OUTER BANKS MILEPOST: ISSUE 13.3

NOSTALGIA

startingpoint

Photo: Drew C. Wilson

That’s the problem with nostalgia. Too often, we wallow in the warmest memories — and forget the cold, hard realities.

The good thing?

According to a 2008 report in Current Directions in Psychological Science, nostalgia also “magnifies perceptions of social support, thus counteracting the effects of loneliness.” In fact, when facing an existential threat, “nostalgia boosts perceptions of life as meaningful.”

“WE’RE REALLY JUST THE TAIL END OF A LONG PARADE OF CLUELESS INVADERS.

THE 90’S ARE BACK!

go rearview

No, they’re not. And they never will be.

Oh, Oakley blades may shine brightly once more. Ironic mullets might flap proudly in the breeze. Even high-cut bikinis are hip again. Who knows? Maybe Bill Clinton has another intern stashed in his New York hamlet, while OJ’s blazing his Bronco though the pits of Hell.

But the years, the memories — the actual events — they’re as lost as my favorite Mexi’s tee.

And that’s a good thing. Because looking back through Drew C. Wilson’s images from that decade for this issue’s retrospective, I don’t think we could handle another era that “epic.”

Oh, I know. Those of us who arrived then love to recount those years as the Outer

Banks’ Day-Glo halcyon days — with us as the heroes. Just a bunch of hedonistic pioneers who sacrificed paychecks and brain cells in the service of waves, wind, and/or fish. Scraping our way through brutal winters and economic woes. Forgoing the shallow trappings of the outside world for a richer life.

The truth is we’re really just the tail end of a long parade of clueless invaders that began with the Roanoke Voyages. Those who couldn’t hack it disappeared; the lucky and resolute few somehow survived. But every human who stayed put helped pave the way for the next generation, each one part of a self-perpetuating prophecy that says: If you build it, they will come and once they come, they’ll just build some more.

And no years built this place up like the decade or so leading up to the

new millennium. After all, we were the entrepreneurs who didn’t just open more restaurants and rental companies, but whole new businesses and industries, from microbreweries and head shops to screen printers and IT support. All were designed to fill a need that rose from having more people — which only made it a more desirable place for folks to live.

Of course, we didn’t see it that way, because we were too busy finding our way and forging our lives, along with creating a few more humans — all the things that define those years of early adulthood, when you’re just trying to stay afloat while making a few waves of your own. Only when you can finally stop treading water do you have time to look around and say, “Where’d all these people come from? Where’d all the land go? How did this happen?”

In other words, when we cling to our old ways, we’re really clinging to each other and reminding ourselves that those vintage values still matter. Maybe, we even preserve a touch of the magic that makes this place special — and a way of life that may be fading but ain’t gone yet.

Or maybe, we’re just kidding ourselves.

But if bonding over old times and fuzzy photos reminds us to feel proud instead of put upon — or, better yet, nudges fresh arrivals to break the chains of society’s hang-ups and let their freak flags fly a bit — then, by all means, keep sharing those memories. Hell, let’s all break the internet with pictures of empty roads and raging dance halls. Cozy cottage courts and ol’ Nags Headers. Community fixtures bellied up to the bar, rusty trucks lifted up to the heavens — and BMWs buried up to their bumpers.

Wallow in the past like a teenage wave hog in summer slop. Just don’t forget the part we’ve all played in building our present — and our future. — Matt Walker

Thank you for reading Outer Banks Milepost. We hope you enjoy it. If not — before chucking this issue into the nearest dumpster — please consider one of the following equally satisfying ways of expressing your disgust: put devil’s horns on the pix of all the impish invaders; mail a photo collage postcard to your 90s self, saying, “Wish you’d stayed home!” Or just toss it on that six-month stack of newspapers you’ve yet to recycle. (Trust us, you’ll feel better.) Then, send any and all feedback — positive, negative or just plain confused — to: editor@outerbanksmilepost.com. We promise to find some way to re-purpose them.

Baby got flashback. The 90s were stacked with beauty contests like “Best Body on the Beach.”

