Explore to Learn is an organized, interactive playgroup that allows children and caregivers to participate in coordinated group activities to prepare children for success in school and life.Playgroup facilitators use the Kaleidoscope Play & Learn Curriculum to provide hands-on activities during each playgroup. 

Young children (0-5) and family, friends and neighbors who take care of them will meet weekly on Fridays from 10:00 am - 11:30 am in the Play & Learn Library at the Center for CYP in Manteo, 534 Ananias Dare Street.

Explore and learn is FREE. However, due to space limitations, registration is required for each playgroup in order to attend. Registration for each playgroup will be posted on CYP's Facebook page here at 9:30 a.m. on the Monday morning of the week of each playgroup.

From November through December, the Dare Arts Vault Gallery will feature photography by Ocracoke artist Robert Chestnut. This series of environmental portraits, named “Ocra-broke” exposes the viewer to the other side of living in paradise: the everyday people who work hard and have fun, an island that closes down during the winter months, and the weathered structures that persist through each tourist season. Along with nature filled scenes, Robert  loves to find forgotten items and help shine a light on them. To convey his ideas he uses photography, oil painting, and printmaking. Ocra-broke will be on display in the Vault Gallery November 1 through December 21, 2024. 

Step back in history during this short walk to the actual site of the Wrights’ first powered flights!  Discover why the Wrights chose Kitty Hawk for their flight experiments and what life was like in the Outer Banks; learn about the events that led to the first powered flight on that cold December day, and the lasting impact their first flight continues to have on the world today.

This FREE program is weather-dependent and may be moved to accommodate wind/rain. Check in at the Visitor Center desk for the most updated information.  This 30 minute program recurs every week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from October 6, 2024 until January 2, 2025 at 11 am and 1 pm. Meet on the back patio of the Visitor Center.

Step back in history during this short walk to the actual site of the Wrights’ first powered flights!  Discover why the Wrights chose Kitty Hawk for their flight experiments and what life was like in the Outer Banks; learn about the events that led to the first powered flight on that cold December day, and the lasting impact their first flight continues to have on the world today.

This FREE program is weather-dependent and may be moved to accommodate wind/rain. Check in at the Visitor Center desk for the most updated information.  This 30 minute program recurs every week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from October 6, 2024 until January 2, 2025 at 11 am and 1 pm. Meet on the back patio of the Visitor Center.

First Friday is a fun-filled, family-oriented event held the first Friday of each month, in historic downtown Manteo. The sidewalks pulse with live music, magic, artisans, and much more. The Manteo Stroll featuring celebrations, specials, art openings, sales and more inside Manteo galleries, shops and restaurants also happens during First Friday.

Come to Hatteras Island from October 26 to November 2, 2024, for OBX Wind, one of the largest windsurfing competitions on the East Coast! This thrilling event brings together windsurfing enthusiasts of all skill levels to compete in various categories, from slalom racing to freestyle events, against the stunning backdrop of the Outer Banks. Whether you’re a seasoned windsurfer or a spectator, OBX Wind offers an exciting week of high-speed action, camaraderie, and unforgettable coastal views. Don’t miss the chance to experience the adrenaline and energy of this premier windsurfing competition!

November 1 - 3, Come explore environmentalism on-screen where passionate filmmakers share creativity, perspective, and environmental awareness with their community. The Environmental Film Festival takes place in Manteo, North Carolina. The festival is organized by the Peace Garden Project, a gardening and food justice initiative based on the Outer Banks. Join the mission to educate communities about the importance of caring for our environment. See the event website to purchase festival tickets and to view the festival movie schedule. See the event website to purchase tickets and view the event schedule.

Giant Jellies, by artist Carol Willett, are sculptures on display in Dare Arts Center. This display will be in the outdoor courtyard from September 6 through mid-November. 

There is something exquisite about the simplicity of jellies. Their color, shape and size are mesmerizing. This trio of Giant Jellies were created to spark curiosity about these magical creatures. The bells were sculpted over exercise balls, then drilled, sanded, painted and sealed. The colorful tentacles are made from deconstructed bath sponges and recycled beads. The reefs and their creatures are built out of expanding foam and wet sand, plus polymer clay and up-cycled plastic bottles. Electrical conduit, bicycle wheels and plywood make up the armatures.

Join wildlife guides for a trip around the Alligator River Wildlife Refuge and learn about the plants and animals. Bring your binoculars and camera! Drinking water and insect repellent are also recommended. The program will not occur when there is lightning, heavy wind, heavy rain, or impassable road conditions. Dress for the weather!

The Alligator River Tram Tour is $10 per adult. Children 12 and under free with one or more paying adults. Reservation required, as tram seating is limited.

Meet at Creef Cut Wildlife Trail parking lot, Hwy 64 and Milltail Road, app. 6 miles west of Manns Harbor. Call 252-216-9464 for reservations.

Secotan Market in Wanchese is a producer-only market featuring fresh produce, vegetable ferments, kombucha, pasture-raised meat & eggs, pecans, mushroom products, pastries, pies, cakes, jams, pickles, honey, medicinal products, flowers, herbs, spices, teas, potted plants, natural skin care, rotating artisans and so much more. Our family of producers join each market in person to share food and goods that they have grown or crafted themselves, here in Northeastern North Carolina. We are deeply committed to honesty and sustainability in our practices. Fall Season Markets are every Saturday October - Thanksgiving from 9am -12pm and the Wednesday Before Thanksgiving from 9am - 12pm. 

Ocracoke Island will celebrate colonial life in the 1700s with a living history encampment and the Battle of Ocracoke during Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree Friday, Nov. 1, and Saturday, Nov. 2, on the Berkley Manor grounds. The festival will focus on history, colonial life and family fun. Events will kick off Friday evening at 7:30 in the Berkley Barn with a comedy, adult-oriented game show, “The Dating Game with Blackbeard,” in which comely ladies will vie for the chance to date Blackbeard. Saturday (Nov. 2) will feature a colonial encampment on the grounds of the Berkley Manor highlighting daily life, navigation, cooking and medicine, games for kids and artisan vendor booths. The event will conclude with a memorial service honoring the fallen sailors for both Blackbeard and Lt. Robert Maynard. See the event website for a detailed schedule.