The best attended event on the Outer Banks last weekend had to be the burning down of the old Windmill Point Restaurant building in Nags Head. It was a scheduled training exercise, and word sure got out about it. A friend called me that morning and said to get down there, it was a bigger spectator event than the parade. lol. * Sorry guys, if I'd have known it was going to be such a big deal, I'd have put it on the blog. * Even though we could see the fire from our house, I took my kids to see it up close, parking across the bypass at Wings. The fire was quite a spectacle of blaze and smoke and fire-fighting apparatus, but even more entertaining was the reaction of the drivers who were passing by. * When drivers saw the fire, they lost all their sense. They would slam on brakes in the middle of the bypass or else jerk their vehicles onto the shoulder with alarming suddenness. I even saw one lady in a pickup truck jerk from the left lane to the right-hand shoulder without so much as a head-toss to check the right lane. * My advice to all you event planners out there? Forget the silent auction. See if you can find something to burn - an old building or worn-out sofa perhaps? - at your next event. That'll bring them in...
It's a quiet week and weekend here, kind of like the calm before the storm. The next couple of weeks are super-busy on the Outer Banks. * That said, it's time to get online and look the 50+ offerings for OBX Taste of the Beach, which starts March 17 and goes through March 20. You don't want your favorite event to be sold out when you go to get tickets, do you? Do it now at www.obxtasteofthebeach.com...
Mardi Gras is this Tuesday. I'm sure you can find a few parties in the clubs around town. One I know of for sure is Ocean Boulevard's Fat Tuesday Bash from 6 to 11 p.m. Think Cajun small plates, festive décor and live jazz by Po'Boy trio. * On the other end of the party spectrum, Tuesday also brings a seminar for exasperated parents: "Help! My Kids are Fighting Again!" The Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County is hosting this one at the Outer Banks Family YMCA at 6:30 p.m., and it's free. The seminar will help parents learn why kids fight and how to use conflict-resolution techniques. * I know which one I should attend and, sadly, it's not the one involving Hurricanes and jambalaya...
Wednesday is an early dismissal day in Dare County Schools. * If that pertains to your family, you might have an interest in the Quill Paper Birds Class at Bells & Whistles in Kitty Hawk. Ages 8 and older will make quilled birds from 12:15 to 3:30. Cost is $25. Call (252) 441-9310. * Wednesday is also the beginning of the Dare League of Women Voters' Women's History Month March Lecture and Film Series. Dr. Lin Logan will host the series of films and lectures for the next four Wednesdays from noon to 2 p.m. at the COA Roanoke Island campus...
On Thursday, take a $5 Community Yoga class at the Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse in Kitty Hawk at 6:30 p.m. * Moms and Dads-to-be can attend Birth Talk, a free event for expecting parents and anyone with a passion for supporting the power of birth. It's from 7 to 9 p.m. at the KDH Library...
On Friday, catch Deb Kasten's North Carolina Marionette Theater grand opening performances of "Tom Benn and Black Beard the Pirate." The show will run at First Flight High School Auditorium on Friday at 7 p.m. It's also scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. Children are admitted free with a contributing adult ($5 suggested contribution). Call (252) 256-1806 for info. * Catch Eyes of the Elders doing their hip-hop poetry thing at Outer Banks Brewing Station or Dr. Tom at Poor Richard's in Manteo...
On Saturday, Currituck County is hosting the 12th Annual Art Extravaganza. It's an art show with more than 50 artists from eastern N.C. and Virginia as well as art students in Currituck County Schools. It's free and runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Currituck County High School. * Roanoke Island Festival Park is having its annual Quilt Vendor Day as part of its Priceless Pieces Quilt Show in the Art Gallery. Expect displays and sales by local quilt and fabric suppliers, plus a scissor and knife sharpener will be on hand. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. * Down in Avon on Saturday they're having a St. Baldrick's Day Fund-raiser from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Avon Fire Station. For a $25 donation, get your head shaved to show your support and raise money for kids undergoing chemotherapy. There will also be a bake sale. Call (252) 995-4783 with questions or to volunteer. * Don't forget the N.C. Marionette Theater Show at 3 p.m. (see Friday, above, for details). * Saturday night, catch DJ Sho at the Brewing Station or Whiskey Rebellion at Poor Richard's...
On Sunday, locals will gather at Glenn Eure's Ghost Fleet Gallery in Nags Head for the Celebration of an Artists' Life: A Memorial Tribute for Denver Lindley. Lindley was a talented artist and beloved member of the community. He passed away on December 30. The reception will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. A collection of Lindley's artwork will remain on exhibit in the gallery through March 23. Call (252) 441-6584...
Mark your calendars for Monday and Tuesday (14th & 15th) for the NPS's Know Your Park Series: Wrecks and Reefs of the Battle of the Atlantic. Nautical Archeologist Dr. Nathan Richards will speak at the Fessenden Center on Monday at 7:30 p.m. and Coastal Studies Institute Education Specialist John McCord will speak at the Ocracoke Community Center on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The presentations will focus on the recent research and filming of German U-boats and Allied and merchant vessels sunk during WWII off the Outer Banks. Both programs are free...
A now, an observation of the Southernness in which we live (and it might help explain the title of this blog if you're not gettin' it). * My favorite quote of the week was from a woman at the Dare County Parks and Rec office: "I suwannee! These heels are driving me crazy today!" * I LOVE that little tidbit of Southern slang. If you haven't lived in the South for 40 years like me and you don't know I suwannee, it sounds like "I SWANee" and it's used like "I swear." It's classic Southern and it made me miss my cousins in the country...
Have a look around the site. There's lots of new stuff online, and you should check back daily for the Deal of the Day...
About the Author Molly Harrison
Molly Harrison is managing editor at OneBoat, publisher of OuterBanksThisWeek.com. She moved to Nags Head in 1994 and since then has made her living writing articles and creating publications about the people, places and culture of the Outer Banks.