Photo: Drew C. Wilson

Carnell Boyle, Stephen Brewer, John Butler, George Cheeseman, Marcia Cline, Carolina Coto, Kim Cowen, Cloey Davis, Michael J. Davis, Fay Davis Edwards, Mary Edwards, Laine Edwards, Marc Felton, Travis Fowler, Adriana Gomez-Nichols, Amelia Kasten, Chris Kemp, Nathan Lawrenson, Dave Lekens, Tim Lusk, Elisa McVearry, Ben Miller, Dawn Moraga, Ben Morris, Holly Nettles, Stella Nettles, Rick Nilson, Barbara Noel, Holly Overton, Stuart Parks II, James Perry, Brad Price, Charlotte Quinn, Willow Rea, Meg Rubino, Shirley Ruff, Noah Snyder, Rob Snyder, Janet Stapelman, Alyse Stewart, Kenneth Templeton, Stephen Templeton, Shane Thomas, George Tsonev, CW, Christina Weisner, Chris Wheeler, John Wilson, Mark Wiseman, Bri Young, Mike Zafra Lensfolk

Nate Appel, Matt Artz, Nathan Beane, Chris Bickford, Russell Blackwood, Mike Booher, Don Bower, Aycock Brown, Mark Buckler, Jon Carter, Garnette Coleman, Rich Coleman, Marc Corbett, Kim Cowen, Chris Creighton, Mere Crockett, Benny Crum, Jason Denson, Amy Dixon, Susan Dotterer Dixon, Lori Douglas, Julie Dreelin, Tom Dugan/ESM, Roy Edlund, Bryan Elkus, Ben Gallop, Cory Godwin, Treveon Govan, Chris Hannant, Katie Harms, Bryan Harvey, David Alan Harvey, Ginger Harvey, Bob Hovey, Biff Jennings, Jenni Koontz, Daryl Law, Mike Leech, Anthony Leone, Jeff Lewis, Jared Lloyd, Matt Lusk, Ray Matthews, Brooke Mayo, Mickey McCarthy, Nic McLean, Roger Meekins, D. Victor Meekins, Richard L. Miller, Dick Meseroll/ESM, Ashley Milteer, David Molnar, Rachel Moser, Ryan Moser, Elizabeth Neal, Rob Nelson, Candace Owens, Anne Snape Parsons, Crystal Polston, Daniel Pullen, Cal Ramsey, Ryan Rhodes, Terry Rowell, Cyndi Goetcheus Sarfan, Katie Slater, Tom Sloate, Wes Snyder, Aimee Thibodeau, David Thomas, Ed Tupper, Eve Turek, Chris Updegrave, Dan Waters, Kati Wilkins, Cyrus Welch, Jay Wickens, Cody Wright Penfolk

Ashley Bahen, Madeline Bailey, Sarah Downing, Ty Evans, Laura Gomez-Nichols, Jim Gould, Steve Hanf, Sam Harriss, Dave Holton, Sarah Hyde, Catherine Kozak, Katrina Leuzinger Owens, Dan Lewis, Michelle Lewis, Terri Mackleberry, Fran Marler, Amanda McDanel, Maggie Miles, Matt Pruett, Mary Ellen Riddle, Peter Graves Roberts, Arabella Saunders, Sandy Semans, Shannon Sutton, Kip Tabb, Emmy Trivette, Kathleen Wasniewski, Hannah West, Clumpy White, Sharon Whitehurst, Natalie Wolfe, Michele Young-Stone Pointing/Clicking

Jesse Davis

Sales Force

Laurin Walker Big Mouth In Chief Matt Walker

Blame It All On Suite P Inc. PO Box 7100 • KDH, NC 27948 Office: 252-441-6203 • Sales: 949-275-5115

editor@outerbanksmilepost.com • sales@outerbanksmilepost.com

Outer Banks Milepost is published quarterly (sorterly) by Suite P Inc. All contents are the property of Suite P Inc. and do not reflect the opinion of advertisers or distributors. Nor do their contents reflect that of the creative types (who would never, ever sell out). Comments, letters and submissions are usually welcome. Please include SASE for return delivery of all snail mail, however, Milepost and Suite P Inc. still aren’t responsible for any unsolicited materials. And don’t expect much else to move much faster than IST (Island Standard Time). Oh yeah: if you reprint a lick of this content you’re ripping us off. (Shame on you.) To discuss editorial ideas, find out about advertising or tell us we blew it – or just find out what the waves are doing – call 252-441-6203 or email: editor@outerbanksmilepost.com; sales@outerbanksmilepost.com.

