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The Manteo Christmas Tree Lighting will be held on Friday, December 5, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Downtown Manteo. The event is part of the First Friday Celebration and features holiday music, hot cocoa, and Santa lighting the tree in front of the historic old courthouse on Queen Elizabeth Avenue. This is FREE and open to the public!
First Friday is a fun-filled, family-oriented event held the first Friday of each month, March through November from 6pm to 8pm, in historic downtown Manteo. The sidewalks pulse with live music, magic, artisans, food, drinks and much more. The Manteo Stroll featuring celebrations, specials, music all over town, art, and more inside other Manteo galleries, shops and restaurants also happens during First Friday. First Friday celebrations are a great time to explore downtown Manteo.
On Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 10:30 am come watch the annual Christmas parade! The parade route winds its way through the streets of downtown, beginning at Manteo High School and ending on the other side of the new College of the Albemarle campus. Fabulous floats full of holiday cheer and wonderful community spirit are always something to see every year! See the event link for a map of the route. The parade route begins at Manteo High School and proceeds through downtown Manteo. This is a FREE event!
The best place to meet for the holidays is "A High Tide Christmas" on December 13 in Downtown Manteo! Capture a photo of your pet with Santa Paws at Poodles & Bob from 10am-12pm; visit Sensory Santa at the Roanoke Island Inn from 11am - 1pm; Enjoy music from the Outer Banks Youth Chorus at 11:30am; join the Gnome for the Holidays scavenger hunt or shop the sales at local boutiques! Snap a pic of a real Roanoke Island Santa complete with crab pots and fishing boots in front of the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse from 3:30pm - 5:30pm! grab a hot chocolate from Shut the Barn Door and head over to Magnolia Pavilion for Mistletoe Line Dancing from 4pm - 6pm with Let's Dance OBX! Then, at 6pm, head to the Manteo Waterfront to enjoy the Outer Banks Holiday Flotilla featuring anything that floats decorated for Christmas! Enjoy some dinner at any of our wonderful restaurants, catch a movie or Rock the Holidays at Old Tom's Tavern from 7pm to 9:30pm; grab a few stamps for your Christmas Island or Twelve Bars Christmas and your day will be complete! A High Tide Christmas is sponsored by the Manteo Business Association, who encourage you to shop small, buy local and support your community during this holiday season!