I love it when it’s finally warm enough to be outside but not hot enough to break a sweat too easily. Springtime is great in that regard. This week you’ll find a little bit of it all on the Outer Banks — events that bring you out in the fresh air and also get your heart racing, others that let you kick back for an evening of entertainment, some that give your taste buds a memorable experience and much more. With returning annual events to new happenings’ debuts, you have a week of sports, food and arts in store.
Flying Pirate Half Marathon
Swashbucklers and runners, rejoice! The Flying Pirate Half Marathon swoops back to the Outer Banks this weekend with an assortment of events that you can enjoy, runner or not. The Flying Pirate Half Marathon consists of different events, so if 13.1 miles sounds slightly intimidating to you, don’t sweat it. Save that sweat instead for the First Flight 5K. Or skip the sweat completely by opting for the Pirate Jamboree. The Half Marathon’s course begins in Kitty Hawk and takes you along the Albemarle Sound into Nags Head. As you run you’ll enjoy sights like the sound’s waters, the Wright Brothers National Memorial and the Nags Head Woods maritime forest. The Pirate Jamboree welcomes you at the finish line with free beer and food for runners and live music for all to enjoy. Enthusiasm is important, so come wearing your finest pirate attire for prizes. Additionally, awards will be presented for the overall top male and female finishers. The 5K will be held on Saturday, and the half marathon on Sunday. Check out the event’s website to register.
Student Discount at Basnight’s Lone Cedar Café
Fuel all that hard work after your run at Basnight’s Lone Cedar in Nags Head. This Saturday they’re offering a special deal to all local prom-goers who join them for dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. before dancing the night away. Ladies and gents from First Flight and Manteo High Schools who show up in their prom attire will receive 50% off their meal. That’ll help you sample tasty apps like beer-battered dolphin tacos, feast on entrees of broiled wahoo topped with shrimp in a tequila lime sauce or even filet mignon grilled to perfection and don't forget to indulge in desserts. Vanilla crème brulée or Hershey Bar cake, anyone? Share any photos from your experience using #promatbasnights and @lonecedarcafe for your chance to score a restaurant gift certificate.
Boeing Boeing
While there are many of us who are either too old or too klutzy for prom, there’s no reason for us to feel disadvantaged. In fact, this means you have Saturday night free to for a little cultural flair. Head to the Theatre of Dare in Manteo for their newest production, Boeing Boeing. Take a break from your life and join Bernard’s cushy life in the 1960s: Paris flat, three beautiful fiancées, the works. But the introduction of the newer and faster Boeing jet threatens to disrupt Bernard’s calculated balancing act. This comedy has caused laughter from London to New York. Come see what response it elicits on the Outer Banks starting this Friday and running through April 30 at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.
Get Taco Silly in Honor of Lilly
Who doesn’t like tacos and philanthropy? Beats me. And we’re in luck because the first annual Outer Banks Taco Cook-Off happens this Sunday. Come out to Bonzer Shack Bar and Grill in Kill Devil Hills and watch (and taste) local restaurants compete to boast the best taco on the beach. With purchase of your admission ticket, you also get to sample as many tacos as you’d like, but things get tricky when you must cast your vote for the best. How will you possibly pick just one?! And there’s more than tacos — this even also features live music, a silent auction and activities to complement your dining experience. This event is in honor of Lilly Roderick, and proceeds help send children to summer camp at Jennette’s Pier so that more children can share Lilly’s love of summer camp. Admission is $20 for adults and free for children 10 and younger. This event is from 1 to 5 p.m. Taco-‘bout a great cause!
This week’s events are just a few of the highlights among many. To learn more about other activities to fill these April evenings, check out our Nightlife listings. For events focusing on arts and crafts and local culture and history, check our Daytime Events listing.
About the Author Hannah Lee Leidy
Hannah Lee is a fiction and creative nonfiction writer living on the Outer Banks. She graduated from Kenyon College in Ohio with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. Traveling is her passion, but nowhere ever feels as much like home as the Outer Banks. When not planning her next trip or adventure, Hannah Lee loves aimless drives down the Beach Road, spending copious amounts of time in coffee shops and reading every short story collection she gets her hands on. 
