozen “American Icons” depicting our “country’s shared ideals of freedom, independence, equality, opportunity and the pursuit of happiness.” (And we thought he just had a thing for horizontal stripes.) DOWN IN THE DUMPS? Something’s rotten in the state of NC. In July, auditors warned that a 20-year-old program intended to ID and clean up old, unregulated landfills had still not even peeked at 78% of a total 688 sites. Even worse, 14 were in Eastern NC, including the old Buxton Dump, where recent borings revealed buried glass, plastic, metal, and fabric, and some high readings of “volatile organic compounds” — making it number 11 on the list. Today, you know it as a Hatteras trailer park, sitting right near the school’s soccer field and teacher housing complex. But, hey! At least, they
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didn’t cover up an ancient, haunted burial ground. (As far we know.) DISHONORABLE OVERCHARGE Can you court martial a corner market? If so, we’d bust Waves’ Dollar General back down to private, after the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services revealed price scanning errors had overcharged customers in back-to-back inspections. The state fined ’em $1515 as a result, but considering two more Eastern NC locations also failed their tests, maybe a few hundred push-ups would prove more productive. For detailed reports on these stories and breaking local news on a daily basis — plus plenty of local discussion — visit www.outerbanksvoice.com, www. islandfreepress.org, www.coastalreview. org, www.samwalkerOBXnews.com, www.outerbanksnews.org, and www. thecoastlandtimes.com.
SMART-ASS COMMENT OF THE MONTH “Have pesky facts about climate change got you down? Just get rid of the science!” —Travis “ N a tion a l S cie n ce Fou n d a tion Ha lts P la n to Dism a n tle Oce a n Mon itorin g S yste m ,” OuterBanksVoice.com, June 6, 2026
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DEAR SCABBY
Local advice from an OBgenXer who’s seen a thing or two — and has the scars to prove it.
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Dear Scabby, What should motorists do when we see a turtle crossing the street? I don’t want to run the little fella over. On the other hand, I’m not trying to get hit by a less compassionate driver who’s in a rush. —Judy, Kill Devil Hills
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Hey Judy, you wanna hear a joke? Why’d the turtle cross the road? None of your damn business because it’s their natural habitat — we just paved it! But seriously, let’s start with what you don’t do: Don’t cause a bigger catastrophe trying to avoid a smaller catastrophe. Whenever you blend wildlife with human beings and heavy machinery, there’s a certain Darwinian truth you’ve gotta accept — some creatures make it, some don’t. So, don’t slam on your brakes or swerve into a couple pedestrians just to spare one critter. And the only Good Samaritan is the one who lives another day to do more good.
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Okay, now that we’ve gotten all that cynical stuff out of the way, here’s how to proceed: 1) As soon as you spot the li’l booger, slow down while flashing your brights to any approaching drivers, so even if they’re oblivious to the meandering reptile, at least they know something’s going on; 2) Throw on your hazards, come to a creeping halt, then jump swiftly out of your vehicle and trot towards the turtle. Some kook might honk their horn but screw ’em (honestly, most folks will respect the public service you’re providing and halt accordingly); 3) Gently lift the turtle by its sides, at three and nine o’clock. Most of our terrapins are shy and harmless, but snapping turtles can be quite ornery and surprisingly agile. In that case, wrap ’em in a shirt or towel first, or, even better, scoop ’em up or scooch them along with an old pool bucket or beach chair. Either way, you do not want to get scratched by those claws because they’re loaded with bacteria; 4) Shuttle it across the street in the direction it was heading, just far enough into the shrubbery/sand, and lay it down softly. Never return it from whence it came because it’ll just cross the road again trying to get to its territory to eat or lay eggs or something.
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And that’s it. Jump back in your whip and carry on, taking pride in the fact that you handled a delicate situation with grace. By the way, this all pertains to residential streets and slow patches of NC 12 — not the bypass, which even the quickest humans shouldn’t try crossing without the green light.
What’s up, Scabby?! I know you’re a notorious dog lover, but I have this one neighbor who never cleans up his dog’s poop. I’ve never even seen him carry a bag! And I’m talking about a massive Great Dane here whose favorite dumping ground is right in front of my mailbox! Should I report the guy? Confront him? Put up one of those “No Dogs” signs? —Dean, Nags Head None of the above. First off, let it be said that I always pick up my dog’s dookie. (His name is Darby Crash, by the way, and I love him to pieces.) But there are exceptions. If Darby Crash decides to go on top of a cactus or a patch of sand spurs — and he often does — Ouch! I’m not picking that shit up. If Darby Crash ain’t feeling right and is squirting diarrhea, I’m not gonna try smearing that goo into my bag. I’ma let the elements work their magic. If Darby Crash takes a dump in the swash zone during a raging nor’easter, why waste a perfectly good plastic bag? Let the ocean taketh, right? For the most part, though, I try to lead by example on our little strolls. I’ll even top off the bag with random pieces of litter before throwing it away. But it sounds like your neighbor couldn’t care less about doing the right thing, so all a sign’s gonna do is clutter up your yard more. As far as calling the authorities are concerned? The only thing more obnoxious than a nagging sign is a narc. And confronting him might be tempting, but how much do you really wanna raise a stink about a stink? Because we’re not really talking about dogs, are we, Dean? We’re talking about people. And people are super complex with all sorts of baggage and (ahem) pet peeves. On the other hand, there’s something to be said for standing up for yourself and your property. Just do it with style, right? The next time Great Dookie Dane does his business, run out there with a big ol’ trash bag, scoop up that pile in one fell swoop, and tell him, “No worries, buddy, I got it!” If he doesn’t get the point after that, just let it go. Because he might be a little glitchy. And nobody wants to be the neighbor who yelled at the glitchy guy. Keep on Scratchin! Scabby
Got a question for Dear Scabby? Email editor@outerbanksmilepost.com. milepost 13
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WHADDYA RECKON?
We got questions — you got answers. getactive Gary-Ann Clarke, 20 Purveyor of Provisions Nags Head “Tiger. They are fierce on the hunt, and they use their stealth to protect themselves.”
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Cait Ayers, 21 Acai Artist Rodanthe “Pelican. Picture the freedom of just surfing along the waves and hanging out on the beach.”
graphiccontent gosurf Seth Gibbons, 30 Education Curator Columbia “Lobster. Partly because they come in really cool colors, and partly because I just like to stay inside my house.”
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Kayla Tucker, 26 Surf Cat Nags Head “Cheetah. Because I’m independent, brave, and a natural leader.”
What’s your spirit animal? Allen Riggs, 27 Snowcone Slinger Nags Head “Golden retriever. Mostly because they are playful and happy and trustworthy — even though people might not always deserve it”.
Reagan Crook, 22 Table-Hopping Taskmaster Rodanthe “Otter — I’d rather be floating around in the water and chillin’.”
Rose Halloran, 17 Shop Grom Nags Head “A panda. They seem to have fun with life — and I’m really clumsy.”
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Kenny Garvey, 59 Musical Oenophile Nags Head “I trained dogs for a long time, so I would say German Shepherd for protection and loyalty. Otherwise, I’d rather be a bird and fly away.” Interviews and images by Tony Leone milepost 15
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MADE YOU LOOK! ID this dotted device, win a free family membership to Elizabethan Gardens — plus four tickets to WinterLights! “Holy Moly, what’s this?!,” you say? “Does it drain? Will it spray?” “Does water pool? Or is it spilt?”
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The answer lies in how you tilt. Think you’ve galvanized a good guess? Pour your answer, name and phone number into an email and rush it to editor@outerbanksmilepost.com by Oct. 19. We’ll select one lucky winner, who’ll receive an Azalea Membership to Elizabethan Gardens — including free entrance for four family members, plus access to special events and gift shop discounts — and four tickets to WinterLights’ holiday celebration!
PS: Congrats to Andy Knutson for correctly guessing last issue’s puzzler: a gas grill.
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upfront soundcheck WHAT’S IN THAT BOX? A peek inside four ballot measures awaiting your vote this fall. getactive
startingpoint roadmap gokite Be sure to make your mark on Nov. 3.
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This fall, Dare County has more than county, state and national candidates to consider for office. Voters can also weigh in on at least three proposed amendments to the state Constitution — plus a local sales tax referendum. Some of these measures have the potential to outlast any politician, yet the text on the ballot is a succinct sentence that leaves room for interpretation. We decided to dig deeper into each proposal, then ask a range of officials for their perspectives so locals can have a better idea of what each “box” really contains.
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CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON PROPERTY TAX
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Ballot text: “For/Against: Constitutional amendment requiring limits on property tax increases by local governments.”
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Sounds like an easy “for.” But read the legislative text and you’ll see why local decisionmakers are leery: “The General Assembly shall enact general laws limiting the amount by which the levy of taxes on property may increase, which may include exceptions.”
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In other words, it’s the state legislators who get to determine the limits on local property taxes. Furthermore, they don’t even say what those limits might look like; instead, they’ll decide once the measure is passed. milepost 18
No wonder four Outer Banks mayors have concerns about how the proposed amendment might affect local boards’ ability to govern. “It just really hamstrings [us] being able to provide necessary services for people,” Duck Mayor Monica Thibodeau says. “It’s hard for me to understand where they think this is going to be helpful.” Manteo Mayor Tod Clissold is equally dubious. “While I recognize the financial upside individuals may hope for...property taxes are the backbone of the services our residents expect, particularly regarding public safety and infrastructure,” Clissold says in an email. “If these revenue streams are capped, we could see an inability to address inflationary costs or recover from
natural disasters, which is a constant reality for us.”
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON INCOME TAX
And Southern Shores Mayor Elizabeth Morey sees the ballot initiative as continuing a trend of state lawmakers shrinking local governments’ authority, “both municipal and county, which I believe has overall negative outcomes for our communities.”
Ballot text: “For/Against: Constitutional amendment to keep the State income tax rate from being raised higher than three and one-half percent (3.5%).”
Still, every Republican in both the House and Senate voted in favor, and every Democrat present for the votes, save one senator, voted against it. Sen. Norm Sanderson (R-Pamlico) says the matter was precipitated after 26 counties had revaluations this year, and “property values went through the roof.” Most counties lowered their tax rates to remain revenue neutral, “but some of them didn’t do that.” Despite voting for the amendment, Sanderson also says, “I think we have to be very careful before we go in and take away [local governments’] ability...to support things like their local schools, the jails, their health departments, their libraries. Especially in the rural areas; [property tax] is about their only way to raise revenue, because they don’t bring in a whole lot of sales tax.” So, what will the legislature do if it passes? Sanderson says he doesn’t know specifics; but the matter will be put toward a study committee, then taken up in the long session next year. “I have asked to be put on that commission,” he says. “I don’t know if I will [be], but I think we have to be very careful in how we limit local government.” Nags Head Mayor Ben Cahoon, who’s also concerned with the amendment, suggests an alternative way to control property taxes that isn’t so permanent. “There’s already a solution, and it’s local,” Cahoon says. “If you don’t like the services you’re getting in proportion to your taxes, then you need to vote for different leadership.”
The income tax cap as written in the state Constitution is currently 7%, so this would halve that. However, the state’s actual income tax rates have been lower than that, and have fallen in recent years, in accordance with state law. In 2025, the individual income tax rate was 4.25%. This was down from a rate of 4.50% in 2024, 4.75% in 2023, 4.99% in 2022 and 5.25% in each of the three years prior, according to North Carolina Department of Revenue Data. Outer Banks state Sens. Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck) and Sanderson sponsored this amendment, along with 26 others. Hanig did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. Sanderson says he’d like to do away with income tax altogether, suggesting that if the state needed to raise money, a sales tax increase would be the preferred vehicle. “I think it’s proven…that we can meet all the [basic] needs that we have in the state of North Carolina with a lower income tax,” he says. “We’re down now to where we’re supposed to go next year to 2.99[%].” Sanderson explains that the importance of putting it in a Constitutional amendment is that if it passes, future lawmakers could not change it without going through the Constitutional amendment process and putting it to voters again. “I don’t know many people that are going to vote to give the government an opportunity to raise their taxes,” he says, calling a future change “very, very unlikely” if it passes this year. So, what’s wrong with permanently cutting it another point or two? Because you never know when you might need more cash. “North Carolina doesn’t have particularly
high income tax rates,” Cahoon says. “Why would the state want to constrain future legislatures from responding to whatever may happen in some future time?” Cahoon also says that if the rate cut results in the state having less money to return to communities through grants — such as those for clean water, wastewater and other grant programs Outer Banks communities utilize — the financial burden would then fall upon local governments.
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“If you’re going to do what needs to be done, you’re going to have to find that revenue somewhere,” Cahoon says. “The other thing that often happens in states where tax income rates are very low is that their fees are very high.”
“FERRY TOLLS ARE A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF YOU REDUCE TAX INCOME.”
Or the state could find other ways to fill coffers. “Ferry tolls are kind of a snapshot of what could happen if you reduce the tax income again,” says Cahoon.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON VOTER ID Ballot text: “For/Against: Constitutional amendment to require all voters, not just those presenting to vote in person, to present photo identification before voting.” Put this one in the “let’s codify something more permanently” camp. After all, state law already requires voters to present an approved form of photo identification before they vote in-person and to include a copy of their photo ID when they vote by mail. Even Patrick Gannon, public information director for the North Carolina State Board of Directors, says the proposed Constitutional measure is “already required in state statute.”
