Warmer weather is right around the corner. We've rounded up fresh, fun finds on the Outer Banks late winter through spring that include outdoor events and opportunities to try NEW things and step out of your comfort zone.

 

February

Come celebrate the achievements and history of African Americans on the OBX. Listen to a National Park Service Ranger at Kill Devil Hills Library during Roanoke's Forgotten Colony: The Freedmen's Colony of 1863-1867 to hear how Roanoke Island became home to a new colony, a Freedmen's Colony, which was established by the army to prepare the formerly enslaved people for life after the war. Checkerboard Board Crews and Colored News is a special presentation about black history sites on Roanoke Island being held at College of the Albemarle in Manteo. Throughout the entire year, you can tour The African American Experience of Northeast North Carolina. The new self-guided discovery connects dozens of visitable points of interest and African American influence across a six-county region including the OBX.

 

Herbert Collins Boathouse - African American History

 

Birding is a year round attraction here on the beach. Hop aboard the Winter Seabirding Trips on the Stormy Petrel II for birdwatching charters that run multiple dates February through the beginning of March. 

 

March

Bring your green for St. Patrick's Day events that include the St. Patricks Day Parade, Outer Banks Beer Mile, and Running of the Leprechauns. March 3, 2023 you can attend the virtual Bird Identification Workshop. This interactive bird identification program will focus on key characteristics, such as overall profiles, foraging behaviors, and habitat, which can aid birders on all levels to identify a species quickly and confidently. 

 

Back for another year, the OBXWA Wedding Weekend + Expo is a two-day event where engaged couples gain access to premier local wedding professionals at five different venues across the OBX. This is the perfect event for all couples planning an OBX wedding of all sizes and budgets.

 

Newlyweds With Their Dog On A Beach On The Outer Banks Of NC

 

You can't miss the return of the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach. The OBX has never tasted so dang good. Food, Drink, Fun! The Outer Banks Restaurant Association and Outer Banks Hospitality Partners invite you to have a "Taste of the Beach!"

 

April

If the beach is where you’ll be spending your Easter weekend, we've got everything from egg hunts, live music, incredible food & specials, art shows and much more. Hop on down to Roanoke Island's Elizabethan Gardens Eastertide for the largest egg scavenger hunt on the beach with thousands of eggs at their own Easter Event. Looking to mix things up? Kitty Hawk Kites adds high flying kites to their Flying into Spring And Easter Eggstravaganza.

 

bodie - flowers

 

Scale the spiral stairs of Bodie Island Lighthouse for breathtaking ocean views beginning the third Friday in April. These iconic beacons of the East Coast never cease to astound. They’ve been here longer than any of us alive today, and they’re still keeping watch. The Bodie Island Lighthouse will remain open through Columbus Day (in early October). Climbing hours are every 30 minutes and start at 9:00 AM daily where tickets are required. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest in America and arguably the most recognized lighthouse in the world, is open for visiting the grounds, but not climbing the lighthouse while it's being renovated. Dare County has three NPS campgrounds on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and handfuls of private choices too, reopening this April for a new season.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, start your motorcycles. Enjoy a ride along or kick back and enjoy good food, live music, and bike shows along the way during Outer Banks Bike Week. Packed full of entertainment, great food, events, and special attractions. Bike shows, poker runs, guided tours, party nights, live music, including outdoor concerts, a pig-pickin' & more! 

 

For those looking to help your body and mind, join in on the Spring's most popular running jamboree, the Flying Pirate Half Marathon and 5K. The course winds its way through the natural beauty that is North Carolina’s Outer Banks for 13.1 miles. Along the same stretch of shoreline, birds begin to fill Pea Island Wildlife Refuge and can be observed during walking tours or seen in wildlife exhibits at the visitor center, open 7 days a week. Thousands of neotropical songbirds return from the West Indies and Central and South America to breed and nest in our maritime shrubs. 

 
 

birders at pea island wildlife refuge

 

May

Don't miss the new Outer Banks Soft-Shell Week coming May 15-20, 2023. More details to come as the event develops.

 

Mark your calendars for the opening event of the NC Billfish Series, the Hatteras Village Offshore Open is now in its second decade. Don't miss other big events like the Hang Gliding Spectacular and the opening of the Lost Colony Drama.

 

Spring is just getting warmed up on The Outer Banks, so there’s no better time to start planning your next adventure. From rental homes on the edge of the sea to hotels rich in amenities, find the perfect coastal setting for a spring or summer getaway. Mark a date off on your calendar today and get ready for an East Coast retreat that’s just as serene as it is exciting.