Events

Start your morning with movement and fresh coastal air at Dynamic Flow on the Green with OBX Fit. This fun and engaging calisthenics-based workout combines mobility, strength, and flexibility exercises designed for all fitness levels—from beginners to seasoned athletes. The natural, practical, and playful class focuses on simple movements that help improve balance, mobility, and overall wellness. Participants are welcome to join in person on the Town Green or online. Thanks to the generous support of Duck’s Cottage Coffee & Books, all classes will also be available on the Town of Duck Facebook page for 30 days after each session. In the event of lightning, the class will be offered via livestream only.

Cost: Free
What to Bring: Water, comfortable workout attire, and a yoga mat or towel if desired.

From Sept. 2–4, Artists will take to the outdoors across the Outer Banks during Dare Arts’ Fresh — A Plein Air Event, celebrating the tradition of painting en plein air — or “in the open air.” Participating artists will create works inspired by Outer Banks landscapes, waterways, and coastal scenery.

The finished pieces will be featured in a September exhibit at the Dare Arts Gallery. A free public opening reception will be held during First Friday on Friday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m., offering visitors a chance to see the freshly created artwork and meet participating artists.

Location: Dare Arts, 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave., Manteo
Event dates: Sept. 2–4
Public opening reception: Friday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m.
Exhibit: Sept. 5–25, Tues-Fri (10am - 5pm), Sat (10 am - 4 pm), Sun (10 am - 3 pm)
Opening reception admission: Free

Dates: Sunday, September 20–Saturday, September 26, 2026
Time: Competition is scheduled to begin around 8:00 a.m. daily; exact heats and daily schedules depend on surf and weather conditions.
Location: Jennette’s Pier, 7223 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head, NC

Description:
Some of the East Coast’s top amateur surfers return to Nags Head for the Eastern Surfing Association’s Easterns Surfing Championship. The week-long competition at Jennette’s Pier is the season finale for the Eastern Surfing Association and brings qualifying surfers together to compete in youth and adult shortboard and longboard divisions.

Good to Know:
Spectating is free and open to the public. The competition schedule is highly dependent on surf and weather conditions. The ESA’s tentative schedule places many adult divisions early in the week and youth divisions throughout the Monday–Friday period, but divisions may be moved to different days as conditions require.

Step into an immersive outdoor art experience at Dare Arts' Courtyard this summer with Weather the Storm, a captivating mixed-media installation by artist Lara E. Parks. Blending light, shadow, sound, movement, and fabric, the installation transforms with changing weather and natural light, inviting visitors to return throughout the season to experience it in new ways.

Celebrate the opening during First Friday on Friday, July 3, from 6:00–8:00 p.m., where you can meet the artist and enjoy live music by The Blue Crab Boys in the Courtyard. The installation will remain on display through the fall, offering a unique outdoor art experience in the heart of downtown Manteo. Be sure to walk through and enjoy the art!

Experience the magic of butterflies taking flight during the Butterfly Release at The Elizabethan Gardens. Held Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM (April through September), this interactive program allows visitors to watch newly emerged butterflies take their first flight while learning about butterfly life cycles and the plants that attract them to your own garden. Guests can add the experience to their garden admission and enjoy a close-up look at these beautiful pollinators as they are released into the gardens’ butterfly habitat.

Dates: September 18–27, 2026
Location: Theatre of Dare, 3848 N. Croatan Highway, Kitty Hawk, NC

Description:
Theatre of Dare opens its 36th season with Happy Birthday, Wanda June, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s darkly comedic and unconventional satire exploring war, heroism, masculinity and what happens when the past unexpectedly returns.

The story centers on famed hunter and adventurer Harold Ryan, who returns home after being presumed dead for eight years and expects to resume his former life—only to discover that his wife, family and the world around him have changed. Vonnegut’s trademark absurdity and dark humor mix with scenes from the afterlife and a sharp look at the conflict between violence and peace. The production is directed by Kim Plyler.

Performance Times:
Sept. 18, 19, 24, 25 & 26 – 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 19 – Special 1:00 p.m. matinee
Sept. 20 & 27 – 2:00 p.m. matinees

Good to Know:
Individual performance tickets are on sale through Theatre of Dare. Because of the play’s dark satire and adult themes, parents may want to review the production information when considering it for younger children.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is home to nearly 400 species of birds that reside here or migrate through. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you'll enjoy this casual stroll beside North Pond. Field guides, binoculars, sunscreen, and insect repellent are recommended. Some field guides and binoculars will be available for loan. Pea Island Bird Walks are held year-round except during the Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival in October and December. Meet at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, located on NC Highway 12 approximately 4 miles south of Oregon Inlet and 9 miles north of Rodanthe. The Pea Island Bird Walk is FREE. 

