I keep being surprised by the musical plenty that has blessed the Outer Banks this summer. Already, Straight No Chaser and Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys have performed before Outer Banks audiences.
! ATTENTION: CHANGE OF VENUE !
Due to the threat of inclement weather and extreme heat the venue for the Kathy Mattea concert has been changed to First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills. The school is located at 100 Veterans Drive off Colington Road (Ocean Bay Boulevard) near milepost 8. Doors opent at 7 p.m. New tickets will be assigned to patrons already holding tickets. See the Will Call station in the theater lobby. The VIP lounge has been moved to the Forth Floor Ballroom of The Ramada Plaza Nags Head at 1701 Virginia Dare Trail (Beach Road) in Kill Devil Hills at milepost 9.5. The lounge will be open from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For additional information contact The Lost Colony Theatre Ticket Office at (252) 473-6000.
Now, hot on the heels of Ralph Stanley's concert, country music leading lady Kathy Mattea makes her Outer Banks debut. The two-time Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year has long been one of country music's most distinctive and acclaimed artists, having sold more than seven million albums and won two Grammys in addition to the CMA Vocalist of the Year awards. Tickets for Mattea's performance are available on The Lost Colony website and are $30 for regular seating and $50 for VIP seats. VIP tickets include seating in the first few rows from the stage, access to the lounge at the Ramada Plaza Nags Head, a limited edition poster plus an opportunity to meet Mattea herself! Gates open at 7 p.m.
A mere four days after Mattea graces the First Flight High School stage, the Grammy Award-winning band Blues Traveler will perform Thursday, July 25 at Roanoke Island Festival Park Amphitheater in Manteo. Blues Traveler have charted a number of hits (including "Runaround," "Hook," "Carolina Blues," "But Anyway" and "The Mountains Win Again") and recorded a string of gold and platinum albums. Joining Blues Traveler will be special guests The Pat McGee Band and Outer Banks favorites Matt McGuire & The Wilders. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at any Brew Thru location or online at the Brew Thru website. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the gate (gates open at 5 p.m.). Three great bands in a great venue for a mere $30! That's hard to beat. Tickets are selling fast, so don't delay.
Other Happenings
The Outer Banks has long been a sanctuary for many species of birds. Sign up for The Elizabethan Gardens' educational program "Create a Bird Haven in Your Backyard" on Thursday, July 18 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and learn how to transform your yard into a welcoming refuge for our feathered friends with the optimal combination of plants, water features and birdhouses. Pre-registration is required and the program fee is $20/members, $25/non-members. Ages 16 and older are welcome. Participants will receive an extra 10% off plant purchases. Call (252) 473-3234 for more information.
Join Whalehead Thursday, July 18 at 6:30 p.m. for "Tippling at Twilight" and experience the hospitality and gentle ease of the wealthy during The Great Gatsby era. Be a guest as the house prepares to entertain in fashionable 1920s style. The tour is followed by a wine tasting on the West Porch. Admission is $20/person and pre-registration is required.
Before mastering the intricacies of powered flight, the Wright Brothers fine-tuned their understanding of the basic principles of flight using a series of kites and gliders. The 35th Annual Wright Kite Festival held Saturday and Sunday, July 20-21 at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills provides an opportunity to visit the museum's exhibits followed by a chance to put your new-found knowledge to the test. Bring your own kite or build a kite using knowledge gleaned from the birthplace of aviation. Put this knowledge to the test flying stunt kites under the supervision of Kitty Hawk Kites' staff. Admission to the kite festival is free with park admission ($4/adult; children 16 and younger free). Call (252) 449-2210 for more information. Wright Brothers National Memorial Park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sometimes true understanding requires getting your feet wet. Join a North Carolina Aquarium instructor Tuesday, July 23 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for a fun-filled "Wetlands Walk," a catch and release program in the salt marsh at Oregon Inlet. You'll use nets and buckets to search for and collect some of the many animals that inhabit the marsh while learning about an estuary, the sound, the tides and the dynamic ecosystem of the marsh! All collected animals will be identified and released back into the sound. The tour is $15/person, $13.50/NC Aquarium members; pre-registration is required. The tour is suitable for ages 8 and older (children younger than 12 must be accompanied by a paying adult). Closed-toe water shoes are required.
Next Tuesday, July 23 between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. shoppers at Tanger Outlet Center in Nags Head may find themselves mesmerized by more than great deals. Stanley the Magician will entrance onlookers with his special blend of interactive magic as part of a strolling performance ranging throughout the shopping center. And, who knows, you may find yourself promoted from humble shopper to magician's assistant, so make sure to bring your camera!
The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras has a full slate of free summer activities to enjoy. Among them are Sam Green's canvasback decoys demonstration. On Thursday, July 18 stop by from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and watch Hatteras decoy maker Sam Green handcraft canvasback decoys using generations-old methods. While you're there purchase a ticket to win one of Sam's original creations, a handsome handcrafted wood duck. The event will be repeated Thursday, July 25 at the same time.
On Thursday, July 25 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. the museum is hosting a meet-and-greet and booksigning with local author and chef Sharon Peele Kennedy to introduce her book What's for Supper? Meet the author, enjoy a clam cooking demonstration and take home some chef's tips you can use in your own kitchen. For more information on this or other events visit the museum's website or call (252) 986-2995.
More Music!
They've got it going on this summer down in Avon at Koru Village's PapaWack Theatre, North Carolina's only oceanfront theater of its kind. Earlier this season saw Southern Culture on the Skids play a Dare County Arts Council fundraiser in the theater. This Thursday, July 18 the legendary beach music band The Embers takes the stage from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.! Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door and are available at BrownPaperTickets.com and at Koru Village.
Local guitarist and vocalist Ruth Wyand plays the deck at The Brine and Bottle on the Nags Head/Manteo Causeway every Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (weather permitting). Innovative cuisine and great musicianship with a spectacular Sound view - not a bad way to spend a summer evening.
Folks in Corolla can hop on over to Whalehead on Tuesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for their Summer Concert Series. Bring a blanket or chair, relax on the South Lawn and watch the sunset while listening to some of the Outer Banks' most talented local musicians. No alcohol can be brought into the park, but Whalehead will be selling beer and glasses and bottles of wine. Frozen treats from Honey's Ice Cream and Rita's Italian Ice will also be available. Leashed pets are welcome and admission and parking are free.
And it doesn't stop there! Check out the Outer Banks Nightlife & Events listings at OuterBanksThisWeek.com for even more up-to-the-minute music and entertainment options. Whatever your ears like, you can find it being played somewhere on the Outer Banks this summer.
This week you have a chance to win a 2 person kayak from Ocean Atlantic Rentals and a $35 gift certificate to Agave Roja!
For more information about Ocean Atlantic Rentals, check out their website.
For more information about Agave Roja, check out their website.
Last Week's Winner
Congratulations to Shirley Ferrara!!!
You won a $50 gift certificate to Ocean Annie's Craft Gallery and an evening cruise for two on the Crystal Dawn!
For more information about Crystal Dawn, check out their website.
For more information about Ocean Annie's, check out their website.
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.