“I’m a 90s kid. I grew up skateboarding and watching cartoons like Ren & Stimpy. So, I’ve always been drawn to anything weird or counterculture. When I saw this documentary about Heaven’s Gate and Jim Jones and all these groups of crazy people that did insane religious things, I came up with my own cult. It’s basically a group of people that dress up like owls, wear hooded robes, and drink our blood because they think it will make them fly — but of course, they just end up falling off a cliff. Then I just kept drawing them doing ridiculous things. Because, as a graphic designer, I’ll obsess on any visual for months. And I’ve never been into art that felt too serious. I’d rather draw something that’s a little bit fun — and a little bit scary.”

Cheryl Blankenship, lac

Heather Geoghegan, lac

Stacy Weeks, lmbt #10201

Tracie Rosso, lmbt #02083

Laurie Everett, lmbt #20629

FUTURE SHOCK!

A weather forecasting tech storm is on the horizon.

Gauging weather has always been a guessing game on the Outer Banks. From the days of fishermen reading skies and animal behavior to predict coming storms, to modern surfers scratching their heads at another overhyped hurricane forecast. But now, the sucker punches come more often than ever, as even patterns rooted in scientific data are awry.

Rainfalls that used to be just “heavy” suddenly turn into flash flood conditions — sometimes inundating houses and neighborhoods that never saw water. Smaller tropical systems shock coastal communities with storm surges. On July 18, for example, a whopping 4.08 inches fell in Elizabeth City, setting a record for that date. And Hurricane Dorian was just a Cat. 1 that struck Ocracoke Island in 2019, but it still caused a record 7-foot storm surge.

Faced with a changing climate that’s outpacing forecasting technology, NOAA and other data crunchers are intensifying efforts to update the science of weather and storm forecasting. In May, the Biden Administration announced a $6.6 million award for a multi-university Data Assimilation Consortium to improve weather forecasts using computer models that assimilate current weather observations with numerical weather prediction data.

“The U.S. is experiencing nearly six times more major weather and climate disasters per year than forty years ago,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a press release. “The Administration is committed to ensuring we have the most accurate data possible to mitigate the impact of these disasters and fight climate change.”

Jan Ising, who is managing the NOAA consortium, says the resulting three-year project was launched in August and harnesses the efforts and experience of six U.S. universities:

University of Oklahoma, Colorado State University, Howard University, University of Maryland, Pennsylvania University, and the University of Utah.

“There’s so much data happening every day,” says Ising. “Observations are collected on the ground, in the air, in the sea, from space.”

There are numerous gaps, however, that make it impossible to utilize the data, he says, whether because the observations are late, have too many errors, or there’s a lack of capacity to sort through the volume of data, among other reasons.

That’s where artificial intelligence can assist in filtering

through the data and help in improving predictions, Ising adds.

Another task is training the next generation of data assimilation experts to fill the critical shortage of qualified employees for the workforce.

Most importantly, NOAA says it also wants the data and the science to be made accessible in an understandable form to the public and emergency managers — and to make sure the word gets out to as many people as possible — citing “the urgent need to immediately expand U.S. investments in weather research and forecasting across the entire value chain, and to dramatically increase that upward trend over the next decade.”

But some advances are coming much quicker. This fall, the National Hurricane Center’s infamous “cone of uncertainty” — the graphic that illustrates a named storm’s probable path — will get an experimental upgrade that incorporates inland tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings, as well as allows the public to provide input for improvement.

The intent of the expanded cone, the hurricane center says, is to communicate the potential wind risk to the inland areas without adding confusing data layers to the current coastal area version.

And it couldn’t come quick enough, as NOAA is predicting a “very high likelihood” — 85 percent — of an abovenormal hurricane season, with 17-to-25 named storms, 8-to-13 hurricanes, and 4-to-7 major hurricanes. (Average predictions are 14, 7 and 3, respectively.)