Asked if the amendment would eliminate the ability of certain voters to utilize a “Photo ID Exception Form” — with acceptable reasons including disability, being the victim of a natural disaster within 100 days before Election Day, religious objections to being photographed, and more — Gannon replied it would not. “No,” Gannon says. “The following language in the Constitution would not be changed by the amendment: “The General Assembly shall enact general laws governing the requirements of such photographic identification, which may include exceptions.’” So, what’s changing? Nothing when it comes to the election process as it stands. It’s just adding to the Constitution the language of “all voters” to replace the current “in person,” making it harder to change down the road.
DARE COUNTY SALES TAX REFERENDUM Ballot text: “For/Against: Local sales and use tax at the rate of one-quarter percent (0.25%) in addition to all other State and local sales and use taxes.” This one only appears on Dare County ballots. Last year, a recreation needs assessment found that approximately $56.9 million is needed to address current and future facility improvements, from building more splash pads to installing artificial turf to updating current facilities. In March, commissioners approved a referendum to increase sales tax from 6.75% to 7% to fund those local improvements. However, roughly 70% of the tax burden will land on visitors, according to Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert L. “Bob” Woodard Sr. In fact, during his 2026 State of the County presentation, he estimated the proposed tax increase would add up to approximately $14 per resident, or about $22 per family per year. So, whether it’s a good idea largely depends on how much you desire these additions — and how much you’re willing to spend. — Corinne Saunders milepost 19
INSPIRING WONDER SINCE 1976 The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island has been inspiring aquatic appreciation and conservation on North Carolina’s Outer Banks since 1976. Join us in 2026 as we celebrate 50 years of joy, discovery, and connections with our natural world.
Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head was founded in 1939 and rebuilt in 2011. Walk 1,000 feet out over the Atlantic Ocean. Drop a line. Catch a fish. Access the Beach. Sightsee for dolphins. Watch the surf. Soak in the Sunrise. Breathe the fresh air.
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NAGS HEAD
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Help out at the NC Aquarium — get a heap back in return. gosurf
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The truth is, volunteering isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. A lot of times the gig will feel more like court-ordered community service than a pathway to vocational enlightenment. Like, you assume you’re gonna be developing some untapped intellectual skillset — and they got you fetching coffee. Or you think you’ll be participating in some cuttingedge scientific research — and you end up cleaning toilets. Before long, that little voice inside your head gets too loud to ignore: “Okay, why am I doing this again?”
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The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is not one of those places. Volunteer here, you’ll see some stuff. You’ll do some stuff. You’ll learn some stuff. And it’s the kind of stuff that can actually leave you feeling fulfilled for the day — or hyped up for a future career — as they offer a range of opportunities tailored to prospective volunteers’ wants, needs and interests. “This is a growing and evolving program, but we’re willing to try and find the right fit for everyone,” says Sydney Kilgore, the aquarium’s Volunteer Coordinator. “For fall, we’re mainly looking for more guestfacing education positions, like touch pool
interpreters connecting the guests with our invertebrates, rays and sharks, and talking about specific animals’ well-being and how to appropriately interact with them. We do it all in a way that’s meaningful and enjoyable for the guests, but also respectful of the species.” They also provide all the training you’ll need. You don’t need to know the first thing about marine biology. In fact, you don’t need to know much about anything. You do need to know how to have a conversation, though. “Because you’re interacting with the public, you kind of have to enjoy talking to people,” Kilgore laughs. Prefer the company of animals more than you do humans? There are plenty of ways to put your paws to work. “We also have our aquarium projects team, where we’re open to taking on volunteers behind-the-scenes,” says Kilgore. “So, if you have skills in carpentry or plumbing or exhibit work that might be beneficial to the aquarium, you don’t really have to interact with guests.”
time job isn’t out of the question. “We recently launched a new youth volunteer program for ages 14-17 focused on professional development,” Kilgore explains. “The goal is to teach them about science communication, customer service, and conservation so they can build some professional skills. We’ve soft-launched a few new positions, too, like summer service volunteers for admissions and visitor services who help guests navigate our facilities, answer questions, and sign up memberships.”
The touch tank is filled with teachable moments. Photo: Felta Ray
There’s perks, too! For one thing, all volunteers get free admission to the aquarium, and those who donate 100 hours in a year get a free family membership. As a participating member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Reciprocal Admissions Program, NC Aquarium-Roanoke volunteers can score discounts to participating zoos and aquariums across the country.
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LEAVE FEELING FULFILLED FOR THE DAY — OR HYPED FOR THE FUTURE.
There’s also field trips and professional development classes where people can explore more exclusive opportunities within different departments.
And for the more ambitious volunteers, coming out of the experience with a full-
And additional training can lead to more opportunities within the STAR (Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation) Center, their sea turtle rehabilitation hospital, where volunteers help advocate for sea turtles, share the stories of their patients, and inspire people to make changes.
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“Working in our STAR Center is very handson, too, with a lot of public engagement,” Kilgore continues. “It’s one of our more popular positions, so they’re not always accepting volunteers, but there may be slots opening up there, as well. And when we have the capacity and availability, we’ll want volunteer divers to do presentations and work on cleaning different habitats around the aquarium.” No matter your interest, it’s super easy to sign up. Just cruise over to their website to find a list of options and requirements. As you’re filling out the application, a list of upcoming orientations appears, as well. “We’ve been working on the website to share as much information as possible on the front end,” says Kilgore, “so people aren’t applying only to realize the position isn’t the right fit for them.” So, whether you’re a bored retiree looking for a second act to keep busy or a teenage animal lover seeking resume fodder for a future career — or just feeling some love for an oversized fish tank — there’s lots of ways to keep this 50-year institution swimming along. (Without feeling like you’re getting soaked.) — Matt Pruett
Ready to dive in? Visit www.ncaquariums.com for more information. milepost 23
Playing with fire near Frisco. Photo: Daniel Pullen
“SOOOO JELLY...” The Outer Banks boasts all sorts of pretty — and pretty venomous — cnidarians.
A BALLOON? A beach ball? Maybe just the corner of some kid’s raft. Who knows what that half-buried sac of blue and purple might be? So look closely before daring to touch — and watch your bare tootsies while approaching your treasure. That piece of so-called plasticine may not be somebody’s plaything — it might be a venomous jelly.
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CARE Cruising the beach can reveal all kinds of critters. But that don’t make it a petting zoo. Here’s a few tips for your next walk on the wild side. milepost 24
“Actually, man o’ wars aren’t really jellies,” clarifies Terri Kirby Hathaway, a former marine educator with NC Sea Grant. “They’re hydrozoans. But both have tentacles with thousands of tiny stinging cells called ‘nematocysts.’ Each nematocyst is like a cup that has a little needle sticking up, and if something touches that needle, it shoots out like a harpoon with a line on it. And a man o’ war’s tentacles can stretch up to 10 feet.” That can add up to one painful rash. Fortunately, man o’ wars aren’t the most common “cnidarian” in Outer Banks waters. That honor goes to the Cannonball jelly, which are big and bulbous and surprisingly firm. Next up? Moon jellies — those clear, Frisbee-sized discs with four clover markings. Both can show up in droves but are comparatively tentacle-free and non-toxic to humans. In fact, they’re quite fun to throw at your friends when splashing in the shorebreak. Just don’t confuse them for “sea nettles.” These pulsing, milky-white masses are mostly see-through — with the occasional red splotch — but both have long, hanging tentacles that will ruin your day. “They’re the true jellies that sting the most on the Outer Banks,” says Hathaway. “We also occasionally get lion’s mane jellies in winter, which can be up to two feet across. But for any of these creatures — those from the true jelly family, or hydrozoans like the man o’ war — the nematocyst is not a weapon they can trigger. So, it’s not like they can attack you.”
In fact, they can’t even chase you. Jellies can only pulse up and down in the water column; while man o’ wars travel solely with winds and currents. But they can still sneak up on you in surprising ways. “Those tentacles break easily in the surf zone,” says Hathaway. “And, even if they’re washed up dead, those stinging cells can still react if they’re moist.” So, how to respond? First off: don’t race for the shower. Fresh water will trigger nematocysts as well. Peeing on stings is just an old wives’ tale. (Or more likely a big brother’s bad prank.) And don’t rub sand on the rash, either, “Because you’re just going to trigger more cells,” says Hathaway. “The best thing to do is get a credit card or hotel room card, or use a shell, then gently get under the tentacles and lift them off your body,” she continues. “And some people use meat tenderizer, which denatures the protein in the venom.” In case of a severe reaction — like dizziness, nausea, chills, or headaches — call emergency services. But the most likely response is pain and irritation, unless you’re allergic. “I do remember one fatality,” says Hathaway. “A person with a real severe allergy got stung by a man o’ war down in the Hatteras area; that was like 30 years ago. But just like bee venom, there’s different levels of sensitivity to jelly toxin.”
dragon. It’s a mollusk that feeds on the tentacles of the man o’ war, then uses the venom in their feathered feet as a defensive weapon.” In fact, the sting of the blue glaucus can be worse than a man o’ war. But at least they’re somewhat easy to spot. Unlike the larval stages of the “thimble jelly.” These invisible invaders often arrive en masse, catching under swimsuits to leave a painful rash with no clear culprit — and a range of wrong aliases. “Some people call them sea lice, but that’s incorrect,” says Hathaway. “Sea lice are usually the megalops stage of the blue crab.” Chances are you might not see any of these critters. But there are some sneaky tips to avoid getting stung. First off, you can pick up any jelly by its “bell” or man o’ war by its sail, and bury it if need be. And while their movements are impossible to truly predict, Hathway notes that stinging nettles often show up in summertime, a few days after large rain events in the northeast.
“Tentacles have thousands of tiny stinging cells called ‘nematocysts’... and a man o’ war’s tentacles can stretch up to 10 feet.”
Luckily, man o’ wars spend most of their time in the Gulf Stream. But strong onshore winds will sometimes blow them to the beach, where they’re quite easy to spot. In fact, they occasionally show up with a couple of colorful friends — the blue button and blue glaucus. Collectively, they’re known as “the Blue Fleet.”
“Nettles often bloom in the Chesapeake Bay,” says Hathaway. “If there’s a lot of rain up north, then that rain washes the water out of the Chesapeake, and, because of the Coriolis force, the water ends up down here.”
“The Blue Fleet lives in the Gulf Stream,” says Hathaway. “It consists of the Portuguese man o’ war — which some people call the blue bottle — and the blue button, which is a little round disc that is completely surrounded by blue tentacles; they float on the surface. Then there’s the blue glaucus — some call them a sea
But, when in doubt, there’s always one clear-cut signal to consider.
NOAA even launched a “Sea Nettle Probability Forecast” for the Bay in 2017.
“You know the red flags that mean no swimming?” says Hathaway. “Purple flags mean dangerous animals in the water. So that’s always a good sign — or rather, a bad sign — to look for.” — Jill E. Hastings milepost 25
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“WHAT THE FLIP?” Stumble across a stranded sea turtle? Here’s how to get it on the road to recovery. WALK ANY OUTER BANKS BEACH, YOU’LL FIND SHELLS. Cockles and coquinas — whelks and clams — all in any number of colors, textures and sizes, but nothing too crazy. Then, occasionally, you might come across a whole different kind of shell, one that’s huge and brownish-green, maybe with a flippered creature inside. That’s when you drop the bucket, grab your cell phone, and call 252-441-8622 — the 24-hour hotline for the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles. “Whether a turtle is alive or dead, we will get volunteers out there, because it’s important from a scientific standpoint to document dead sea turtles,” says NEST president, Tony Parisi. “We will take measurements and pictures to input in the national database.” According to NOAA’s Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, Dare County saw 286 strandings, as of this past July — incidents where an injury or illness left the turtle unable to make its way back to the ocean. The greatest number of cases occur during winter “cold stuns.” That’s when water temps plunge quickly and catch the animals off-guard. A turtle’s body temperature drops so fast they lose the ability to swim or eat, causing them to float the currents all the way up to shore. They’ll look weak and will likely be covered in algae and barnacles.
NEST’s Lou Browning helps a rehabbed sea turtle head home. Photo: Daniel Pullen
explains. “And we obviously don’t want people kidnapping turtles out of the ocean. But, if they report it and then it washes away before someone gets there, there’s not much we can do.” She emphasizes that, if you find a sea turtle digging in the sand during those months, it’s best to leave it alone — then call the hotline. However, if you find a turtle floating in the surf unable to swim — or up on the beach and not retreating when approached — it’s likely stranded. There can also be very visible injuries to the turtle. In that case, Christensen says — provided the turtle is small enough that one person can lift it easily — it’s okay to move it out of the water so it won’t wash away. There are also cases of “incidental capture,” when a turtle is caught in a net, or by hook during legal fishing. If that happens, do not cut the fishing line; call NEST and wait for volunteers to arrive. If you call NEST, be prepared to describe the size and location of the turtle and how hard it is to access; that will help
Last winter, 200 cold-stunned turtles were reported between Thanksgiving and mid-December. them determine if they need a truck or an all-terrain vehicle. They’ll also want to know the species, because that makes a huge difference in how they approach the rescue and rehab process.
Last winter, 200 cold-stunned turtles were reported between Thanksgiving and midDecember.
For example, the turtles that are dinner plate-sized are likely Green Turtles — which should always raise alarms.
Stranded turtles can also be injured. But just because a turtle’s on the beach, that doesn’t mean it’s been struck by a boat. Some might just be resting. And mothers also nest on the Outer Banks from late spring through early fall. That can lead to some confusion, according to Emily Christensen, Chief Veterinarian at North Carolina Aquariums.
