At the heart of arts, culture and creativity in Dare County is Dare Arts, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that has been enriching the Outer Banks since 1975. Based in the historic 1904 Dare County Courthouse in Downtown Manteo, Dare Arts extends its reach from Duck to Hatteras Village with a mission rooted in inclusivity and community. One of the busiest and most productive nonprofit organizations in Dare County, Dare Arts is motivated by the belief that the arts are essential to a thriving, vital community and that the Outer Banks’ cultural landscape is strongest when all voices are respected, acknowledged and celebrated.
Inside the courthouse, Dare Arts operates a vibrant fine arts and craft gallery where pottery, paintings, jewelry, wood design, fiber art, and glass are on display. Each month brings new shows and exhibits with lively opening receptions that have become downtown Manteo staples.
Beyond its gallery walls, Dare Arts sponsors cultural programs, performances, workshops and school residencies, while also managing the Grassroots Arts Program funding from the North Carolina Arts Council. Signature initiatives like the Mollie Fearing Memorial Art Show, the Frank Stick Memorial Art Show, and the Artrageous Art Extravaganza remain cornerstones of its annual calendar.
Photo: Children dancing with performers at Artrageous Art Extravaganza, one of Dare Arts' signature annual events.
Founded as the Dare County Arts Council in 1975, the group worked for two decades without a home base until opening its first office in 1996 at Central Square in Nags Head. By 1999 it relocated to Manteo, and in 2010 found a permanent home in the Dare County Courthouse, quadrupling its space and presence. Today, membership, donations and volunteers remain the driving force behind its programs and services.
Fall 2025: A Season Packed with Arts & Celebration
Every year Dare Arts always has a jam-packed calendar of events, and the remainder of 2025 is no exception. Along with a wide range fall events, Dare Arts is also hosting its 50th anniversary party in October.
“We’re very excited about the fall calendar at Dare Arts, which features a mix of long-standing favorites and new events that offer something for everyone,” says Tiffany Lindsay, exhibitions director and gallery manager. “With our 50th anniversary woven into the season, this fall’s programming feels especially meaningful, and we look forward to celebrating it with the community.”
Here’s what’s on deck:
Fresh from the Outer Banks Plein Air Festival
September 3 to 5
Already underway, this event features artists painting in real time across downtown Manteo. The resulting exhibit opens September 5 during First Friday.
Photo: Artist Todd Hale displays Souvenir, an installation that will be on view in the Dare Arts Courtyard this fall.
First Friday in Manteo
September 5, October 2, November 7
First Friday is a fun-filled, family-oriented event held throughout historic Downtown Manteo on the first Friday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. The sidewalks come alive with live music, magic, artisans, food, drinks and much more. Dare Arts also hosts live music and the opening of new exhibits. This month are David Beal’s Faces of the Outer Banks and Todd Hale’s mixed-media installation Souvenir.
Outer Banks Film Society’s Third Season
September 9 to March 31
A curated lineup of indie films, classics, world cinema, and documentaries, kicking off with Dog Day Afternoon.
- Sept. 9: Dog Day Afternoon
- Sept. 23: Being There
- Sept. 30: MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival
- Oct. 14: The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Iran)
- Oct. 28: Triplets of Belleville (France)
- Nov. 4: Fanny – the Other Mendelssohn (UK)
- Nov. 18: I’m Still Here (Brazil)
- Jan 20: Lone Star
- Feb. 3: Nickel Boys
- Feb. 17: The Wedding Banquet (US/Korea)
- Mar. 3: Oscar Nominated Short Films (+2nd screening TBD)
- Mar. 17: Between the Temples
Surfalorus Film Festival
September 15 to 17
Held during the Eastern Surf Championships, this three-day festival showcases the year's best surfing films, sharing great surf movies from award-winning veterans to first-time filmmakers in a supportive and laid-back atmosphere. The films are shown at Jennette's Pier.
Photo: Swell Art Gallery is Buxton is one of nine Hatteras Island galleries on the Rock the Cape Gallery Tour.
2025 Rock The Cape Gallery Tour
September 26
This event is a full-day gallery tour on Hatteras Island, include nine galleries from Salvo to Hatteras Village. The participating galleries will have demonstrations, classes, sales, raffles, music, food and drink, and more happening at their locations.
- Returning Tide Art Gallery in Salvo
- Pea Island Art Gallery in Salvo
- Studio 12 in Avon
- Swell Art Gallery in Buxton
- Artistic Treasures in Buxton
- Red Drum Pottery in Frisco
- Blue Lagoon in Frisco
- Family Jewels in Hatteras Village
- Blue Pelican Gallery in Hatteras Village
The Great Art Heist
October 3
Dare Arts’ annual benefit art auction, The Great Art Heist, opens at the Gallery in downtown Manteo with drinks, hors d'oeuvres and live jazz music by Devin Frazier and Ed Tupper. The reception is in conjunction with Manteo’s First Friday festivities and is free and open to everyone. The silent art auction features the work of local and regional artists with bidding in person and on the Dare Arts website. Artists willing to donate a piece of artwork or a performing arts experience to The Great Art Heist can email Dare Arts Exhibitions Director Tiffany Lindsey at DareArtsShows@gmail.com to coordinate details.
Photo: Examples of the works donated for The Great Art Heist, a fundraiser for Dare Arts.
Dare Arts’ 50th Birthday pARTy
October 23
Dare Arts will celebrate its milestone with a pARTy at The Waterfront Trellis in downtown Manteo. There will be live music by Jeremy & The Generations, heavy hors d'oeuvres, cake and a champagne toast. The evening will also include a countdown to close out The Great Art Heist Benefit Art Auction, special awards, a short film screening of Dare Arts’ 2025 highlights, an opportunity to participate in the $50 for 50 Years fundraiser, and historic photos and panels for guests to enjoy. Tickets to the pARTy can be purchased online at DareArts.org/party or in-person at the Dare Arts Gallery in Manteo.
Veterans Writing Workshop
November 15
The 13th Annual Outer Banks Veterans Writing Workshop will be held at the Coastal Studies Institute, ECU Outer Banks Campus in Wanchese on Saturday, November 15.
North Carolina’s 7th Poet Laureate Joseph Bathanti will be leading the workshop. During his time as Poet Laureate, Bathanti worked with military veterans and their families throughout the state, and beyond, particularly with Vietnam combat veterans struggling with PTSD and other invisible wounds of war. He is also an author, poet, educator, and the recipient of numerous other accolades.
This year’s creative writing workshop, titled Where Your Life Still Matters: How Stories Save Us, is designed for participants to discover, in a safe, communal setting among peers, the core of their stories, and the voice in which to create and deliver those stories. Participants will be provided writing prompts developed by Bathanti as well as poems, stories, and nonfiction pieces written by military veterans, though the work created does not need to be military-centric.
Beginner and experienced writers are invited to participate in this two-day workshop that is free for veterans, active-duty military and their family members. Pre-registration is required for this workshop 2025 Veterans Creative Writing Workshop Registration Form.
Photo: Artist Noah Snyder's donation for The Great Art Heist.
50 Years and Counting
As Dare Arts Executive Director Jessica Sands notes, “We’re deeply grateful for the 50 years of unwavering support that has carried us through every exhibit, every live performance, and every meaningful connection along the way.”
With a half-century of arts advocacy behind it, Dare Arts continues to look forward — building on its legacy of enriching Dare County through creativity, inclusivity and community spirit.
You Should Go
Dare County Arts Council
300 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Manteo
(252) 473-5558
All photos in this blog courtesy of Dare Arts.
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.
