Honoring History and the Environment at America’s 250th and Earth Day Celebrations on the Outer Banks

There’s something especially fitting about celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and Earth Day here on the Outer Banks — a place where history and nature define who we are. 

This week, both of these themes can be celebrated in meaningful ways: honoring the nation’s past and looking to its future while also making efforts to care for the landscapes and waters that sustain us. Whether you’re stepping into centuries-old stories at A250 events or getting your hands in the dirt at an Earth Day celebration, it’s all part of the same bigger picture – remembering where we’ve been and recommitting to where we’re going.

Dare A250

The Outer Banks is home to a rich history of coastal exploration, war, maritime traditions, African-American history and iconic firsts, including, famously, the world’s first flight by the Wright brothers in what is now Kill Devil Hills in 1903. Other notable history here includes Reginald Fessenden’s first wireless transmission of musical notes between Buxton and Roanoke Island in 1903, the nation’s first all-black U.S. Lifesaving Service crew at Pea Island, the establishment of the nation’s first national seashore and so many more. As a place where so much landmark history has unfolded, you’ll often hear Dare County (in which most of the Outer Banks is located) referred to as the Land of Beginnings.

What better place is there to join in on the celebrations of this year’s nationwide milestone: the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence? With counties, communities and citizens across the country preparing for America’s Semiquincentennial, better known as America 250 or A250, Dare County is all in on the celebrations – starting this weekend!

The Dare A250 planning committee is coordinating local participation along with America 250 NC, the statewide commemoration organized by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources as part of the national U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. Learn about North Carolina history and find events throughout the state at america250.nc.gov.

Dare A250 has several interactive initiatives. One highlight is the Land of Beginnings Dare A250 GIS Map. The digital map highlights 28 historic sites across Dare County, allowing users to explore significant locations and read about the events that occurred there. Access the Land of Beginnings Dare A250 GIS Map at gis.darecountync.gov/a250.

In addition, A250 has launched lessons, projects, an essay contest, a student art exhibit and more with Dare County Schools.

Other events throughout the year will have an A250 theme, but the official Dare A250 kickoff is this weekend with the Dare A250 Faire.

Photo: The Dare A250 Faire will be held in two locations: Downtown Manteo (pictured) and Roanoke Island Festival Park. Photo courtesy of Dare County.

Dare A250 Faire

Saturday, April 18

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Downtown Manteo, 3:30 to 7 p.m. at Roanoke Island Festival Park

Live Music & Performances in Downtown Manteo

• 11:10 a.m. Cypress Society Singers & Dancers, representing the Lumbee and Kahtehnuaka Tuscarora Eastern Woodland Native nations - The All-American Stage, Downtown
• 11:45 a.m. Opening Ceremony, The All-American Stage, Downtown
• 12 to 3 p.m. Live performances, including Connected (jazz), Ruth Wyand (roots Americana) and the Daniel Jordan Band (Southern country-rock)
• 3 p.m. Dare County All-American Award Ceremony will recognize participants in a variety of festive categories, including patriotic attire, patriotic pet, most decorated business and boat displays as well as Dare A250 Scholarship Awards. Participants should report behind the stage at 2:30 p.m. for judging.

Additional performances will take place on the Magnolia Freedom Stage, featuring Ascension Music Academy, Shiloh and Enrique with the Mustang Music Outreach Program and the OBX Jazzmen.

Street Entertainment & Community Experiences, Downtown Manteo

• 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Roving patriotic performers including stilt walkers, a bubble artist, a juggler and a hula hooper. Historical interpreters from The Lost Colony, Roanoke Island Festival Park and Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station will add a living-history element, while more than 60 local artisans and community organizations will be on-site. Several local businesses and restaurants will offer special events and discounts.
• 12 p.m. Student musicians from First Flight Middle School and Manteo Middle School will perform on Sir Walter Raleigh Street.

Featured Storytelling Experiences at the Pioneer Theater

The Pioneer Theater will host a free, live storytelling series highlighting the people, traditions and defining moments of the Outer Banks. Moderated by Miles Daniels, the program will feature four distinguished speakers sharing personal insights and historical perspectives:

• 11:30 a.m. – Clark Twiddy: “Vision, Risk, and Reinvention: How the Outer Banks Became a Destination”
• 12:30 p.m. – Robin Daniels Holt: “The Families Who Stayed: Generational Memory and Cultural Continuity”
• 1:30 p.m. – Nancy Gray: “Water, Work, and Survival: The Working Coast of the Outer Banks”
• 2:30 p.m. – Ken Mann: “Stories of the Outer Banks: Voices, Characters, and Coastal Memory”

Attendees are invited to come for one session or stay for the full experience, with archival film and video presentations shown between speakers. The Pioneer Theater is located at 109 Budleigh Street in Manteo.