“We don’t see a lot of Greens — period — mostly juveniles that use our inshore waters,” says Christensen, noting they prefer hotter climes like Florida, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Australia. “Those guys have no business being on our beach, so something is very wrong if you see one.”
“People are afraid to touch them,” she
Outer Bankers are more likely to find loggerheads — which she calls the “poster child” for sea turtles since they’re
protected under the Endangered Species Act — and Kemp’s Ridley turtles, which are quite rare and listed as critically endangered under the ESA. These identifications help make for much better data records, which ultimately translates into better conservation efforts. “There is almost a worldwide collection of sea turtle data because of their protected, threatened and endangered listings,” Christensen says. If a turtle is rescued on the Outer Banks, it will be brought to the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation center at the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, where it will be rehabbed for injury, sickness or to simply find the stranding cause. Once scientists and volunteers bring the turtles back to health, they release them. “Releases vary based upon season and situation,” says Christensen. “Sometimes we need to get sea turtles out into the warm waters of the Gulf Stream by boat. Other times we’re able to do beach releases that allow turtle rehab staff, volunteers, and the public to witness the ‘full circle’ of returning them to the sea.” Keep tabs on the NEST and aquarium socials for future releases. You can also make life easier for future generations along Cape Hatteras National Seashore via Outer Banks Forever’s “Adopt a Sea Turtle Nest” Program at www. obxforever.org. Even better, help Outer Banks turtle populations thrive by protecting their natural habitats. Beachgoers should fill in any holes before leaving the beach and homeowners and renters should use fewer lights at night. Every act doesn’t just help an adorable critter, it protects our beach environment. On the East Coast, sea turtle eggs work as incredible fertilizer for the grasses that anchor our dunes. On the West Coast, they chomp down on seagrass, grazing and pruning the vegetation to maintain a healthy marine ecosystem. “I didn’t know anything about sea turtles before I moved to the Outer Banks nine years ago,” Parisi says. “But they should be important to everyone — just like a lot of other species, they’re an indicator of what’s going on in the environment.” — Emmy Trivette milepost 27
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averages out to normal, as most strandings occur during the winter months.
“LI’L HELP?!”
The mammal species stranding most on the Outer Banks are bottlenose dolphins.
What to do when a marine mammal washes ashore.
“This past spring, we had a little bit of an uptick with cetacean morbillivirus,” Doshkov says. “The last time it happened, in 2013, we had what they call an unusual mortality event, where we see high mortality in a particular species due to a pathogen.”
NOT EVERY BEACH FIND IS A HAPPY OCCASION. With millions of sea animals cruising offshore, occasionally they’re gonna come ashore, too. Sometimes to rest. Sometimes to die. And sometimes somewhere in-between. Many of them are marine mammals. In fact, as the meeting point of the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current, the Outer Banks is home to the greatest variety of marine mammals on the East Coast — roughly 35 different species. “We have two currents, one from the north and one from the south, that converge at Cape Point, and we have a huge inland estuary,” explains Marina Doshkov, Jennette’s Pier’s Marine Mammal Stranding Network (MMSN) coordinator. “And we get all the cold water species and all the warm water species, so we see so much diversity in one little spot.” It’s because of that unique hydrology, geomorphology, and wildlife, that Frederick W. True, the head curator of biology at the first iteration of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, began collecting marine mammal specimens on the Outer Banks in the late 1800s.
If an animal strands, it has come to land and cannot return to the water on its own. The National Parks Service specifically lists cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises), pinnipeds (seals), and sometimes sirenians (manatees) that have stranded along the 67 miles of Cape Hatteras National Seashore at some point in time. A whale of a wake in Kitty Hawk; winter 2024. Photo: Cory Godwin
“We’ll want to know where you’re located, or the closest beach access, and what the weather and surf are like,” Doshkov explains. “We need to know if it’s five-foot waves or flat calm; these are things that help us determine if it’s safe for humans to come out and try to help.”
“The Outer Banks runs on social media, so, naturally, over the past few years, we’ve had some crowd control issues,” Doshkov says. “So, we have new protocols at the site of a stranding to do public outreach: a set of ten volunteers going around the perimeter, answering questions.” They can also explain the necropsy process and answer any questions about the animal’s biology. Occasionally, they’ll show folks a piece of tissue, blubber, or maybe even brain. Doshkov notes that most strandings are roughly half human interaction caused and about half pathogen caused. “With bottlenose dolphins, or cetaceans, they’re constantly moving through the water column, and they’re smart, they’ve got a large brain, so they typically steer clear of human interactions,” Doshkov explains.
The Outer Banks is home to the greatest variety of marine mammals on the East Coast.
“And that’s why the Outer Banks Marine Mammal Stranding Network has the longest running record for marine mammal strandings in the entire world,” Doshkov says.
In 2025, there were 48 marine mammals stranded on the Outer Banks, says Doshkov. So far, we’ve seen 50 strandings on the Outer Banks in 2026. This still
No matter the species, if beachgoers happen upon a stranding, they should give the MMSN hotline a call. For Dare, Currituck and Hyde counties, call 252455-9654; inside the Cape Hatteras Seashore, call 252-216-6892. If you can’t remember the hotline number, call 911 or Dare County Dispatch. Either way, be prepared to answer some questions and take a photo of the stranded animal.
especially on the Outer Banks. The Network also encourages people to wait to post on social media for a few days to stave off the crowds from disturbing the animal.
The MMSN volunteer network will mobilize quickly, followed by one of the MMSN biologists, and a vehicle appropriate in size to move the animal. While waiting, they recommend keeping the animal shaded and wet if it’s summertime, and if it’s winter, keeping the animal dry. “But human safety is a priority, that’s always the first thing we tell people,” Doshkov says. With smaller mammals, MMSN will decide how to rescue and rehab the ones that are alive, and bring the dead mammals to a lab to undergo a necropsy. If a larger mammal is dead on the beach — say a whale calf the size of a car — MMSN will begin the process of doing a necropsy on site. Thanks to smartphones, the reporting system has become much more efficient. The caveat is that news spreads fast,
Seals strand typically due to gear wounds. They’ll go after the fish, wind up in a net or injure themselves on other fishing equipment. But, sometimes, seals will “haul” to shore to rest in the winter season, typically down on a shoal in Oregon Inlet, which is normal behavior.
Other animals — like a pygmy dwarf sperm whale in Oregon Inlet a few years ago — could strand because of a brain parasite. “That animal is our second-most commonly stranded species in North Carolina,” Doshkov says. “It was just zigzagging back and forth, and we pushed it off several times, but it kept coming back, clearly showing signs of neurological issues.” The whale displayed the behavior that led Doshkov to believe a Crassicauda worm may have entered its brain. Since the whale kept coming back to shore and selfstranding, the team decided to euthanize it on shore and perform a necropsy. “Those animals just aren’t going to make it, and sometimes you just have to make that call,” Doshkov says. But only if you’re an expert. Everyone else: just call the hotline. — Emmy Trivette milepost 29
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“I’ve found pieces of beach glass people probably walked past for weeks,” laughs Hathaway. “And you know those little purple pieces you see everywhere? Those are from the insides of a Quahog clam. I have to slap my hand to keep from picking them up.”
“SHELL, YEAH!” Nothing beats finding a grip of shoreline treasures — just be sure to share the wealth.
And then there’s the finds that everyone recognizes as super special. Might be NC’s state seashell, the Scotch Bonnett. (“They’re usually in deeper water offshore, so they don’t wash up as much.”) Or something even more rare.
IT’S CALLED “BEACHCOMBING.” Not “beach shaving” — much less “beach waxing.” But that don’t stop some folks from trying to pluck the strand bald. When a winter storm puked up hundreds of whelk shells along a stretch of KDH last winter, one voracious forager was spotted driving down the shoreline, stopping every fifty feet to fill the bed of his pick-up, leaving nothing behind for other scavengers — humans or otherwise. “It’s important to remember that these shells do serve an ecological purpose,” says retired marine educator, Terri Kirby Hathaway. “Hermit crabs like to live inside the smaller ones. Other organisms live on the shell itself. And like anything else, it’s always best to leave some for other people. I’ve got so many now, I pick one or two and leave the rest.” Not that she’s entirely without sin. As an education specialist for North Carolina Sea Grant, Hathaway would often send sandfilled shoeboxes with shells and pieces of litter to teachers across the country, so school kids could see our beaches firsthand. Along the way, she collected jars and drawers full of loot — and a fair bit of info on the ethics of beachcombing.
“The paper nautilus is actually the egg casing for a small pelagic octopus,” says Hathaway. “And they’re extremely fragile. So fragile you can’t believe they didn’t break washing ashore. In fact, I’ve only heard of two being found here.” With luck, you can even find whole piles of one species — like the aformentioned winter whelk-a-palooza. “Those will happen during big nor’easters,” says Hathaway. “Because whelks are
It’s also important not to accidentally grab anything that’s potentially dangerous. “Medical waste used to be more of a problem,” says Hathaway. “But we do occasionally find unexploded ordnances here. Or a buoy will wash up. So, if you see anything weird, notify the authorities.” The stuff you’re always allowed to grab as much as you want? Cig butts, plastic wraps and other litter. In fact, many beach combers will bring two bags — one for treasure and one for trash. Though, occasionally, Hathaway says she sometimes confuses the two. “These days, I like to pick up little plastic toys, like army men,” she says. “Once I found a little four-inch-long model of the Grave Digger. I will never get rid of that.” Still, Hathaway reckons just about anything you find has some value, even if it’s just a cool story. For example, in recent years, the popularity in beach weddings has led to a rash of shiny, non-native species washing ashore. (“People go buy bags of shiny shells from Wings or wherever, then use them for beach ceremony decorations; some people call them ‘wedding shells.’) And those dark, grey bits of oyster shell that seem comparatively dull? They really have a quite colorful history.
“The first rule is don’t take anything that might be alive... If you’re not sure, throw it back in the water.”
“The first rule is don’t take anything that might be alive,” says Hathaway. “That’s the big one. Sometimes it’s hard to tell, but you’ll know five days later when they start stinking. So, if you’re not sure, throw it back in the water.”
Wintertime whelk-a-palooza. Photo: Ed Tupper
protected on National Wildlife Refuges. During your visit, help protect wildlife by taking only pictures and leaving only footprints.”
It’s also polite to give other folks their space and find your own shell bed. The best time to go looking? Lower tides when shell beds appear; and early mornings before you see the first footsteps. That being said, just because someone’s scoured a bed, doesn’t mean they’ve picked it clean. Besides, everyone has their own favorite finds.
heavy enough to survive the breaking waves. But it’s different every time you go out there, because the waves change, the currents and winds change. The one thing I can predict is you usually have to wait two-to-four days after a hurricane passes to find anything at all, because the beach just gets cleared of everything. Stuff will start coming back in after it settles down.” Just be careful about where you go looking, and how much you take home. On Cape Hatteras Seashore, beachcombers are limited to one 5-gallon bucket per day — not for commercial use. And Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is even more stringent. “On a National Wildlife Refuge, everything is either a home or food for wildlife,” says Sarah Toner, Visitor Services Manager for the Coastal North Carolina NWR Complex. “Natural objects, including driftwood, are
“They’re actually fossils,” she explains. “Oysters live in the sound. So, when you’re seeing dark oyster shells on the beach, that’s coming from the barrier islands moving and exposing what used to be marsh on the oceanfront. So, they’re probably 10 to 15,000 years old.” But they’re only valuable to people as long as folks continue to find them. That’s why Hathaway has moved on from the hoarding piles to hand picking favorites — with big plans to share her wealth. “I have so many shells now that I don’t know what to do with them!” she says. “Maybe I’ll take them to Jennette’s Pier, or throw them offshore. That way they can wash up for someone else.” — Matt Walker milepost 31
“THE HORROR! ...THE HORROR!”
INSURANCE RATE HIKE Annie Wilkes got nothin’ on wind and hail’s financial hammering.
It takes something special to scare an Outer Banker. After all, dead spirits can’t spook a community built on ghost tales. Mass murderers are old hat to a legendary pirates’ hideaway. And gory latex just feels G-rated to a town covered in fish guts. Nope, if you wanna make locals run screaming this Halloween, you’ll have to reach deep into their psyches for the stuff of real nightmares. These ten costume ideas just might do the trick. BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
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MR. AND MRS. WRONG It never worked. It never will. But, then again, winter is coming.
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NEW NEIGHBORS Do they party? Will they complain? And, dear God, no political signs, please!
BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL Are they after me? Or someone else? Better keep one eye looking over your shoulder every second after dark.
FAILING SEPTIC SYSTEM Oh $hit. milepost 33
ANIMAL INSTINCTS six wildlife photographers share their secrets
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slow down. I’ve lived in Jackson Hole, Alaska, Panama, Montana. But I grew up on Carova Beach. And I always make sure that I’ve got my long lens when I come home, because the wildlife opportunities are so shockingly good around Eastern NC. Merchant Mill Pond is maybe 90 minutes west — but it feels like another world. You’ve got these gigantic, old growth, bald cypress trees and Tupelo gums with Spanish moss dripping off every surface. It feels prehistoric; like, if a Brontosaurus suddenly walked out, you wouldn’t be surprised.
