The team behind The Lost Colony Wine & Culinary Festival, a favorite springtime food and drink event, is back for the fall – and they’re bringing something brand new to the table. On Sunday, November 2, Roanoke Island Historical Association (RIHA) debuts its inaugural Shellabration & BBQ, a lively afternoon of food, music and community at the Safe Harbor Marina Tiki Bar in the heart of Wanchese.
This exciting new event celebrates coastal heritage and local flavor with a mix of seafood, barbecue and live entertainment, all to support the work of RIHA, the nonprofit that has produced The Lost Colony outdoor drama for more than 85 years. The event is made possible in part by a grant from the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.
"This event is less fancy than our Wine Festival," says Cindy McGann, the event's organizer and board chairman of Roanoke Island Historical Association. "This is more like a throwdown, a fun outdoor community event in the spirit of the Stumpy Point Oyster Roast and the local seafood events Marc Basnight used to hold in Wanchese."
Oysters from Little Star Oyster Farm in Hyde County and other local oyster farms will be served at the event.
A Taste of the Coast
For seafood, McGann says guests will feast on oysters from Savage Inlet Oysters, Good Time Charlie's and Little Star Oyster Farm, plus Cousins Oysters will be roasting local oysters and Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen will be frying Gold Rock oysters and serving their famous shrimp cakes. Johanna's at Wanchese Tiki Hut will prepare sweet potato ham biscuits and Hatteras clam chowder, and Pigman's Bar-B-Que is bringing the smoked meats. Bethany United Methodist Church is providing the baked goods via cake samples and a bake sale for their youth program. Lost Colony Brewery beer and a variety of wines will also be available.
All oyster shells will be recycled in partnership with the North Carolina Coastal Federation, and experts will be on hand to discuss oyster farming and the importance of healthy coastal ecosystems.
The event backdrop is the marina at Safe Harbor Outer Banks.
Music, Culture & Community
The afternoon will be filled with the sounds of live music by the local band Blue Crab Boys, plus a special Pow Wow performance by Indigenous members of The Lost Colony cast. The performance will feature traditional Native dances, including Eastern Woodland, Smoke and Warrior dances, as a powerful tribute to the heritage that shaped this region’s history.
A raffle will add extra excitement, with proceeds helping support RIHA’s mission to commemorate and share the story of America’s first English colonies on Roanoke Island.
Event Details
Location: Safe Harbor Marina Tiki Bar, Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park, outdoors under a tent
Date: Sunday, November 2
Time: 1 to 4 p.m.
Tickets: $95 – includes food, two drink tickets, live music
Age: 21+ only
Parking: Plenty of free parking available
Tickets are already selling fast. To learn more or secure tickets, click here or call (252) 473-2127.
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.