Star-Spangled Spectacular Finale at Roanoke Island Festival Park

The Star-Spangled Spectacular (advance tickets, which are free, are required; get them at Dare A250 Faire: Star Spangled Spectacular).

• 3:30 p.m. Just Playing Dixieland
• 4:15 p.m. Opening Ceremony
• 4:30 p.m. Earth, Wind & Fire tribute by the Ray Howard Band

The day will conclude at Roanoke Island Festival Park with the Dare A250 Grand Finale — a multimedia patriotic production featuring a community choir and a powerful tribute to America’s enduring spirit.

Earth Day Celebrations

Spring has a way of reminding us why we love living here — longer days, warm breezes and a desire to be outside. Earth Day events tap into that energy. These Outer Banks Earth Day celebrations make it easy (and fun) to learn, explore and give a little love back to the coast.

Earth & Arts OBX

Wednesday, April 22, 4 to 8 p.m.

Soundside Event Site, Nags Head

Outer Banks Visitors Bureau invites everyone to come out and enjoy a walk on their new Soundside boardwalk! There will be a  ribbon-cutting ceremony for the boardwalk plus other fun activities. Browse among community and nonprofit organizations, artisan vendors with Earth-friendly products, dance to live music from Brooke & Nick and Hot Sauce and enjoy food and drinks and more!

Photo: Celebrating Earth Day on Ocracoke Island; photo courtesy of Ocracoke Alive

Ocracoke Earth Weekend Celebration

April 24 though 26

The people of Ocracoke celebrate Earth Day for an entire weekend. Now it in its third year, Ocracoke Earth Weekend is a multi-day event honoring the island’s natural beauty and strong conservation spirit with educational programs, hands-on activities and community events focused on protecting Ocracoke’s beaches, waters and wildlife. 

The weekend kicks off on Friday night with a concert by mahaloJazz at Ocracoke Alive's Deepwater Theater. Saturday and Sunday activities will commence at 11 a.m., following the conclusion of the Ocracoke Island Scallywag Races. This year's lineup features garden tours, bird watching, nature walks, yoga, a presentation on the restoration of the Ocracoke Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters, a look at the island's storied fishing industry and a presentation on oyster farming. On Saturday evening, film lovers can catch a screening of DamNation, hosted by Ocracoke's own acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ben Knight. Additional activities are planned throughout the weekend.

Earth Fair OBX at Jockey’s Ridge State Park

Saturday, April 25, 1 to 4 p.m.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Nags Head

Celebrate Earth Day week with the Coastal Environmental Educators Network and friends. The event will bring together many Outer Banks and regional organizations that offer environmental education opportunities and services to the community.  Share your love for the natural world and check out our fun, free, and informative exhibits and activities for kids. Kitty Hawk Kites and Dare Arts teamed up to create the Outer Banks Sweep the Beach Trash Art Contest. Artists were asked to create and submit work from the trash they have collected from Outer Banks beaches now on display along the “TrART Walk” at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing. Winners will be announced at the Kitty Hawk Kites booth during the event. 

RWSCA Earth Day Celebration and Plant Swap

Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Rodanthe Waves Salvo Community Building, Salvo

The Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Civic Association will host its fourth annual Earth Day Celebration on the weekend following Earth Day. A community plant swap will give folks a chance to trade plants, trees, vegetables and seeds or pick up something new. Free native plants, courtesy of Wetland Plants Inc. of Edenton and sponsored by Midgett Realty, will include cardinal flowers, black‑eyed Susans and several varieties of mallow/hibiscus. Families can enjoy planting stations and craft tables, and local musician Martin Somers will provide live music throughout the morning. This year’s event also features a pop-up library hosted by the Hatteras branch of the Dare County Library, offering books and information for readers of all ages. Several local groups will also be on hand with demonstrations and information, including Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative, Surfrider Foundation, Dare County Master Gardeners, North Carolina Coastal Federation, Frisco Native American Museum, Peace Garden Project / Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival and local beekeepers and birdwatchers. Raffles of baskets, live oaks and fig trees will help support the civic association’s projects and events. Chicamacomico Banks Fire and Water Rescue will serve grilled food, with proceeds benefiting the department.