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Normally, when I shoot wildlife, I go with kind of a prime directive: I’m actively looking for alligators or black bears or waterfowl, and it’s gonna take something extraordinary to divert me from that mission. Otherwise, you get distracted by a line of turtles on a log, and, right around the corner, there’s an 800-pound black bear. But on this day, all I did was rent a canoe from the park service, paddle off and, maybe a mile in — lo and behold — there’s a seven-foot gator sunbathing on a fallen tree. I find that the spring and fall months actually bring out the gators. When the water is a little bit cooler and you get a nice, warm day — that’s when the big gators come out to warm their bodies up. But I think one of the number one things that anybody can do to significantly improve their wildlife photography is just simply slow down. These animals are communicating constantly with each other. And so are we with our body language. So, make small movements, take your time, give the animal an opportunity to kind of let its guard down. That’s when you’ll get a bear that stands up and scratches its back on a tree to mark its scent — or float up on a dinosaur-sized reptile bronzing away. — JARED LLOYD Jared Lloyd is the author of The Photographers Guide to the Outer Banks. His award-winning images and essays have appeared in top wildlife publications like National Geographic and Audubon; in 2022, he launched his own digital and print magazine, PhotoWILD.
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know your subject. I’ve done photo safaris all over the world. And I say to all my clients that having a knowledge of the wildlife you’re shooting is more important than having skill with the camera. Because what I do to photograph jaguars is different from what I do with polar bears is different from what I do with waterfowl. And understanding the animal’s behavior is what allows me to put myself in position for the best possible photo — without affecting the animal’s behavior. This is just a yawn. It kind of makes the bear look ferocious, but black bears in general, when they vocalize, they don’t make very loud noises. But it’s also worth noting that, with many animals, a yawn can be a sign of nervousness. So, you have to really pay attention. Luckily, I’ve spent a lot of time with the black bears at Alligator River. Sadly, many people haven’t, and they just don’t know how to behave. They may not try and pet the bear like a bison in Yellowstone National Park, but they do other things that they may not even realize are stressors. One of the bigger problems I see is when people see a bear walking parallel to the road, they try to keep pace with it, essentially preventing it from getting where it wants to go. And it’s not fair to harass the wildlife in order to get a photograph of it. And usually, it’s all for a cell phone photo, which is going to be pretty terrible. It’s certainly gotten busier out there, so I’d recommend to anyone, if they want to get good photos from a respectful distance, buy a long lens. And if you’re not photographing, bring a pair of binoculars. The experience is infinitely better for everyone involved. Which is another thing I always tell my clients: sure, we want to make great images, but the real joy comes from spending time outdoors and connecting with nature. — MARK BUCKLER Mark Buckler is a former wildlife biologist and educator who’s turned his passion for wildlife and photography into a career leading photo workshops, documenting everything from pumas in Patagonia to lions in Africa to ducks on Pea Island. milepost 37
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Protecting What we Love, Together Volunteering on the Outer Banks helps make people more aware of, and connected to, the important work that nonprofits are doing within the community. By getting involved with local organizations, residents, visitors and second homeowners come away with a deeper appreciation for the area and a greater sense of responsibility. Let‘s protect what we love, together.
2ND ANNUAL OUTER BANKS VOLUNTEER WEEK OCTOBER 10-17, 2026 Outer Banks Volunteer Week aims to support local partners, promote off-season visitation to Dare County and highlight the ongoing work that goes into caring for and sustaining the Outer Banks. Sign up at outerbanks.org/volunteerweek. Oct. 10 – Town of Kitty Hawk Community Cleanup Oct. 10; 17 – Island Farm Pumpkin Patch Oct. 11 – Duck Jazz Festival Oct. 13 – Outer Banks Relief Foundation Beach Cleanup Oct. 14 – Dare County Master Gardeners ‘Garden Gathering’ Oct. 15-16 – Bluegrass Island Music Festival Oct. 17 – Outer Banks Seafood Festival Oct. (various) – Elizabethan Gardens Prep: ‘A Night of 1587 Pumpkins’ and ‘WinterLights’
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get out there. I mostly photograph humans in their natural settings. In fact, for years, I’d drive down to Cape Point just to shoot fishermen. Finally, I asked myself, “Why are you just so focused on this one thing? Why not shoot the whole environment?” So, I expanded my range. And the more I opened my eyes — and my mind — the more I started getting really cool images of wildlife. It definitely helps to have four-wheel-drive when you’re on Hatteras — because you can cover more ground. This afternoon, I’d raced down there to shoot because the light was perfect, when this little seal
just came in a little south of where everyone was fishing. And it’s cool, because most of the time they like to sit super high on the beach; but he was just kind of chilling in the shorebreak, letting the water wash up over his back.
outdoors, the more opportunities you give yourself for these interactions. Do it enough, and it’s almost like the wildlife starts coming to you. — DANIEL PULLEN
But mornings are always a better call for seeing wildlife, because there’s fewer people. In fact, I bet if you got up pre-dawn and started at the First Groin and walked to the Point, you might see anything from pelicans flying to gobs of jellyfish to seals to a sea turtle laying its eggs. It sounds obvious, but the key is to just get out there. The more time you spend
Daniel Pullen has documented the full spectrum of Hatteras Island life for nearly three decades and is a frequent contributor to national titles like the New York Times and Washington Post; in 2020 he was named the NC Press Association’s Hugh Morton Photographer of the Year. milepost 39
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train at home. Wildlife is everywhere. Not just outdoors — but everywhere. A few years ago, a photographer won a major wildlife photo award for an image of two mice fighting over a little piece of food on a London subway platform. So, you never know what you might see in a natural paradise like the Outer Banks. Now, I’m by no means an expert wildlife photographer. But it’s important for me to be able to grab a telephoto lens and focus in quickly to get shots, and it takes time and effort to learn that skill. So, I decided to train at home. One winter, I cleared out my backyard, then added all these bird feeders and planters and vegetation to encourage wildlife. Now I can sit on my porch and practice on squirrels and birds and such. And let me tell you, squirrels are fast. When I started shooting these two squirrels wrestling, they were bouncing around so much I could barely keep up. So, if you can get a good action shot of a squirrel, you can get a good shot of any animal. But I don’t just practice shooting. I also work on all the things that come into play when documenting wildlife. I can’t move in ways that make them stop what they’re doing or scare them away. And in observing their behaviors you start to see how nature watches over itself — how if the squirrels are coming and eating seeds, the birds will know that it’s safe for them to come in, too. They’re all feeding off each other. It’s truly amazing what you can learn. And all you have to do is put in a bunch of bird feeders. — WES SNYDER Since 2007, Wes Snyder’s stunning landscape and night sky images have made him synonymous with our barrier islands’ natural beauty; in 2020, he released a book of his favorite photos, Journey Through the Outer Banks.
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PHOTO BY JONATHAN CLARK
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get lucky. Photographing wildlife reminds me of surfing. It’s very relaxing; very meditative. You just kind of lose yourself in nature — until something pops up and you’re in the thick of something special. Then, you’re suddenly very excited, and there’s this rush of adrenaline and endorphins. I also don’t get to do either as much as I used to — or like to. [laughs] So I have to sneak in a session where I can. On this day, I was up in Carova on a real estate shoot. It was late afternoon in November, when it gets dark earlier, so the light was really pretty as I headed home. And I remember thinking, “Man, I
hope I see a mustang.” I got all the way to where you almost drive off the beach and saw this horse roaming high up in the dunes. You want to give these animals their space — because they are wild, and they’re harassed by enough humans as it is. So, I just crept by and parked down a little ways. As I climbed up, there was some dying sea grass, so I got down low and shot from behind it. And the way the light was hitting it in my foreground made, like, those cool sparkles, with just enough cold to make the horse’s breath steam out. I don’t have any real secrets. Or tips. I just kind of
got lucky, really. And we’ve got so much wildlife, it can happen almost anywhere between the refuges and the beaches. I’ve gotten photos of bald eagles perched on houses in Kitty Hawk just cruising down the beach road. You just have to keep your eyes open and have your gear handy — then be ready for the right moment to pop up. — CORY GODWIN Cory Godwin is an award-wining filmmaker and passionate landscape and commercial photographer, whose clients include a who’s who of Outer Banks realty firms and regional publications.
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be grateful. My approach to wildlife photography is as much mystical as it is technical. When I go out, I ask deliberately for the encounters and images that are meant for me. I know that sounds pretty “woo-woo,” but it allows me to start “receiving” photos instead of “taking” them. And I’ve found I have much better success with that attitude than when I approach photography from what I call the “predator mindset.” For example, a couple years ago, I really wanted bobcat photos for my new book. But I hadn’t seen one out at Alligator River for years. And every time I went looking, I got nothing. Meanwhile, I had photographer buddies texting me that they saw one down this or that road. I had random strangers stop me and show me pictures on their cell phone of bobcats they’d just passed. And I’d speed off but the cat would be gone. Before long, I didn’t just want a photo of a bobcat, I needed a photo of a bobcat. Can you feel the predator energy creeping in? Finally, I decided to ask permission. I literally walked up to this bobcat taxidermy statue inside the Fish and Wildlife Gateway Visitor Center and I asked, “Please can I take your photo, Mr. Bobcat?” Not very long after that I saw this bobcat creep off into the woods and through a creek, before he paused and turned back and blessed me with this wonderful image. Now I’m on a little one-woman campaign to change the lexicon of photography. Let’s not shoot photos, let’s not capture photos, let’s not take photos — let’s receive photos. Let’s reconnect with those core higher values of humility, honesty, and gratitude. Let’s make humans a part of nature, instead of apart from nature. And if we approach wildlife with that kind of purpose — not as a predator, but as preserver — I think we can connect with wildlife in a much deeper way than you’d ever imagine. — EVE TUREK Eve Turek has spent close to half-a-century documenting the Outer Banks’ natural beauty. Her new book, Seeking Grace, Find Refuge: Stories from Alligator River hits stores this fall. milepost 45
fooddrink RUNDOWN’S ROOFTOP BAR This Kitty Hawk beach road fave may have elevated its menu and décor, but the rooftop bar still beckons with old-school nostalgia. A lively Atlantic ripples between quirky cottages; longtime locals stream in for cocktails on Jazz Night or Industry Night. It’s the ideal setting for frozen espresso martinis and original crafted cocktails — including a personal favorite, the “Italian Boyfriend” — or a cutting-edge menu of coastal cuisine. And should the modern coastal aesthetic make you wish you’d worn a nicer shirt, you can always slip down to Art’s for a burger-and-PBR combo up on the “Sway Bar.”
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Coldies await under the canopy at Corolla Beer Garden. Photo: Daniel Pullen
LET’S SIT OUTSIDE roadmap
Nine spots where an open-air atmosphere is the ultimate appetizer.
Sometimes the best seat in the house isn’t inside the house at all. It’s the booth on the screened porch, the picnic table perched over the sound, the high-top on the rooftop deck, or the cozy streetside table for two. And who can resist cracking a couple of “pier beers”? But the Outer Banks’ open-air culinary scene goes way beyond peeling-and-eating on the planks. Here are nine places where sitting outside is the best way to satisfy our natural appetites, even when the inside is totally empty. — Terri Mackleberry
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COROLLA BEER GARDEN The name seemingly says it all: barley sodas outside in the Outer Banks’ northernmost village. But it can’t fully describe the enchanting, hidden location and quirky details of a beach bar that feels more secluded island than busy beach resort. Wander behind the foliage of crepe myrtles and jasmine, you’ll find a beverage oasis in the welcoming shade of an oldgrowth live oak. In the dappled afternoon sunlight, or the glow of string lights after sunset, it’s the perfect place to laze around in teak chairs or Indonesian driftwood
seating, sipping drafts, cans and bottles from recognizable brands and nibbling pub mix and chips from the bar. For more substantial al fresco noshing, pizza or barbecue are available from the restaurants next door.
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1148 Ocean Trail, Corolla, corollabeergarden.com THE BACKBAR AT THE BLUE POINT Late afternoon sunlight glistening on the Currituck Sound. Rustles of marsh grasses and notes of acoustic guitar in the wind. The hint of salt stickiness in the air and a
“Cool as a Cucumber” gin cocktail in hand. Happy hour in the great outdoors comes together effortlessly at The BackBar in Duck. In keeping with the high standards of its mothership, The Blue Point, the drinks are on point and the service is impeccable. Pick your poison and stick around the bar under the shade to join in the banter, or slide into an Adirondack chair to witness the atmospheric glow of sunset before sauntering off for dinner, either inside or elsewhere in Downtown Duck.
1240 Duck Road, Duck, thebluepoint.com
THE SALT BOX CAFE Tucked along Colington Road, off main drag Outer Banks, the Salt Box Café’s screened porch is a secret almost too good to share. Wrapped by trees. Overlooking a marshy canal. The soft lights and a convivial atmosphere make the booths feel like dining at a neighbor’s summer dinner party — only with better service and a full menu of chef-driven fare to choose from. If you want to dine with your actual friends, you can reserve the whole screened porch for up to 22 people. The backyard is also a great space, where you can still hear the live music over the cicadas, and play yard games and enjoy takeout of Salt Box’s fabulous fare at a picnic table.