You don’t have to be a math wizard to realize that those higher numbers increase the odds of a tropical system impacting our coast. And, as we’ve learned from storms in the last 25 years — Floyd and Isabel and Irene and Matthew and Dorian — many storms do damage further inland.

Meanwhile, on the coast, even a glancing blow can destroy

homes and roads. Outer Bankers learned the hard way in 2011, when Hurricane Irene made landfall as a supposedly minor Category 1, yet it caught everyone off-guard with its destructive storm surge on Hatteras Island as well as soundside flooding north of Oregon Inlet.

Ironically, it’s those strikes and close calls that often fuel technology advancements — and just raise awareness.

According to Erik Heden, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Morehead City office, prior to Irene, coastal residents paid too much attention to wind speeds — particularly, the Saffir-Simpson scale, which categorizes a hurricane’s strength from 1 to 5. But less than 10 percent of storm deaths are wind-related, he says. Storm surge, flooding and rip currents are more dangerous.

“The turning point with Irene was not to focus on a [single] number,” says Heden.

And, after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy shocked the country in 2012, Congress funded upgrades for two woefully underpowered forecasting computers.

“Let me be blunt: the state of operational U.S. numerical weather prediction is an embarrassment to the nation, and it does not have to be this way,” wrote Cliff Maas, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington, on his weather blog, according to a May 2013 article in the Florida Times-Union.

In recent years, NOAA has also improved models and updated data collection tools, added storm surge prediction graphics, improved accuracy in tracking and pinpointing speed and strength of hurricanes — and increased the frequency of updates.

“The tropical weather forecast is now out to seven days instead of two,” Heden says while chatting during a recent stop at Jennette’s Pier. “You can now see four times a day what’s going to be going on for the next seven days.”

Forecasters have been working harder to raise awareness about long-term trends by predicting the potential number of named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes. And while each year seems to be more active than those in decades past, they say many factors make 2024 even more concerning than normal.

One main reason, they explain, is that just as the season is peaking in September, El Niño — which tends to suppress Atlantic tropical activity — is expected to segue to La Niña, which decreases the wind shear that shreds hurricanes’ power. And then there’s the record warm temperatures in the Atlantic and Gulf, thanks to climate change, which create fuel for hurricanes by supercharging their speed, strength and durability.

Luckily, the internet and social media have also intensified the amount of information and awareness. In the coming months, computers and cell phones will light up spaghetti graphics depicting the expected path of a storm from many different hurricane models — most notably the GFS, NOAA’s Global Forecast System model; the EURO, the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasting, or ECMWF global forecast model; and the HMON, hurricanes in a multi-scale model.

Of course, not even the most Space Age piece of tech will predict any storm perfectly. That’s why Heden suggests reading the full discussions issued by the NHC. And if you must follow a strand he says, make it the National Hurricane Center’s — because it uses an average of all the models to make a prediction.

“It’s the best forecast in terms of accuracy, strength and location,” he says. “It is also the most consistent forecast.” — Catherine Kozak

A DATE WITH THE INTIMIDATOR

The day hundreds of Dale Earnhardt fans toasted a new ferry.

BURGERS BEATS

Manteo is fond of celebrations. We revel there each June on Dare Day, gather to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July, and usher in the yuletide season with a holiday parade. In 1984, Walter Cronkite and Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne, were on hand to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Roanoke Voyages, which began England’s ill-fated attempt to colonize the “New World.”

However, nobody’s ever drawn a crowd like NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt.

On an overcast and muggy day in July 1995, a mob of 500 appreciative onlookers came out to see “the Intimidator,” as he joined North Carolina governor Jim Hunt and other dignitaries for the christening of the newest ferry in the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s fleet — the Thomas A. Baum.

The ferry was named for a different kind

of metal-mover. In 1926, The Dare County native was among the first to meet the growing demand for visitation when he began the Roanoke Ferry Company, shuttling cars between Point Harbor, at the southern tip of Currituck County, and Roanoke Island’s North End. (He later added routes across the Croatan Sound and Alligator River.)

It was anything but a speedy voyage.

Baum’s vessel carried only 8 vehicles — on a trip that took just about two hours. So, when the Wright Memorial Bridge opened between Point Harbor to Kitty Hawk in 1932, it ushered in a new era of motorized transportation and ultimately rendered Baum’s business breakthrough obsolete.

