As I write this installment of the OuterBanksThisWeek.com blog, we are in the beginning stages of a blow and it looks as though Outer Bankers and visitors alike will be hunkered down against driving downpours, potential flooding and gusting winds for the next day or two. Here's hoping things clear up by the weekend - there's lots of fun stuff on tap for people of all ages and interests.
Any residual gusts from the recent gray weather may be a welcome challenge to stunt kite enthusiasts taking part in Kitty Hawk Kites' free 29th Annual Outer Banks Stunt Kite Competition this Saturday and Sunday at the Outer Banks Event Site at 6800 S. Croatan Hwy. in Nags Head. The two days of soundside competitive kite flying will feature team performances and kites dancing to music, in addition to free stunt and power kite lessons for any spectator wishing to learn! To participate as a competitor, registration is required. For more information visit the event website.
Jennette's Pier's Fourth Annual Red Drum Tournament will set hooks in Nags Head this Saturday, September 27 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The tournament's top prize will go to the angler who lands the longest red drum, with additional prizes awarded for the longest fish caught from other fish species. Competitors will have lines in the water from 8 a.m. to noon. The entrance fee is $15/person; $8 for children 12 and younger.
Local legend has it that, once a year, Crabdaddy emerges from the Currituck Sound, bringing with him a bounty of fresh seafood for everyone to enjoy. You can catch up with this mythical being at the Crabdaddy Seafood and Wine Festival this Saturday, September 27 at Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg on the Currituck mainland from noon to 6 p.m. You'll enjoy the best Currituck wine and beer paired with fresh seafood from local waters. Each ticket includes a signature wine glass to keep, access to tastings of local wine and beer, $10 worth of vouchers for seafood plates, live music, admission to a hayride and a chance to compete for cash and prizes in the Crabdaddy Olympics. Tickets for this rain or shine event are $25 in advance or $30 the day of the festival and can be purchased through the Sanctuary Vineyards website. The festival will take place inside the winery in the event of inclement weather.
Duck Cup organizers claim that THAT sailing event is so much fun they have no choice but to do it twice a year! And so - Son of Duck Cup Regatta - a sailing event composed of two separate races, a distance race and a buoy race, spread over two days this weekend, September 27 and 28. All boats and classes are invited to compete and the event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day! Participants and spectators should meet at Nor'Banks located at 1314 Duck Road in Duck.
A quick reminder: The North Carolina Coastal Federation is hosting its 3rd Annual Fish Fry and Shrimp Boil on Friday, September 26 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at its Manteo office on Grenville Street. Tickets are $15/adults and $10 /children and can be purchased at the following outlets: N.C. Coastal Federation in Manteo, Front Porch Café in Manteo, Café Lachine in Nags Head and Basnight's Lone Cedar Café in Nags Head. For more information call (252) 473-1607 or visit the Federation website.
Whaling, War, Folk Medicine and an Author's Visit
The lives of Outer Bankers have always been inextricably connected with the sea. Generations have made their way as waterborne traders or by tapping the natural resources of inshore and offshore waters as fishermen and oystermen. Somehow, the Outer Banks' whaling past has been neglected in most histories of the region. East Carolina University graduate student Ryan Bradley intends to fix the oversight as part of his Master's thesis project. Bradley, who is documenting the archeology and historical and cultural influences of North Carolina whaling practices, will visit the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras Village this Saturday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to meet with the descendants of whalers and catalog family photos, stories or artifacts related to North Carolina whaling.
On Tuesday, September 30 at 2 p.m. KaiLi Schurr, director of the Outer Banks History Center will appear at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum to present a free program detailing the Civil War service of famed Pea Island Life-saving Station keeper Richard Etheridge.
For more information on either of these programs e-mail {encode="maryellen.riddle@ncdcr.gov" title="maryellen.riddle@ncdcr.gov"} or call (252) 986-2995.
In the mid-1800s access to professional medical care was primarily limited to those in urban areas. In rural areas, particularly remote locations like the Outer Banks, if you needed medical attention you were pretty much on your own. More often than not, someone close to you, a family member or neighbor, would provide the medical service, and the average farmer was as qualified as anyone else within easy traveling distance. On Saturday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Island Farm in Manteo on Roanoke Island will examine folk medicine practices of the era, common ailments and remedies.
Author Lisa Wingate, whose popular novel The Prayer Box was set entirely on Hatteras Island, will appear at Duck's Cottage Downtown Books in downtown Manteo this afternoon, Wednesday, September 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. to discuss and sign copies of her latest release, The Story Keeper, which is set in Appalachia.
Upcoming Events
The Manteo Rotary Club's fundraising Rockfish Rodeo has generated more than $250,000 in scholarships for deserving Dare County students over the past 16 years. This year, due to the decline in the striper populations, Manteo's Rotary Club has rebranded and restructured the tournament as the Inshore Slam, a tournament in which participants will compete to land the largest fish in four categories: stripers, flounder, puppy drum and speckled trout. The new tournament will begin with an opening event Friday, October 3 at 4 p.m. followed by the fishing competition Saturday, October 4 from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required. For more information visit the event website.
The Duck Town Park will be roaring with talent as the sounds of local, regional, and national musicians fill two stages at the 8th Annual Duck Jazz Festival is just around the corner. On Sunday, October 12 from 11 a.m. to dusk (gates open at 10 a.m.) Duck Town Park will ring with the talent of local, regional and nationally recognized jazz musicians. Appearing this year will be the John Brown Quartet, Connected, the First Flight High School Jazz Band, Lipbone Redding, The Legendary Louis Hayes & The Jazz Communicators and René Marie (performing I Want to be Evil, her tribute to Eartha Kitt). For more information consult the event website.
Help Fight Hunger in Northeastern North Carolina
Our very own Beach Food Pantry has been nominated to receive $60,000 of much-needed additional funding if supporters can help the organization be selected as one of the Top 50 food banks in the nation. The initiative, part of Walmart's Fight Hunger/Spark Change national contest, has been in progress since September 15 and runs through October 5. Unlike politics, in this contest you are encouraged to vote early and often. The more votes Beach Food Pantry receives, the better its chances of winning the prize money to help with acquiring and distributing fresh, healthy produce to those in need in the organization's 15-county service area. Here's how you can help:
1. Visit the contest website.
2. Search for "NC" as the state and then select Food Bank of the Albemarle.
3. Vote once per day through October 5!
4. Share your vote and the link with your friends and family on Facebook and other social media platforms.
For more information on the Fight Hunger/Spark Change initiative, visit the food bank's Facebook page or its website.
This week you have a chance to win a pottery class for two & a $35 gift certificate to the Atlantic Coast Cafe!
For more information about Oasis Suites Hotel check out their website.
For more information about Atlantic Coast Cafe check out their website.
Last Week's Winner
Congratulations to Kathy Nagy!!!
You won a one-night stay at the Oasis Suites and a $35 gift certificate to the Outer Banks Olive Oil Company!
For more information about Oasis Suites Hotel check out their website.
For more information about Outer Banks Olive Oil Co. check out their website.
About the Author Michael Lay
Michael Lay is a local graphic designer, artist, photographer and writer. He lives in picturesque downtown Manteo, NC, and is the manservant of two beautiful and willful feline princesses, Sophie and Sassy. You can contact Michael at mike.lay@oneboat.com.