1469 Colington Road, Kill Devil Hills, thesaltboxcafe.com LOST COLONY TAVERN There’s only one place on the Outer Banks where outdoor dining feels more cityscape than beachscape, and that’s quaint little Downtown Manteo. Grab an umbrellacovered table outside Lost Colony Tavern at the corner of Queen Elizabeth Avenue and Sir Walter Raleigh Street, order a pint of local beer by Lost Colony Brewery, and settle in for some first-rate people watching. Downtown Manteo offers a parade of characters and meandering tourists, and this street corner under the town clock tower offers a front row seat to it all. The menu honors Roanoke Island’s English heritage with British pub fare, like
cottage pie, fish and chips, bangers and mash, hearty stews, and spotted dick for dessert.
208 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Manteo, lostcolonytavern.com SEA CHEF DOCKSIDE KITCHEN Not long ago, the 20-mile stretch between Nags Head and Rodanthe was a food desert. Whether on a boat, traveling by car or camping at the Oregon Inlet Campground, the best you could hope for was a pack of nabs, a Snickers and a Coke from the tackle shop at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. No more. At the Fishing Center’s new facility is a veritable dining destination owned by a James Beard Best Chef (Mid Atlantic 1999) and his highly trained chef and son, who channel their talents into a casual seafood shack serving exclusively local seafood, including a shrimp burger like you’ve never tasted and a standout bar menu. Oh yeah, the ample outdoor seating is simply spectacular, overlooking a fleet of Carolina boats and sweeping views of the sound and inlet — a setting that’s worth the trip alone.
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SO CLOSE TO THE WATER, ONE SMALL SLIP MIGHT LAND YOU IN THE DRINK.
8770 Oregon Inlet Road, Nags Head, on the north side of the Basnight Bridge over Oregon Inlet, seachefouterbanks.com WATERMEN’S BAR & GRILL If you want to understand why Hatteras Island has become a world-renowned destination for wind sports, settle into an outdoor seat at Watermen’s. Set along Pamlico Sound at REAL Watersports in Waves, the cavernous covered bar and deck and expansive lawn evoke REAL’s gobig-or-go-home mentality and overlook one of the busiest launch sites on the Outer Banks. The view is a colorful show of kites, wings, soaring riders, and sunsets, and the
collective stoke is contagious. Whether you’re salty and barefoot straight from the water or freshly showered straight from the vacation rental, all are welcome from noon onward for top-quality coffee, cocktails, snacks, lunch, dinner, and occasional live music.
25706 N.C. Highway 12, Waves, watermensbarandgrill.com
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CAFÉ PAMLICO You might not think fine dining and outdoors are the optimum pairing, but at Café Pamlico it works well on an open-air covered porch adjacent to the indoor dining room that offers unobstructed sound views from every seat. Contemporary coastal cuisine, expertly prepared seafood, and a carefully considered wine list elevate the experience, while the inescapable Hatteras Island vibes add a casualness that make this a nice place to linger. Sunday brunch with live music in the fall air has an extra festive appeal. And before dinner, grab a tropical cocktail and small bites at the new on-site Shaker Shack Tiki Bar and take in the views from the lower-level waterfront deck.
49684 N.C. Highway 12, Buxton, innonpamlicosound.com SMACNALLY’S Perched over Silver Lake, this dockside institution puts you in the middle of Ocracoke life. Sailors buzz up on dinghies, sunburned fishermen spill out of center consoles and charter boats, ferry passengers wander over from the nearby docks, and locals and visitors alike pull up streetside via golf carts and bicycles. The first to arrive settle in under the shelter of the bar roof, and everyone else spreads out in the open dining area, but the two aren’t far apart in this close-knit, lively setting where the beers and tales told in outdoor voices flow freely. The menu is packed with simple dockside favorites — local seafood, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and addictive curly fries — but getting immersed in the harborside vibe is the real appeal. So close to the water, one small slip might land you in the drink.
180 Irvin Garrish Highway, Ocracoke, smacnallys.com
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The Infamous Stringdusters bring big-stage energy to Festival Park on Oct. 16. Photo: Daniel Milchev
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“Walking through the park, the grass, the sunshine, the water — and then you add bluegrass music on top of that, you have something very special,” says the widely regarded “Queen of Bluegrass.” “The festival is ultimately a family reunion — maybe the one time of year you get to see the people you met there.”
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But you won’t necessarily see the very same people. As Americana has shared roots music’s instruments and styles with a range of new listeners, bluegrass’ fanbase has grown and diversified. In 2018, “new grass” guitar wizard Billy Strings played the main stage in Manteo — today he packs arenas nationwide.
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This fall also features a range of legendary standouts and future stars from across the spectrum — from the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys and Appalachian Road Show holding down the traditional end to jamgrass heroes like The Infamous Stringdusters to the Punch Brothers’ “mix of jazz, chamber music and bluegrass,” to mandolin virtuoso Sierra Hull pushing the progressive edge.
graphiccontent gosurf outthere gohuntTHE MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA FROM The Outer Banks is fixin’ to get flooded with bluegrass.
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Picture a bluegrass festival. Go ahead — mandolins, fiddles, misty blue mountains. Now swap the azure peaks for a waterfront lawn at golden hour and a few thousand people on their feet, clapping, hooting, kids on shoulders, dancing in the grass while a guitar run climbs, a banjo answers, and the picking rolls out over the sound. That’s mid-October at Roanoke Island Festival Park, home of the Outer Banks Bluegrass Island Festival, born from the mists of Bristol, Tennessee — and the mind of East Lake native Cory Hemilright.
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“When I lived in Tennessee, my neighbors had a small bluegrass band that would milepost 48
October. The Grammy winner and Grand Ole Opry member credits the festival’s success to a combo of unique setting and a shared sense of community.
come over and jam,” says Hemilright. “We always joked about having a bluegrass festival on the Outer Banks.” By 2009, Hemilright was back home, strolling about Festival Park — where “nothing musical was happening at the moment” — when he remembered the idea. He quickly began piecing together the first event. “My budget was $40,000, and I kept hoping I would have enough money to pay for it,” he recalls. “When I saw the line at the gate, it blew my mind — this was real.”
He soon discovered that mountain music travels just fine: that first two-day festival drew 3000 people. Fifteen years later, the event routinely sells out for three days of music— plus a variety of pre-shows and after jams. (Not to mention an offseason, indoor concert series called Bluegrass Island Nights.) All of it a monumental switch from when just securing a headliner felt scary. “I remember I called Rhonda Vincent that first year,” Hemilright laughs. “I had never booked a band in my life. Her husband answered and said she’d be there. She’s been coming ever since.” Vincent is also booked again to play this
That’s another big part of the genre’s lasting appeal, according to Jeff Place, who has won three Grammy’s for his archival box sets of American roots music. “Bluegrass has always been generational,” says Place, who’s a Kill Devil Hills resident and host of the weekly Sound Sessions show on Bluegrass Country radio. “The kids grow up around the music and become musicians themselves. Alison Krauss was a champion fiddler by 12 and signed her first record deal at 14.” At the same time, bluegrass is inclusive: allowing each generation to share new ideas and energy. “In Appalachia, it’s a social thing,” Place continues. “They went to the general store and played. Those kinds of communities live in North Carolina. It’s what people do. Even here on the Outer Banks, the Jubilee Music Store invites you to come in and jam.”
And keep on jamming. In fact, Hemilright cautions first-timers not to stick to the schedule, as artists often stick around to play longer. “The late-night jamming — stay for that,” he says. “That’s something you won’t see in any other genre of music — they walk off the stage, get in their bus and go. Not with bluegrass.”
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EXPECT A RANGE OF LEGENDARY STANDOUTS AND FUTURE STARS FROM ACROSS SPECTRUM.
Now that contagious energy’s translating into another homegrown player on the concert scene: the Grassfed Music Festival, founded last year by Miller McDonald, a 26-year-old Currituck native whose day job is waiting tables, and Riley Sigmon, a 31-year-old traveling barber from Hickory, NC.
Each came to the music a different way. McDonald fell for it, community and all, at her first Billy Strings concert. Sigmon’s path was a mix of both old and new schools. “My grandpa listened to bluegrass nonstop,” he says. “I liked it a lot, but it wasn’t cool then. Billy Strings changed everything.” Neither had run a festival before 2025, when they had a hunch that younger fans might like a bluegrass lineup of artists closer to their own age. When 300 people poured into an event home’s backyard, they decided to go bigger this fall. Come November, eight bands will play Soundside Event Site — all from the next generation.
“We don’t have anyone performing who is over 35,” McDonald says. Among the lineup are East Nash Grass, 2024’s IBMA New Artist of the Year, the Podunk Ramblers, who are also playing Bluegrass Island this fall, and a full roster of cutting-edge acts like Broken Grass and RedBud — plus the “shredliner” Shadowgrass, fronted by guitarist Kyser George, an IBMA award-winning flatpicker. Moving to Soundside also allows for up to 1500 fans and a larger, more vibrant vendor village that fits the Grassfed philosophy. “We want everything to align well with the community we’re building,” says McDonald. “Clean food, health conscious — I think that’s why our merch has done really well; it resonates with people who are intentional about how they eat and live, whether or not they even like bluegrass.” “But fun is first, intentional is second,” she adds with a smile. Hemilright, who was 33 when he started Bluegrass Island, likes what he sees in the upstarts. “It’s exciting to see younger people interested in the genre,” he says. “It assures you the music is gonna grow and thrive.” At the same time, it still holds to the genre’s traditional instruments and sweet sincerity. And for Vincent, that’s where bluegrass’ true staying power lies. “When I sing to you outside on the water right there — and play my 100-year-old mandolin — you get complete authenticity in voice, music and person,” she says. “I challenge you to find that in any other genre.” — Brian Tress
The 15th Annual Outer Banks Bluegrass Island Festival runs Oct. 14–17, beginning with a free, Wed. kick-off concert at Manteo’s George Washington Creef Park. (Find scheduling and tix at www.bluegrassisland.com, and for winter’s upcoming Bluegrass Island series, go to www.bluegrassnights.com.) For ticket options and details to Nov. 14’s Grassfed Bluegrass Music Festival at Soundside Event Site, visit www.grassfedbluegrass.com.
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WATER LINES
Art by Sarah L. Stephens
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There is something fascinating and all-telling when we fish with someone. There are the usual questions: Can they cast? Can they really cast? Are they fishy, or just poking and hoping? Some people have it. Most don’t. The way we handle a fly rod says a lot about how we handle life. Less is more, be it false casts, words written, words spoken or unspoken, even the notes from our guitars. And as for speed — rushing, or anything to do with going fast — to heck with that. I take my time with everything, especially when standing in a marsh. JT is on the very same program.
because it is his backyard. The next time I look, he’s dancing with a corpulent, explosive red in less than a foot of water. The fish seems equal parts cherry bomb and young bronco. There is a steady bloom of saltwater droplets radiating skyward around the fish as he bucks and tails, and the entire surrounding few feet of wide, surreal mist turn amber gold with the backlit sun. JT, fly rod held aloft, is engulfed in the heady, effulgent luminescence. It is a moment I will never forget.
We find them. Reds surround us in the 82°F water — there are singles cruising everywhere. They slide fleetingly in and out of view like ghosts, so intangible and mesmerizing it is difficult to pinpoint one to send a cast to. I just watch for a while. JT calmly whispers to me that I have one five feet behind me — but I also have three more in front.
Looking over his shoulder, he asks me, “What fish acts like all this, gets away with all this?”
I won’t sugarcoat things — JT puts on a clinic for the next three hours and three spots. That’s fine, I can take my lumps, and everything eventually balances out with the fish gods, no matter what it may feel like at that moment. It seems like every time I look his way, he is bowed up and squared off. He knows these estuary grass cuts and flats like his backyard,
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Redfish.
LOOKING OVER HIS SHOULDER, HE ASKS ME, “WHAT FISH ACTS LIKE ALL THIS, GETS AWAY WITH ALL THIS?”
Eventually, we both notice the same fish making his way out of the cove. He’s a pig, no doubt about it, and JT, with a silent nod, lets me know he is mine to cast to. If there is such a thing as redemption, this would be it. The fish is just coming around the bend, still eighty or so feet away, moving straight across the open
stretch of water in front of us. I am going to put it on this fish if it’s the last thing I do. I haul hard, and on the third backcast let the shrimp pattern fly — line drive rocketing toward the centerfield bleachers as JT looks on amusedly. The bead-eyed fly, now on the complete other bank of the marsh and arcing down, nails the fish directly and rudely in the nose; he leaps into the air shocked, already swimming for the channel faster than a haymaker to the chin. JT whoops, thinking it’s the funniest thing he’s ever seen.
LOCAL SEAFOOD INDOOR & OUTDOOR DINING TIKI BAR & VOLLEYBALL COURTS Closed Sundays MP 11 on the Beach Rd in Nags Head 441-RAWW • TortugasLie.com •
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“WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?” he yells out, between more laughs. Back at home with gear unloaded and rinsed down, cinder blocks under the trailer wheels, we finish off the leftover cold chicken. There could have been plenty of fish to fry, but I am a believer in setting every one of them free again. It would be heartbreaking for me to take a life, any life. JT gives me a spine-cracker of an embrace outside the truck before I roll out, and I tell him I’ll see him again soon, on my turf. I throw it in gear and head north, and already regret leaving. Why are the beautiful moments in life such a blur; and the rest — the rote, the menial, the unfulfilling and hollow — so endless? — Riverhorse Nakadate
The previous excerpt is from Water Lines: A Life on Marshes, Rivers, Seas and in the Rain, a freshly released collection of essays by Patagonia fly-fishing ambassador, writer and conservationist Riverhorse Nakadate, with artwork by Sarah L. Stephens.
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“WHO YOU CALLING PIER RATS?”
