Halloween in Manteo lasts a whole lot longer than one night. Around here, Halloween is a whole month-long party.
From October 1 through Halloween night, Roanoke Island transforms into Halloween Island, a month-long town-wide charity bar crawl that turns Manteo into the epicenter of spooky season on the Outer Banks. Now in its third year, Halloween Island brings 31 days (which this year includes five weekends and plenty of weeknight fun) of adult trick-or-treating. For this year's third annual event, the theme is Rise of the Moondog.
For the 21-and-older crowd, more than a dozen Manteo restaurants and watering holes transform themselves into elaborately themed Halloween destinations. Visitors can make their way from one spooky stop to the next through Manteo’s walkable downtown and social district or to a couple of bars on the outskirts of downtown on the Haunted Ghoul Bus.
With its adult trick-or-treating bar crawl, Halloween Island is mostly for grownups. But families are welcome to dine in the Halloween-themed restaurants, and family-friendly events and activities happen around the island throughout October, culminating with Manteo’s beloved Halloween night celebration. And with local inns and hotels joining the festivities, overnight visitors can park the car, check in and spend an entire Halloween weekend exploring Manteo on foot.
Photo: Halloween Island festivities at NouVeins – A Vampire Blood Bar (NouVines Wine Bar).
Halloween Island is the brainchild of Geno Seay, owner of Lost Colony Tavern in Downtown Manteo. Five Halloweens ago, as the tavern’s new owner, Seay transformed his restaurant into the Ghost Colony Tavern pop-up. He soon encouraged other Manteo businesses to get in on the fun, and in 2024 Halloween Island was born.
“From the beginning, my vision was to make Halloween Island a benefit for our community,” Seay says. “It would’ve been easy to just run it through my tavern, but Manteo is such a special town. We have this walkable social district, and I wanted to create something that lets adults be adults among other adults and also be family-friendly while supporting local causes.”
Presenting sponsors Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and Kellogg Supply and a whole host of other sponsors have come on board to make this year's Halloween Island even better, drawing both locals and visitors.
Need somewhere to stay during Halloween Island? Book accommodations on Outer Banks This Week.
Photo: Halloween Island festivities in Manteo's social district.
One of the best aspects of Halloween Island is that most of it takes place inside Manteo’s walkable, state-sanctioned social district. Adults can stroll from one themed bar to the next without ever getting behind the wheel. For venues outside downtown, Outer Banks Adventures provides the Haunted Ghoul Bus service, and they'll also be offering shuttle service to and from the beach communities and between the bars on the outskirts of downtown. Seats on the bus are already filling up so make your reservations early and be sure to wear your costumes on the bus.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is one of Halloween Island's sponsors, and volunteers will be on site some nights in Downtown Manteo, reminding visitors to be safe after a fun night on the town.
"They're not out to stop the fun — just to remind everyone to have fun safely," Seay says.
Photo: The OG Halloween Island bar: Ghost Colony Tavern.
The Halloween Island Bars
More than a dozen restaurants and bars in Downtown Manteo and beyond have been busy rebranding into their Halloween alter-egos. Here's a list of where you'll want to go, and you can find more information about each place here. Many of these locations will have special events and parties, so check the Halloween Island calendar here.
Ghost Colony Tavern (Lost Colony Tavern)
The Masquerade (Salt & Cypress)
Tranquil Hallows Inn – Platform 15(87) A Harry Potter Bar (Tranquil House Inn and 1587)
Goretega'z A Zombie Apocolypse Bar (Oretega'z Southwestern Grill and Bar)
Dead Sailors Society Ghost Ship Bar (Outer Banks Distilling)
NouVeins – A Vampire Blood Bar (NouVines Wine Bar)
The Pioneer Monster Cinema: A Classic Movie Monsters Bar (The Pioneer Theater)
Madame Olive's Haunted Mansion Bar (Olives a Greek Kitchen)
Phantoms of Budleigh Street- A Phantom of the Opera Bar (Old Tom's Beer Wine & Provisions)
Vicki B's - A Pop-Up Beetlejuice Bar (Vicki B's Manteo)
Witches on the Scuppernong (Vineyards on the Scuppernong)
Frankentender: A Mad Scientist Bar (Firetender Stone Oven Cooking + Bar)
Kiiiller Cocktails (Kiiind Cocktails) will appear in various locations with free costume and cocktail parties
The Passport Program
Buy a passport at any Halloween Island location for $5. Collect a stamp from at least 10 of the bars and you'll receive a Halloween Island magnet and be entered into weekly drawings of goods donated from the Halloween Island bars. The passport has a family-friendly feature in which kids can collect at least 10 stamps in local shops and receive a Halloween Island sticker.
Photo: The whole town gets in on the fun of making Manteo spooky.
Putting the FUN in Fundraising
Halloween Island isn’t just about fun — it’s about raising money for local causes. Thanks to a grant from Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, Halloween Island can channel 100 percent of the proceeds from t-shirt sales ($30) and passports ($5) directly toward this year's beneficiary, Outer Banks Relief Foundation.
Outer Banks Relief Foundation was created in 2005 to ensure that no local family would have to face both a devastating diagnosis and financial ruin. Today, the Foundation helps about 200 households each year, easing the burden of everyday bills during times of serious illness or personal tragedy. They make direct payments ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to mortgage companies, landlords, utility providers, and auto lenders, helping ensure our neighbors’ basic needs are covered while they focus on healing and recovery.
Photo: Island Farm's kid-friendly Pumpkin Patch event is held every Saturday in October.
Beyond the Bars
In addition to Halloween Island, Roanoke Island is bursting at the seams with Halloween-themed events. From fun runs to pumpkin patches, here is what else you can do on Roanoke Island in October. For more information and more events, be sure to check Outer Banks This Week's frequently updated Events Calendar.
First Friday: Halloween Island Kickoff Edition, October 2, 6 to 8 p.m. in Downtown Manteo
OBX Ghost Tour : Guided tours in Downtown Manteo
Pumpkin Patch Saturdays October 3, 10, 17 and 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Island Farm
Bluegrass Island Music Festival October 14 to 17 at Roanoke Island Festival Park (not Halloween themed but a major festival)
Wicked Woods Haunted Attraction October 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 7:30 to 11 p.m. 18766 U.S. Highway 64, East Lake
Outer Banks Halloween Film Festival October 23 and 24 at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo
Dare to Scare 5K and Sweet Treat Fun Run October 24, 8 to 10 a.m. Coastal Studies Institute and Virginia S. Tillett Community Center
Howl-O-Ween Pet Costume Parade and Party October 24 with Poodles and Bob Pet Supply and Boutique at the Bough and Vine Pavilion
Harborween, October 24, 3 to 7 p.m., Wanchese Marina
Night of 1587 Pumpkins, October 30, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Elizabethan Gardens
Halloween Night Street Party on Halloween Island, October 31, 5 p.m. until...
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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.