From Sept. 2–4, Artists will take to the outdoors across the Outer Banks during Dare Arts’ Fresh — A Plein Air Event, celebrating the tradition of painting en plein air — or “in the open air.” Participating artists will create works inspired by Outer Banks landscapes, waterways, and coastal scenery.

The finished pieces will be featured in a September exhibit at the Dare Arts Gallery. A free public opening reception will be held during First Friday on Friday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m., offering visitors a chance to see the freshly created artwork and meet participating artists.

Location: Dare Arts, 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave., Manteo
Event dates: Sept. 2–4
Public opening reception: Friday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m.
Exhibit: Sept. 5–25, Tues-Fri (10am - 5pm), Sat (10 am - 4 pm), Sun (10 am - 3 pm)
Opening reception admission: Free

Dates: Sunday, September 20–Saturday, September 26, 2026
Time: Competition is scheduled to begin around 8:00 a.m. daily; exact heats and daily schedules depend on surf and weather conditions.
Location: Jennette’s Pier, 7223 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head, NC

Description:
Some of the East Coast’s top amateur surfers return to Nags Head for the Eastern Surfing Association’s Easterns Surfing Championship. The week-long competition at Jennette’s Pier is the season finale for the Eastern Surfing Association and brings qualifying surfers together to compete in youth and adult shortboard and longboard divisions.

Good to Know:
Spectating is free and open to the public. The competition schedule is highly dependent on surf and weather conditions. The ESA’s tentative schedule places many adult divisions early in the week and youth divisions throughout the Monday–Friday period, but divisions may be moved to different days as conditions require.

Friday–Sunday, September 25–27, 2026
Fishing Area: Hatteras Island beaches from Rodanthe to Hatteras Village (See below for a list.)
Tournament Headquarters: Camp Hatteras Conference Center, 24798 NC-12, Rodanthe
Entry Fee: $85 per angler after the early-registration deadline
Optional Slot Red Drum TWT: $25 per angler

Fall surf fishing takes center stage during the Hatteras Island Surf Fishing Challenge, a three-day individual tournament stretching from Rodanthe to Hatteras Village.

Anglers compete in four primary divisions — Bluefish, Black Drum, Sea Mullet and Pompano — with more than $12,000 in cash and prizes based on 200 entries.

Fishing must take place from a Hatteras Island beach. No boat, sound or pier fishing is permitted.

Tournament Schedule

Friday, September 25

4–11 p.m. — Registration and check-in at Camp Hatteras Conference Center
Every competitor, including those who preregistered, must check in and receive a tournament wristband.
11:59 p.m. — Official fishing time begins

Saturday, September 26

Fishing continues around the clock.
10 a.m. — Weigh-in leaderboard update
8 p.m. — Weigh-in leaderboard update

Sunday, September 27

9 a.m. — Weigh-in leaderboard update
Noon — Fishing ends
12:30–2 p.m. — Awards Dinner at Camp Hatteras Conference Center
2 p.m. — Awards Ceremony
Immediately following awards — Tournament raffle
Weigh-In Locations

Anglers may weigh qualifying fish at five locations across Hatteras Island:

Hatteras Jack — Rodanthe
Frank & Fran's — Avon
Dillon's Corner — Buxton
Frisco Rod & Gun — Frisco
Teach's Lair — Hatteras Village

The competition is individual, not team-based, and anglers may fish anywhere within the tournament's designated Hatteras Island surf boundaries.

Step into an immersive outdoor art experience at Dare Arts' Courtyard this summer with Weather the Storm, a captivating mixed-media installation by artist Lara E. Parks. Blending light, shadow, sound, movement, and fabric, the installation transforms with changing weather and natural light, inviting visitors to return throughout the season to experience it in new ways.

Celebrate the opening during First Friday on Friday, July 3, from 6:00–8:00 p.m., where you can meet the artist and enjoy live music by The Blue Crab Boys in the Courtyard. The installation will remain on display through the fall, offering a unique outdoor art experience in the heart of downtown Manteo. Be sure to walk through and enjoy the art!

Discover the mysterious side of Ocracoke Island on an evening walking tour filled with local legends, fascinating history, and ghostly tales. Choose between the Down Point Tour, featuring stories near the Ocracoke Lighthouse, or the 'Round Creek Tour, exploring the historic Howard Street area. Each tour is led by knowledgeable local guides who bring the island's rich past—and its lingering spirits—to life.

Tours are offered most Tuesdays and Fridays from May 19 through September 29, beginning promptly at 7:30 p.m. and lasting approximately 90 minutes. Advance online reservations are required, and space is limited.