Oh, we get it. Everyone on the Outer Banks acts like they couldn’t give two plops ’bout what you look like or how you scratch out a living. Then all you hear is “ospreys” this and “pelicans” that. (Don’t even get us started on the stupid bald eagles.) Sure, maybe we can’t kill a fish or win some fancy photo prize. But you ever see a snowy egret snatch a fry from some whiny kid’s fingers? Or watch a piping plover use a tourist’s tacky “OBX” hat for target practice? And when’s the last time you rocked the pilings with a raptor? So keep your fair-weather feathered, so-called “friends.” When it comes to pier life, us dirty birds rule the roost. PHOTO: ED TUPPER milepost 53
endnotes Calling all surf dogs! A rabid pack of international rippers tears into Jennette’s Pier, Sept. 3-6, with the return of the WRV Outer Banks Pro Presented by Pacifico. Daily heats start at 8am, followed by a fierce selection of raging parties at local watering holes. Drop in at www.wrvobxpro. com for schedules and live streams. • On Sept. 4, Downtown Manteo’s First Friday fills streets with a frothy mix of live music and livelier folks, plus Dare Arts opens two new exhibits from 6-8pm: Fresh: A Plein Air Event reveals locally painted outdoor works just pulled off the easels (hangs through Sept. 25), while Judith Saunders puts on a one-woman show of woven wonders (sticks around ’til Sept. 26). Plus, the Outer Banks Film Society will kick off their fourth season on Sept. 15, while Brad Price Painting Workshops carry on every Tues., from 10:30am-1pm. And come visit The Courtyard anytime to enjoy Lara Parks’ immersive fall installation, Weather The Storm. Learn more at www.darearts.org. • The party continues over at Roanoke Island Festival Park, Sept. 4, when Live From OBX busts out booty-swaying reggae by The Movement & Pepper’s High Tide Summer Tour, before Flatland Cavalry lights up a high-octane blend of country and Americana, Sept. 6. Find times and tix at www.livefromobx.com. • But you better be back at George Washington Creef Park bright and early on Sept. 5 if you want first pick of the Manteo Downtown Market’s fine selection of fresh produce, home baked goodies, and handmade arts and crafts. Miss it? Come back for two more Sat. mornings: Sept. 12 & 19. 9am-1pm. More at www.meetmeinmanteo.com. • Meanwhile, Wanchese’s Secotan Market doles out the artisanal and organic goodies every Sat. in Sept. from 8am12pm, before downshifting to 9am-12pm from Oct. through Nov. 21. Need something lastminute for your Thanksgiving feast? Find freshly harvested goods on Wed., Nov. 25, from 9am-12pm. Find a list of vendors at www.secotanmarket.com. • On Sept. 5, hop a ferry for the Ocracoke Seafood Festival, where a lineup of tasty fish, live tunes, and one-of-a-kind auction items helps feed dollars to the Ocracoke Health Center. 2pm start. More at www. visitocracokenc.com. • Rather rage at a harbor closer to home? Head to Wanchese Tiki Bar, Sept. 5, where Redline & DJ Jesse rock the annual Labor Day Weekend Party at 7pm. Or come back any Fri. and Sat. for live music, including The Daniel Jordan Band (Sept. 12) and DJ Styles (Sept. 17.) Or just boot, scoot and boogie at Thurs. Line Dancing. All at 7pm. Step over to Facebook for the latest. • Then say sayonara to summer by shopping Sept. 6’s Soundside Labor Day Market, where every jar of preserves or hand painted doohickey you purchase helps a local artisan last through the offseason. 9am-1pm. Peruse participants at www.soundsidemarket.com. • Say hello to healthy habits when Town of Duck hosts Yoga on the Green every Tues. morn. ’til Sept. 22, while Thurs.’ Dynamic Flow on the Green flexes ’til Sept. 24. 7:30-8:15am. Weather suck? Stuck at home? Live stream the class on the town’s Facebook page. • And Dowdy Park stretches the free fitness season even further, as Yoga in the Park continues every Tues. morn though Oct. 20 at 7:30am. Get updates on Facebook. • You better bolt to Corolla Historic Park if you wanna catch the final leg of the 15th Annual Lighthouse 5K/1-Mile Race Series on Sept. 8. 8am start. Register at www.obxrunning.com. • And the annual OBX Arts & Craft Festival Let Brad Price be your Bob Ross any Tues. at Dare Arts.
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loops back to the Hilton Garden Inn, Sept. 9 (10am-5pm) and Sept. 10 (10am-4pm), where 24 top local creators post up with paintings, pottery, pictures, and more — all to help throw some green at the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, Beach Food Pantry and Coastal Humane Society. Peep Facebook for more details. • It’s just about time for amber ales and eco-minded peeps to start pouring into Waverider’s Coffee, Deli & Market for OBX Green Drinks. Deets were still TBD at press time, but you can count on a monthly collection of pressing topics and cool folks from Sept. to March. More on Facebook. • Think you can tangle with the top coastal anglers? Sign up for Sept. 10-12’s 2026 Hatteras Village Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament, where 6-person teams are sure to snag bunches of fish — and heaps of fun times. Email hatterassurffishing@yahoo.com for ways to register. • See how the nation’s best kite stunt pilots twist their lines, while maybe scoring a few lessons — or just sit back and watch huge, fabric jellyfish float overhead — when Kitty Hawk Kites’ Outer Banks Kite Festival returns to Jockey’s Ridge, Sept. 11-12. Fly over to www.kittyhawk.com for more. • Itsy-bitsy insect aviators take their first flights while attendees learn how to make their yards a favorite landing pad, when Elizabethan Gardens hosts Butterfly Releases at 10am & 2pm, every Wed. & Thurs. through Sept. 24. Tix, tips and deets at: www.elizabethangardens.org. • Rather watch our favorite star fall from the sky while local live music fills the air? Head to Sanctuary Vineyards’ Acoustic Sunsets, every Thurs. from now through Sept. 24, 5:30-8:30pm. See www.sanctuaryvineyards.com for lineups. • Then it’s Hollywood’s turn to shine at Dowdy Park Friday Night Movie Nights, Sept. 11 & 25 and Oct. 9 & 23. Flicks are typically voted on via Instagram and Outer Banks Health, so follow socials on ways to participate or to hear winning titles and times, then show up with the fam just after sunset. • You call that glitzy? Wait ’til you see the 15th Annual Outer Banks Pridefest’s sparkling array of events for LGBTQ+ folks and their allies. From Sept. 11-13, enjoy everything from booze cruises to drag brunches to DJ dance nights — all anchored by Sat.’s full day party at Festival Park, featuring food, vendors and live music by Sweet Tooth, Not Those Girls, Someone’s Sister, and The Storyweavers. A full schedule, tix and pride passes await at www.obxpridefest.com. Just remember: all daytime events are family friendly — all nighttime events are NOT. • And a diverse group of masochists sport tight spandex to swim-bike-run ’round Roanoke Island for Sept. 11-12’s Outer Banks Triathlon. Learn how to register — or just volunteer — at www.obxse.com. • On Sept. 12, bending and stooping helps beautify Bodie Island when NC Beach Buggy Association’s Adopt-aHighway crew cleans Ramp 4 between 7:30-10:30am. Rather sweep the strand? Roll up to Ramp 23 for two Adopt-A-Beach events, Sept. 19 & Oct. 3. 9am-12pm. Email Tom. Brueckner@ncbba.org for deets. • Need another reason to stick to the designated trails in Nags Head Woods? The Regular Bow Hunting Season runs Sept. 12-Jan.1, letting certified archers help manage the deer herd. Find maps and more at www.nature.org, and please remember bikes are never allowed. • Haul in big fish, have a good time, and support local health when the 5th Annual Community Care Clinic Billfish Tournament & Auction returns, Sept. 11 & 12. Fun starts Fri. night with a 6pm Captain’s Meeting/Dinner Party for a porpoise with at Pirate’s Cove. The next day, boats leave Milepost at Oregon Inlet early to battle for prizes, Swells’a on a while Family Day at Safe Harbor invites Sept. 12. pipsqueaks to storm Wanchese for piratethemed activities from 12-3pm. Can’t make it? Bid on silent auction items! Sail over to www.dareclinic.org for more. • On Sept. 12, join us at Swells’a Brewing as we celebrate your (maybe) favorite local rag and charcoal lighter for Outer Banks Milepost’s 15th Birthday Bash, featuring music by Scott Franson, Anchor Blazer and Suzie Jacuzzi — and one-of-kind works by 40 beloved artists and photogs — with proceeds helping the Outer Banks Relief Foundation. 4-10pm. See milepost 55
endnotes socials for the latest. • For more “good vibrations,” get around to First Flight High on Sept. 12, when Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts hosts Sail On: The Beach Boys Tribute at 7pm. Find tix and more at www.outerbanksforum.org. • Come Sept. 13, learn how a little postage can connect any topic, from pop music to world history, when the Outer Banks Stamp Club meets at Grace Lutheran Church from 2:30-5pm. Miss it? Come back the second Sun. of any month. • Got a kid age 9-15? Plop ’em in the sand behind Tortugas’ Lie for a six-week Volleyball Fundamentals Training Camp. Starts Sept. 16, with two practices per week: Wed. (4:45pm) and Sat. (9:30am). But space is limited, so message them on Facebook to register ASAP. Then come back to watch the grown-ups go bonkers at two big events: Sept. 27’s Century Tournament — where two-person teams must match ages to hit 100 years — and Oct. 10’s $10k Pro Invitational, starring top East Coast athletes. Follow socials for updates. • On Sept. 15, the Frisco Native American Museum shares Abenaki Storytelling & Music to dive deep into indigenous culture at 2pm. And on Sept. 27, bring a shelf-stable food pantry donation and get in free for the Founders Day Party. Times, pricing and more at www.nativeamericanmuseum.org. • Want a free lesson in aviation history and xenophobia? On Sept. 17, Wright Bros. Memorial waives its fees in honor of Constitution Day — then does it again for Teddy Roosevelt’s Birthday (Oct. 27) and Veterans Day (Nov. 11). But only if you’re a US citizen or resident. More at www.nps.gov. • Better get your dashboard ducks in a row! The OBX Jeep Mutiny rolls into Soundside Event Site, Sept. 18-19, with raffles, live bands and food — plus a fun run and “show and shine” — and net proceeds help lift Dare County Special Olympics, Virginia Tillett Community Center Toy Drive and Wounded Warriors in Action. Get down to the nitty gritty at www.obxjeepmutiny.com. • More pumped on one-of-a-kind art pieces? Cruise
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south, Sept. 18, as Dare Arts’ Rock The Cape Reimagined Hatteras Gallery Tour lines up a free, self-guided journey filled with local and visiting artists, in-person demos, and the occasional live musician. Learn more at www.darearts.org. • Then it’s the cooks’ turn to share their genius when Day at the Docks returns to Hatteras Village, Sept. 18-19. Fun starts with Fri.’s Seafood Under the Stars Dinner featuring locally sourced seafood (6pm). The next day is a combo of working watermen exhibits and vendors, plus food, music and games from 10am-4pm — plus a Seafood Throwdown where chefs try to outperform each other using a mystery ingredient — followed by 6pm’s Blessing of the Fleet. Tie up to www. hatterasdayatthedocks.com for a full sched. • World wars. Homicidal ice cream trucks. Heavenly shuffleboard. You never know what strange topic will take center stage when Theatre of Dare presents Kurt Vonnegut’s Happy Birthday, Wanda June: “a simple-minded play about men who enjoy killing, and those who don’t.” (Sept. 18, 19, 24, 25 & 26 at 7:30pm; Sept. 19 at 1pm; Sept. 20 & 27 at 2pm.) Get tix and deets at www.theatreofdareobx.com. • Then go battle plastic litter with two Surfrider OBX Beach Cleanups: Sept. 19’s Big Beach Sweep will beautify both sides of Jennette’s Pier (9am-12pm); and, on Sept. 20, meet the folks from Kitty Hawk Kites at the Soundside Road Public Access to grab a bag and some gloves, then go spit shine the spot of your choice. 4-5pm. Follow @obx_surfrider for the latest dirt. • More focused on beautifying your backyard? Head to the Baum Center, Sept. 19, where the Dare Master Gardeners’ Fall Gardening Fair offers helpful tips and free starter plants from 9am-12pm. Then preschoolers learn to love Mother Earth, when Nature Storytime comes to the Outer Banks Arboretum the first Wed. of each month, beginning Oct. 7. 10:30-11:15am. For info, email greenlineobx@gmail.com or call 252-475-9245. • Pollinators aren’t the only things buzzing around Elizabethan Gardens, Sept. 19, as the Autumn Ale Faire says “Cheers to 75
