Two of the Outer Banks’ most-loved kid-centered events are coming up this week. If you have little people in your life to entertain, make plans for KidsFest on Friday in Manteo and Artrageous on Saturday in Nags Head.
KidsFest
Friday, May 10
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Roanoke Island Festival Park, Manteo
KidsFest, now in its 15th year, is a morning of play just for kids ages 0 to 5. Roanoke Island Festival Park’s grand lawn transforms into a playground with more than 50 excited activities all carefully selected for preschool age children. There are fire trucks, EMS vehicles and school buses to explore, bubbles, games, music, arts and crafts and all kinds of activities to engage kids’ imaginations. Everything is completely free. Grandparents, parents, caregivers and preschool groups come out for this full force, so get there early to get a good parking spot and plan to spend the day. Bring snacks and lunch with you.
For more information about KidsFest, click here.
Artrageous Kids Art Festival
Saturday, May 11
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dowdy Park, Nags Head
When an event has been going on for 35 years, you know there must be something great about it! Artrageous Kids Art Festival has been inviting families to create, craft, sing, dance and play since 1989. Organized by DareArts and presented by PNC Bank, Artrageous has something for all ages, from the littlest kids to teens and arts-loving adults. It is a free, family-friendly event with dozens of interactive art activities, live music, theater and dance performances plus an artisan market and food vendors. Some of the ways kids create might include weaving, painting, printing, collaging, metal stamping and culinary art. Plus there's the playground at Dowdy Park for kids to swing, climb and play to their heart's content.
Students from Hatteras Island Community Strings, Mustang Music Outreach Program, Ascencion Music Academy, the Dare2Care OBX Shredders and Atlantic Dance will be performing throughout the day. There will also be interactive stage performances by science-inspired musical act Nature Out Loud and children’s improv theatre by Donna Roark’s Shadow Players with Drama Mama.
Twenty local artisans will be selling their work and there will be a Young Artist Village, which provides a venue for student entrepreneurs to sell jewelry, paintings, fiber art and more. Vendors include Ivy & Ocean, Fyre Art Studio, Seabreeze Ceramics, Soulshine by Rhonda, The Ginger Gypsea, Carolina Coto Art, Fancy Blossom, Beads by the Beach, The Well, Gordon's Gallery, Made By Schuylar, Made With Love OBX, Rayburn Creations, Mary Maveline Originals, Denise Turner Jewelry, Christina Mare Coastal, henna.vibe, Shifting Sands OBX, Hanks Handmade, Craftola by Rayola, elysian_artisan, Ivey Naturals, Anns Been Sewing, Muse OBX and Cosmic Creations OBX. This will be a great place to find a Mother's Day Gift if you're lagging behind in that department.
If you get hungry, food and drinks will be for sale from Fork‘et Me Not, Island Snowball, Blurred Lines Bakery and The Lopez Lemonade Stand.
For more information click here.
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.
