Named one of the top 15 island festivals in the world by Coastal Living Magazine, Ocracoke Island's Ocrafolk Festival is a family-friendly event that shouldn't be missed. Ocrafolk begins Friday at 4 p.m. with Donald Davis' Storytelling Workshop at Deepwater Theater, followed from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. by the Ocrafolk Festival Feed, a dinner of fried fish or grilled chicken and sides catered by The Pony Island Restaurant at the Live Oak Stage. After dinner, festival goers can attend a fundraising local artist-oriented art auction from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Berkley Manor near the village ferry docks. Friday closes with live music at the Live Oak Stage and Deepwater Theater.
Saturday features artisans and craftspeople from all over Eastern Carolina and beyond from 9 a.m to 6 p.m. as well as a dizzying array of entertainment from storytelling, puppet shows and kids activities such as fish print T-shirts to musical events featuring banjo masters, fiddlers, guitarists, bands such as Molasses Creek and Caravan of Thieves, even a square dance! Sunday offers Yoga with Amy as a low key way to greet the day, followed by a gospel sing and performances by the Ocracoke Jazz Society and others before the event closes with the All-Star Jam Finale. Admission is $15/adult, $5/child age 6-12 with children younger than 6 admitted free. See the website for the most up-to-date schedule and lineup information.
Another notable event this week is the upcoming appearance of singer-songwriter Donavon Frankenreiter at Kelly's Outer Banks Restaurant and Tavern in Nags Head on Monday, June 10. Frankenreiter, a former Billabong-sponsored professional surfer and longtime friend and sometime performing partner of fellow surfer and musician Jack Johnson, is currently touring the East Coast in support of his new album Start Livin'. Special guest Mia Dyson is accompanying Frankenreiter on the tour. Doors open at 8 p.m. with opening act Makua Rothman performing a 45-minute set at 9 p.m. before Frankenreiter takes the stage around 10 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available in advance online at BrownPaperTickets.com and at Kelly's.
Other Happenings
There's nothing quite like the new perspective gained by viewing our islands from out on the water. On Thursday, June 6 join North Carolina Aquarium instructors at 10 a.m. to explore the outdoors, and perhaps get a little wet, as part of the Paddling Around Roanoke Island program, a leisurely kayak outing suitable for the beginners aged 6 to adult (children 12 and younger must share a kayak with a paying adult). Just bring water shoes, sunscreen, water and a sense of adventure! The fee is $30/person, and pre-registration is required. See the website for future dates.
The 31st Annual Rogallo Kite Festival will take place June 8-9 at Jockey's Ridge Crossing in Nags Head. The festival honors Francis Rogallo, a NASA scientist whose inventions jump started the sport of hang gliding and whose design ideas have been transformed into the stunt kites, power kites and hang gliders flown today. You'll be astounded by some really large kites and can try your hand at flying a variety of kite types, learning about kitemaking and more! Terry Murray, a regional and national kite competition champion, routinely amazes onlookers with his quad-line kite flying skills. Inner City Mountain Men, a folk band out of Raleigh, NC, will provide musical entertainment across the road at the Kitty Hawk Kites Nags Head location. Admission is free. For more information contact the events coordinator at {encode="events@kittyhawk.com" title="events@kittyhawk.com"}.
Also on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the area's best multi-hull sailors converge on Nor'Banks Sailing and Watersports in Duck to fight it out for the Duck Cup at the 10th Annual Duck Cup Regatta, a two-day distance race consisting of one leg to Corolla and one leg to the Currituck Bridge! Entry is $50/boat, and pre-registration is required.
Imagine being a kid from an inland area and being able to return from your vacation and proudly proclaim to friends, "I...am...a...surfer!" Pretty impressive, right? Ride the Wind in Ocracoke provides that very opportunity to kids 8 to 18 years of age with its three-day Surf Camp, a fun and closely supervised introduction to surfing and ocean safety. Held Tuesday through Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon, class groupings are small, with a 4:1 student to teacher ratio and a dedicated lifeguard on duty at all times. All instructors are trained in ocean safety, first aid and CPR. All equipment is provided and has been chosen to assure ease of use and optimal safety. Weather and ocean conditions are constantly monitored. Training includes instruction on riptides, lateral currents and handling surfboards safely both in and out of the water, followed by surfing ground school focusing on the mechanics of paddling and standing up. Brief first day one-on-one sessions in the water are followed on the second and third day by individualized instruction based on the progress of the student. Sessions fill up quickly so visit the Ride The Wind website to register as early as possible. The daily rate is $85/person and the weekly rate is $200/person.
Family togetherness is good. But sometimes Mom and Dad need a little time alone (perhaps simply to recall why they came together to become Mom and Dad). If that seems an increasingly unattainable goal, then Jennette's Pier's Parent's Night Out program is one summer solution. All summer long on Thursday nights from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. parents can drop off the kids (age 4 and older) with a Jennette's Pier educator for an evening of food, fun and learning that includes pizza, crafts and an educational program. Meanwhile Mom and Dad are free to go out for a night on the town. Imagine it...a leisurely dinner, a glass of wine or two, adult conversation. Exactly. Cost is $30/child, and pre-registration is required.
This Friday's installment of Movies on the Sound at the Outer Banks Event Site in Nags Head will be a screening of Hook, featuring Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman and Julia Roberts. Gates open at 7 p.m., and the movie begins at dusk. Bring a blanket or chairs and watch a great movie under the stars...for free! (Parking is $10/car.) Concessions are available. Call (252) 261-0290 for weather updates and cancellations. Check the website for a list of upcoming movies.
Finally, don't forget, this Friday is First Friday in downtown Manteo. Kicking off at 6 p.m., June's musical line-up features Mojo Collin at the Old Courthouse, Pete Roberts by Ortega'z and Graham Outten at the Magnolia Pavilion. Shops and galleries will be open late, and a variety of restaurants will appeal to any palate or budget. The Dare County Arts Council will host a reception for its Artist of the Month, and as always a bevy of other activities and entertainment will be available for folks of all ages.
This week you have a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Gray's Outer Banks & a $35 gift certificate to Trio -- Wine, Beer & Cheese!
For more information about Grays, check out their website.
For more information about OBX TRIO, check out their website.
Last Week's Winner
Congratulations to Tammy Gill!!!
You won two ultimate umbrellas and 10 beach chairs for a week from Ocean Atlantic Rentals and a $50 gift certificate to Hurricane Mos!
For more information about Ocean Atlantic Rentals, check out their website.
For more information about Hurricane Mo's, check out their Facebook page.
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.