mad times and music on Manteo’s streets, head inside Dare Arts from 6-8pm as they hold Years” with craft brews, seasonal flavors, live entertainment and more. 12-4pm. Tap into an opening reception for two insane new exhibits: mixed media works by Eric Riggs (on www.elizabethangardens.org for more. • And Jennette’s Pier is a thriving hive of highdisplay through Oct. 31); and the year’s big fundraising auction featuring works by top local performance surfing and coastal camaraderie, Sept. 20-26, when the ESA Eastern Surfing creators, The Great Art Heist (hangs through Oct. 23). See works and bid online at www. Championships draws the top wave-riding talents in almost every discipline and age, from darearts.org. • Souped-up convertibles transform into Maine to Miami, for one busy week. (Deets and live heats firetrucks — sort of — when Oct. 3’s OBX Rod & Custom at www.surfesa.org.) But what about the “goat boats,” you Surfers spin the wheel, and OBRF scores a fortune, at Oct. 3’s Toy Festival invites vintage and customized vehicles to say? Come back Oct. 2-4, when the US Waveski Surfing WhichCraft. Photo: Ed Tupper cover the Soundside Event Site, provided they bring Championships pushes the limits of paddles and unwrapped Christmas presents for needy kids. 11amposteriors; visit www.americancanoe.org for the latest. • 4pm. Follow their Facebook page for deets. • Then Byrd On Sept. 25, the Coastal Studies Institute is ground Street beach access is awash in weird surfboards for Oct. zero for future do-goodery when the Outer Banks 3’s 7th Annual WhichCraft Surf Gathering, where Community Foundation and Outer Banks Visitors competitors ride a random selection of wild designs Bureau invites organizers and activists for a free, 6-hour before a cheering crowd of fired-up fans. At 5pm, the seminar titled, Purpose & Nonprofit Thriving: craziness heads to Swells’a Brewing for an after party, Strengthening Boards, Leaders, Volunteers, and where folks can bid on the boards and purchase local art, Community in the Outer Banks. 9am-3pm. Space is or just rock out to some TBD national band, and every limited, so secure your spot at www.obcf.org. • Score a penny raised helps the Outer Banks Relief Foundation pumpkin. Share a pint. That’s the recipe for raising — a whopping $72k to date! Head over to www.whichcommunity spirits every day in Oct. at Outer Banks craftsurf.com to fill a heat. • Or help keep the East Coast’s Brewing Station’s Pubkin Patch, where the backyard biggest sand dune in shape by devouring bivalves at bulges with future jack-o-lanterns and fun kids’ activities, Friends of Jockey’s Ridge Fall Oyster Roast, Oct. 3. (Times and deets TBA.) Want to and the menu is a colorful collection of autumn-inspired cocktails and dishes. More at www. contribute something special for the silent auction? Email info@friendsofjockeysridge.org. • obbrewing.com. • And Downtown Manteo is drenched in spooky décor and delicious Buy a jack-o-lantern or make a candle. Build a doll or beat a maze. Do it all when Island horrors every Thurs.-Sat. in Oct., as 13 bars transform atmospheres and menus into a Farm’s 15th Annual Pumpkin Patch fills the historic grounds with old school fun for all haunted paradise called Halloween Island. Find a full list of participants and events on ages — plus food and art vendors — Oct. 3, 10, 17, & 24. 9am-3pm. $11 for folks 4+. Facebook. • That’ll make for a frighteningly fun First Friday on Oct. 2. Between enjoying
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endnotes Freshest info at www.obcinc.org. • Sweet learning experiences continue at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, Oct. 3 & Nov. 21, as Cookie Archaeology helps kids carefully excavate chocolate chips and candy pieces from freshly baked treats to mimic the skills of maritime artifact conservation. Free for ages 4+. 11am-1pm. Educate yourself at www. graveyardoftheatlantic.com for more. • Did someone say, “School of not-so-hard knocks”? That’s Aviation Park every “first Tuesday,” as Kill Devil Derby Brigade’s New Skater Nights offer ages 18+ a free roller derby lesson: Oct. 6, Nov. 3, & Dec. 1; 6-8pm. Got skates and protective gear? Bring it. Need some? Email thekilldevilderbybrigade@gmail.com for possible loaner options. • Then cue the George Michael! Glenn Eure’s Ghost Fleet Gallery’s next exhibit is titled Expressions of Faith: Diverse Visual Works of OBX Artists, Oct. 7-Nov.6, with an opening reception, Oct. 11, from 2-4pm. Visit www. glenneureart.com for info. • More into George Benson and Michael Brecker? Blast up to the 2026 Duck Jazz Festival, where performances start Oct. 7 at Duck Amphitheatre, with an Acoustic Jazz Evening with Devin Frazier & Laura Martier (6pm). On Oct. 10, hit the Town Green for a Jazz Weekend Kick-off Concert featuring Adam Hawley (4pm), followed by a Live Jam at the Back Bar (7pm). Then it’s time for Oct. 11’s full day of free jams on two stages: Gerald Veasley, Shayna Steele, Brass Queens, and Tito Puente, Jr. on the main stage; and the First Flight High School Honors Jazz Band, David Esleck Trio ft. Jordan Garrett and The Hot Lanes ft. Bobby Jasinski at the amphitheater. Gates open at 10am; music at 11am. Head to www.duckjazz.com for the full score on everything from coolers (yes) to umbrellas/tents (no) to pooches (maybe). • Or maybe you think your minor might be a future Miles Davis. Try Duck Jazz Fest’s Children’s Jazz Story Time & Rhythm Play at Paul F. Keller Meeting Hall on Oct. 9 at 9am. Or hit up Barefoot Music Academy, where a new semester of music classes for toddlers and children starts in Sept. (Plus, private lessons for students of all ages in piano, guitar, bass, percussion, and voice.) More at www.barefootmusicacademy.com. • Interior décor more your style? Hop on the Outer Banks Parade of Homes, Oct. 8-10, where open house tours offer exclusive access to some of the area’s most innovative designs. 10am-6pm. $10. Find specs at www. obhomebuilders.org. • Got a hankering to help a local cause, including some of these very events and non-profits? Sign up for the 2nd Annual Outer Banks Volunteer Week at www.outerbanks.org. • It sure takes a village to put on the Outer Banks’ biggest stoke-fest — Oct. 10’s 18th Annual Throwdown Surf Classic — where top surfers, generous sponsors and legendary local families gather at Chicahauk Beach to foster a love of the sport for groms of all ages, then donates the funds to locals in need. (A total of $429,865 to date!) Follow @throwdown_surf_classic for ways to register and support. • You’ve run a 5K — but can you run five in a row? Find out Oct. 10, when the Another Round 25K invites individuals and teams to do multiple laps around Jockey’s Ridge. Dash over to www.obxse.
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Say “yass” to the Brass Queens at Duck Jazz Festival, Oct. 11. Photo: Marc Basch graphiccontent
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org to register. • Or just haul ass to Sanctuary Vineyards, Oct. 10, and stuff your face silly when the CrabDaddy Seafood & Wine Festival serves up AYCE steamed blue crabs, tasty local beer and wine, and spicy live music. Plus, the Crabdaddy Olympics invites kids and adults to compete for prizes in oddball events like the Great C’Tuck Grape Stomp, Crab Pot Shuffle and Crab Crawl Race. 11:30am-4:30pm. Learn more and buy tix at www. sanctuaryvineyards.com. • From Oct. 9-31, the Ghostly Gallies of the Outer Banks transforms four favorite haunts — Goombay’s, Bonzer Shack, Mama Kwan’s, and Lucky 12 — into Halloween pop-up bars featuring killer décor and thrilling drink and food menus, plus super-chill parties and special events. Scare up more info on their socials. • Think that sounds frightening? Imagine being on a foundering ship in the middle of a hurricane — or having to swim out into the wreck to save its crew! Hear both sides of this harrowing story at the Pea Island Cook House, Oct. 11, when Freedmen, Surfmen, Heroes celebrates the 130th anniversary of the legendary rescue of the ES Newman — and explains why it took 100 years for Keeper Richard Etheridge and his allBlack crew to receive a prestigious Gold Lifesaving Medal. Float to www.peaislandpreservationsociety. com for times and more.• “Least terns and red wolves and bears, oh my!” That’s what you’ll be screaming when you take part in the Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival, Oct. 13-18 — five days of animal tours, photo workshops and kayak adventures across Eastern NC — plus a WOW Encore Edition returns with even more birding opportunities from Oregon Inlet to Lake Mattamuskeet for the weekend of Dec. 4-6. And you’ll yell “hooray!” when you realize funds support conservation and education through the Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society. Find a full sched at www.wingsoverwater.org. • Or make your tastebuds squeal with delight, Oct. 14, when Blue Moon Grill’s Oktoberfest Chef’s Dinner pairs mouthwatering dishes, wine and cocktails into one jaw-dropping culinary experience. (6pm; $100 per person; advanced reservations required.) Then come back and howl at the moon for Oct. 31’s Halloween Bash, a monstrous mash of spooky drink specials, eats and entertainment. See www.bluemoonbeachgrill.com for more tasty details. • Add some more salt to your diet of daily fun, Oct. 14-16, when 600 skilled and amateur anglers share good times in the swash for the 73rd Annual Nags Head Surf Fishing Tournament. Snag the latest deets at www. nagsheadsurffishingclub.org. • Then get hooked on shimmering strings and blitzing scales when the 15th Annual Bluegrass Island Music Festival returns Oct. 14-17. Fun starts with a free Wed. Kick-Off Party at George Washington Creef Park starring Songs From The Road Band (2pm) and Monroeville (4pm), before the main event takes over Festival Park for three full days. Get tix and a full schedule, including sideshows and after jams, at www. bluegrassisland.com. • Run screaming through the forest every Fri. & Sat, Oct. 16-31, as Wicked Woods stocks East Lake with ghouls, ghosts and the occasional axe murderer. Find the gory details on Facebook. • Like your Halloween antics a little sweeter? Head to Town of Duck’s 3rd Annual Trunk-or-Treat, Oct. 17, where Duck Town Hall teems with safe festivities for all the costumed kiddos, 4-6pm. Then, creep over to Duck Town Park to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas at 6:45pm. Learn more at www.ducknc.gov. • Fill your belly with the freshest catch — and your heart with local pride — when Oct. 17’s Outer Banks Seafood Festival celebrates our working watermen heritage with educational booths, demos and acts, while local restaurants put out delicious dishes. Plus, the Daniel Jordan Band, Main Event Band and Funkamongus cook up live jams! Tix and tasty deets at www.outerbanksseafoodfestival.org. • Or devour a musical medley of cello, violin, guitar, and piano — served in a mix of classical and contemporary styles — when the Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts brings the Gentlemen’s Quartet to First Flight High on Oct. 17. 7pm. Score tickets at www.outerbanksforum.org. • Did you know Avon’s home to the largest windsurfing event in the western hemisphere? See for yourself on Oct. 17-24, when hundreds of sailboards converge for the annual OBX-Wind Festival — a week-long milepost 59
endnotes Rogallo Foundation. Get a full flight plan at www.obxbrewtag.com. • Take a (somewhat) blowout of races, freestyle sessions, after parties, and more, presented by Ocean Air horrifying Halloween walk through maritime forest and marsh, Oct. 24, when Sea Breeze Sports, OBX Windsurfing and Severne Windsurfing North America. Set a course for Trail transforms into the Hatteras Village Haunted Trail. Just bring five bucks to the www.oceanairsports.com for a full sched. • Or drop the mast, grab a rod, and fish for days, Hatteras Civic Center between 8-10pm, and they’ll point the way to your proverbial when the 2026 17th Annual NCBBA Red Drum Tournament returns Oct. 21-24. Learn doom. Kids under 6 are free. More at www.hatterasonmymind.com. • And don’t be scared how to participate at www.ncbba.org. • On Oct. 23, feast upon oysters, a low-country boil to get a jump on your holiday shopping, Oct. 25, when the and tunes by the Blue Crab Boys — all to help support 12th Annual Cody Dough Show stocks Island Farm with local cancer services — when Outer Banks Health’s 4th Spend eight days before the mast at Avon’s OBX-Wind, killer handmade items, from pottery to crochet. 12-4pm. • Annual Cancer Shucks! returns to Pirate’s Cove Pavilion. Oct. 17-24. Photo: Mike Burns Help give Elizabethan Gardens a Halloween glow-up, 5:30pm. Buy tix at www.outerbankshealth.org. • Creative Oct. 28-30, when A Night of 1587 Pumpkins invites folks cosplay and creepy flicks converge on Festival Park’s to come carve a jack-o-lantern on Wed. & Thur. from 10amIndoor Theater, Oct. 23-24, for the 7th Annual 4pm. Then, on Fri., come back in costume to trick-or-treat Halloween International Film Festival — a frightfully fun amongst a hoard of ghoulish grins from 5:30-9pm. ( Just be combo of flicks and Q&A panels, plus meet and greets and sure to grab your gourd on the way out.) Illuminate yourself photo opps along the Orange Carpet. Get updates and the further at www.elizabethangardens.org. • On Oct. 29, free scoop on this year’s Halloween Parade at www. candy and facepainting add up to a sick time for kids — halloweendailynews.com. • On Oct. 24, Museum of the while free flu shots help adults ages 18-64 stay well through Albemarle helps wee ones channel some DIY spirit with a winter — at Outer Banks Hospital’s Harvest For Health Take It, Make It Halloween Event, where kids stop by and Trunk-or-Treat. 5-7pm. Get up to speed at www. snag at-home activities and learning resources to prep for outerbankshealth.org. • Got a fever for a haunted hoedown by the harbor? Hit the the spooky day. 1-3pm. While supplies last. Find details and more monthly educational Wanchese Tiki Bar, Oct. 30, as they put on their biggest party of the year: the 2026 “Tot Times” at www.museumofthealbemarle.com. • Wanna build a flying machine from a Halloween Bash! Starts at 7pm. Follow ’em on Facebook for the latest. • Ocracoke stays in keg and a “flexible wing”? Sign up for the 10th Annual OBX Brewtag, Oct. 24, where cotume all weekend for Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree & Vendor Fair, Oct. 31, where the teams send their aeronautical creations soaring across the Soundside Event Site — or invaders storm the beach in eye-patches and hooks, and the whole island drapes itself in watch it crash into pieces — while cheering spectators tap a selection of fine craft beers. living history, including a pirate encampment and dramatic reenactment of Edward Teach’s Plus, there’s live bands, kids’ activities, food, and more. Proceeds support the Francis
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last stand. Stagger over to www.visitocracokenc.com for more. • Did someone say “shivering timbers”? A collection of expertly carved vessels lands at George Washington Creef Park when Oct. 31’s Manteo Wooden Boat Show invites newly constructed or lovingly restored crafts to compete for “coolest boat” in two prestigious categories. 9am-5pm. Get the full scoop at www.meetmeinmanteo.com. • Or get some good, ol’ fashioned gooseflesh at Frisco Native American Museum, Oct. 31, when Storyteller Crowfeather tells scary Native Stories all day. Want something to make your heart swell? Come back Nov. 11, for Veterans Honor Day, where all who’ve served are invited to share tales of valor and sacrifice and get in free of charge. More at www.nativeamericanmuseum.org. • And your eyes might just pop out of your skull at Outer Banks Brewing Station’s 25th Annual Exotic/Erotic Ball, where cash prizes push the limits of both taste and/or fabric — and make for arguably the beach’s biggest Halloween rager. Ogle www.obbrewing.com for updates. • Wanna help the Lost Colony wardrobe department stay fully covered? Be at the Wanchese Tiki Bar, Nov. 1, when the Roanoke Island Historical Association’s Shellabration serves freshly farmed oysters, Pigman’s BBQ, and other regional specialties — plus a special Pow Wow and tunes by the Blue Crab Boys. Buy tix at www.thelostcolony. org. • Party people better show up to the polls, Nov. 3, as this year’s election determines federal and state reps — and at least four ballot measures. Go educate yourself on all the issues and get the latest on Dare’s League of Women Voters candidate forums, at www. lwvdarenc.org. • Done casting ballots? Good. Now go cast for fish, when the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club Invitational Tournament returns Nov. 4-7. Learn more at www. capehatterasanglersclub.org. • “Green screen” takes on a whole new meaning, Nov. 5-7, when The Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival shares moving pictures to raise ecological awareness. Find a schedule at www.obxeff.com. • And humans make a massive
impact on paved surfaces when the Outer Banks Marathon & Half-Marathon races through town Nov. 6-8. Don’t have the stamina? Try the Surf Pediatrics Surf & Soar 5K, 8K and COLOR Fun Run. Step to www.obxse.org to sign-up. • Just wanna casually cruise Downtown Manteo? On Nov. 6, First Friday fills the streets with music and merriment from 6-8pm, and Dare Arts invites folks to leisurely peruse their latest exhibit: Beyond Pea Island, The Art Collection of Joan Collins (stays up through Dec 19). And on Nov. 14, Dare Arts’ 14th Annual Veterans Writing Workshop stands ready to help former and active-duty military and their families use words to work out their feelings. March over to www.darearts.org for more. • From Nov. 6-8, rev up your weekend when the OBX Truck Fest rolls in to Soundside Event Site for a family friendly affair full of vendors, food trucks, raffles, and games — plus 6pm afterparties at Shipwrecks Tap & Grill, Nov. 7 & 8. Get up to speed at www.outerbanks.org. • Then let a Vincent Price classic “terrorize y’all’s neighborhood” when Theatre of Dare interprets 1958’s horror classic, The House on Haunted Hill: Nov. 6, 7, 12, 13, & 14 at 7:30pm; Nov. 7 at 1pm; Nov. 8 & 15 at 2pm. Tix and auditions at www. theatreofdareobx.com. • Or just enjoy the thrill of bull riding, barrel racing and mutton bustin’ — plus some classic American pageantry — when Currituck Bulls & Barbeque brings real-life rodeo to Powells Point’s Currituck County Rural Center, Nov. 7, 3-6pm. Rain date: Nov. 8. Online tix only; sales start Sept. 1 and close at 3pm on Nov. 7. Full breakdown at www.bullsandbbq.com. • Better strap yourself in! The next Duck Town Hall Rotating Art Exhibit, “Abstract OBX,” features groundbreaking works by Pat Berran, Todd Hale, Tiffany Lindsey, Peggy Morse, Jackie Tury, and Jill Block, Nov. 7-Jan. 28, with an opening day reception from 3-5pm. See www.ducknc.gov for details. • Smooth things out with soulful vocals and classical arrangements of popular hits when Sons of Serendip swoop into First Flight High, Nov. 7, courtesy of Outer Banks Forum for
4th Annual Cancer Shucks! Benefiting OBX Cancer Cares
Friday, October 23, 2026 5:30pm – 9pm Pirate’s Cove Pavilion, Manteo
Sponsorship opportunities with tickets available NOW! Individual tickets on sale October 1 st. Presented by
Includes food, beer and wine, live music and a themed party favor.
Learn more & purchase tickets at OuterBanksHealth.org/Cancer-Shucks milepost 61
endnotes Soundside Holiday Markets return Nov. 22, Nov. 29 & Dec. 13, from 12-4pm. Plus, kids the Lively Arts. 7pm start. More at www.outerbanksforum.org. • On Nov. 8, dive into the score photos with Santa Claus and Buddy the Elf (1-3pm) and the Grinch (3-4pm). For Sea Ranch and dig into an assortment of decadent dishes, when The 17th Annual Outer more info and rain dates, go to www.soundsidemarket.com. • On Nov. 24 & 25, get a taste Banks Shrimp Cookoff challenges top local restaurants to out-sauté, steam, fry, and grill of old-school Thanksgiving traditions at Island Farm’s Garden to Hearth, where historic each other — plus raffles and silent auctions — and the funds help keep the Outer Banks interpreters demonstrate how Roanoke Island families prepared for the winter months in Center for Dolphin Research swimming along. 12-3pm. Info awaits at www.obxdolphins. the 1850s. $11 for ages 4 and older. Learn more at www.obcinc.org. • Then why not preorg. • Then relive 19th century life on the edge, Nov. 10-21, when the Twelve Days of game your Thanksgiving festivities with a fermented foot race? On Nov. 25, gather behind Currituck Beach Lighthouse Keepers’ House Tours guide folks through the beautifully the Outer Banks Brewing Station for the Tipsy Turkey Beer Mile’s mix of 1/4-mile restored 1876 duplex that once hosted coastal families during much harsher times. 1pm. sprints, 12 oz. drafts, and wild, holiday-themed costumes. Late registration from 10(Donations appreciated; reserve spots at 252-453-4939.) PS: come back for a cheap peep 10:45am; 11am start. Dash over to www.obxrunning.com for deets. • On Nov. 26, from above during Dec. 1’s Free Birthday Climb. See www.obcinc.org for scheds. • Or Thanksgiving races line up from Corolla to the other side of Cape Point! Start up in peek inside the mind of an artist at Glenn Eure’s Ghost Fleet Gallery, Nov. 11-Dec. 11, as Whalehead, where the Wild Turkey 5K starts squawking at 8am. (Late registration from Nobel Schuler’s “Emergence: Evolving Transformations” uses an array of materials, 6:30-7:45am; more at www.obxrunning.com.) Or waddle down to Nags Head for The OBX techniques and themes to reflect his inner quest for self-understanding and expression. Gobbler 5K & Fun Run, where every Artist reception: Nov. 15, 2-4pm. More step supports a local cause. (Deets at at www.glenneureart.com. • On Nov. www.barrierislandgroup.com.) Or 13, howl with laughter and help OBX head to Hatteras Village Center for SPCA when Stand-up For Strays the 15th Annual Surfin’ Turkey 5K & brings top comic Steven Rogers to the Puppy Drum Fun Run — and help Pavilion at Pirate’s Cove for a the Hatteras Island Youth Education hilarious fundraiser, plus a silent Fund give local kids a head start. (8am; auction and catered dinner. 6pm. Fetch more at www.hatterasyouth.com.) • Or tix at www.obxspca.org. • Blistering hop a ferry to Ocracoke and bridge strings give you a big, cheesy grin? the seasons, starting with Nov. 26’s Head to Soundside Event Site on Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot Nov. 14 as the Grassfed Bluegrass (8am), before dipping into the Music Festival lines up eight sizzling yuletide with Nov. 27’s Holiday Boat acts: East Nash Grass, Broken Parade around Silver Lake Harbor, Compass, Front Porch, All She and finishing with Nov. 28’s Holiday Wrote, Redbud, Pickety Split, The Gift Market. Dip over to www. Podunk Ramblers, and Shadowgrass visitocracokenc.com for updates. • — plus local food and craft vendors, Then race back to Historic Corolla and fun activities. 12-10pm. Buy tickets Park, Nov. 27, where the Christmas at www.grassfedbluegrass.com. • Craft Village decorates the Maybe processed cheese is more of Whalehead lawn with booths full of your jam? Be at Duck Woods local creations, from fine arts to Country Club, Nov. 14, when the Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival offers two chances to marvel at America’s natural majesty: handmade cosmetics to baked goods. Beach Food Pantry’s Chef’s Oct. 13-18 and Dec. 4-6. Photo: Jared Lloyd (11am-4pm.) And let Whalehead Challenge Fundraiser dares top local Christmas Candlelight Tours transport you back to holidays past any Fri. & Sat from Nov. cooks to do battle using real food bank items — plus open bar and silent auctions. The 27-Dec. 19, as the mansion relives its 1920s glory days with traditional decor, festive trees, deliciously creative results are sure to blow minds. 6:30-9pm. Support the cause at www. luscious food, and music on the original Steinway. $20. Reservations required. More at beachfoodpantry.org. • Go fill up on cool, one-of-a-kind Christmas presents — and chill www.christmasincorolla.com. • There’s always room for one more kiddo at Kitty Hawk out with top local artists and artisans — when Dowdy Park Holiday Markets return Nov. Kites’ Hangin’ with Santa, Nov. 28, where tykes can snap selfies with the man of the 14, Nov. 28, and Dec. 12. 9am-12pm. And come back for Nov. 28’s Tree Lighting season. (Fri.: 10am-2pm; Sat.: 1-4pm.) On Sat., cruise over to Jockey’s Ridge, where Kites Ceremony to sing carols, meet Santa and commune with neighbors. 5-7:30pm. See with Lights keeps the sky fluttering with festive LEDs. 4-7pm. Get the latest at www. Facebook for updates.• America’s birthday ain’t over yet! Salute some lesser-known kittyhawk. com. • The beach is positively glowing with red noses when two pop-up holiday founding fathers, Nov. 18, when Museum of the Albemarle’s History for Lunch discusses tavern tours return. From Nov. 27-Jan. 2, the 12 Bars of Christmas transforms watering “Forgotten Patriots of the Albemarle,” 12-1pm. Find details and discover more topics at holes from Kitty Hawk to Manteo into wild winter wonderlands — and each one shares www.museumofthealbemarle.com. • Elizabethan Gardens is even more electrifying, Nov. proceeds with a favorite non-profit. (Find a full list of participants and special events at 20-Dec. 29, when WinterLights bedazzles the grounds with radiant holiday décor, and a www.12barsofchristmas.com.) That means one of 16 Misfit Bars of Christmas must be festive open-air fire — plus designated nights of live entertainment. Select nights; 6-9pm. making merry somewhere within stumbling distance to help the Outer Banks Relief Go to www.elizabethangardens.org for dates and deets. • Shop for presents. Share some Foundation and Community Care Clinic of Dare. Find deets at www.misfitsobx.com. • warmth. That’s the meaning behind Town of Manteo’s Merry Market, Nov. 20, when And you ain’t never seen an oyster stuffin’ like the Big Curri-Shuck. Head over to George Washington Creef Park teems with top vendors, hot cocoa, and seasonal music — Sanctuary Vineyards, Nov. 28, and hog down bushels of bivalves and piles of BBQ — and attendees turn in clothing and canned goods for the Manteo Police Department’s while sampling 20+ wines in a signature glass — plus live bands and hayrides make for a Food & Coat Drive. 5-8pm. More at www.meetmeintmanteo.com. • Campfires roar, carols crackin’ good time. Freshest news at www.sanctuaryvineyards.com. ring, and 75+ Outer Banks makers and artisans roll out one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts when
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PUNCH BROTHERS • INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS • SIERRA HULL • THE BROTHERS COMATOSE DELLA MAE • KRUGER BROTHERS • TREY HENSLEY BAND • CARTER & CLEVELAND • PO’ RAMBLIN’ BOYS WOOD BOX HEROES • RHONDA VINCENT & THE RAGE • THE STEEL WHEELS • APPALACHIAN ROAD SHOW SOUTHERN LEGACY • PITNEY MEYER • THE SLOCAN RAMBLERS • SONGS FROM THE ROAD BAND MONROEVILLE • PRESLEY BARKER • ASHER BRINSON • THE STEPPERS • PODUNK RAMBLERS ROANOKE ISLAND FESTIVAL PARK MANTEO, NORTH CAROLINA • WWW.BLUEGRASSISLAND.COM milepost 63
9.5 MP ON THE DIE-PASS KILL DEVIL HILLS
PART OF THE
GHOSTLY GALLEYS OF THE OUTER BANKS 252.441.7889 • MAMAKWANS. CO
LUNCH 11:30 AM & DINNER 4 PM milepost 64
M
• CALL FOR CLOSING TIMES