As Baum’s obituary in 1945 noted, “His tireless work was largely responsible in creating a demand for bridges, which later replaced his ferries.”

Earnhardt gets a crash course in boat christening.

Photo: Drew C. Wilson/ Outer Banks History Center

But the new Thomas A. Baum was built to make sure his legacy would stand the test of time.

Its keel was laid at Steiner Shipbuilding in Bayou La Batterie, Louisiana. The 140foot handicapped accessible vessel was equipped to carry 30 cars, 149 passengers, and a crew of four. It was also trimmed with NC State red and white as part of NCDOT’s plan to paint a ferry in each of the 16 institutions of the University of North Carolina System’s colors.

Besides the governor, the christening included NC State brass like chancellor Larry Monteith, all clad in red blazers. Baum’s daughter and celebrated Kill Devil Hills businesswoman, Diane Baum St. Clair, also stood in the grandstand. But Earnhardt was the main attraction, and he feverishly signed mementos for a teeming crowd.

As the Virginian-Pilot’s Paul South reported, “[People] put out their hands,

some holding scraps of paper... Children and grown men wear baseball hats and T-shirts bearing his name,” while the beloved driver of the Number 3 car was “slowly working his way through the joyful throng at the Manteo waterfront.”

After the celebration, the Thomas A. Baum began a near 30-year career with the state, initially working the waters between Hatteras Inlet and Ocracoke Island. But as traffic increased, the DOT started moving away smaller Hatteras-class vessels in favor of larger river-class ferries.

“HE FEVERISHLY SIGNED MEMENTOS FOR A TEEMING CROWD.

ceremony at the Hatteras Ferry Dock. The 183-foot river-class ferry carries up to 40 vehicles across Hatteras Inlet — compared to Baum’s 26 — and double the number of passengers. Additional river-class ferries added to the fleet include M/V Salvo (2022) and M/V Avon (2024).

The Thomas A. Baum moved people and cars across several state ferry routes before being listed for auction in 2022. With an opening bid of $1 million, she had no takers. It was then listed for sale through Iron Horse Auction Company. Bidding began October 6 at $55,000, and a week later, the vessel sold for $354,000 to Global Marine, a U.S. Virgin Islands-based company.

Likewise, the original Thomas Baum would go on to work in foreign waters. After establishing his initial ferry service in 1926, he left for Norfolk, Virginia, where he was Superintendent of Chesapeake Ferries, which connected the southside with the peninsula and Eastern Shore.

Meanwhile, ferries continue to connect our coastal communities in new ways. This year marks the 6th season of the Ocracoke Express, which shuttles people from the Hatteras ferry docks to Silver Lake Harbor in summer, reducing traffic and allowing visitors a new way to experience Ocracoke. — Sarah Downing

the App! And we’ll have your order ready when

In June 2019, Hyde County Manager Kris Noble christened the Rodanthe at a

It is not unusual for the state to sell off old ferries when new ones are built. At least two former ferries, the Pamlico and the Herbert C. Bonner are now plying waters off Long Island and Rhode Island.

Sources: “A retired NC Outer Banks ferry is getting a second act in a warmer place,” Richard Stradling, Raleigh News and Observer, Nov. 30, 2022; “Earnhardt Drives Away with the Hearts of the People,” Virginian Pilot, July 23, 1995; “Road Proposed from Nags Head to Kitty Hawk,” The Independent, Sept. 10, 1926; “Valued Citizen Lost in Death of T.A. Baum,” The Coastland Times, Dec. 28, 1945.

A cheering, jeering look at recent events and their potential impacts.

SETTLE DOWN?

Nothing riles up folks on the coast like the high cost of insurance. Well, in May, owners of “non-owner-occupied residences” — aka rental houses — breathed a sigh of relief, as the NC Department of Insurance reduced a proposed 78% coastal rate hike for fire and extended coverage to just 14.9%. And while the primary beneficiary may be wealthier types protecting their investments from disaster, it also helps shield year-round renters’ wallets from another potential hit.

SHAM-WOW!

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Or too good to be true? That was the whale-sized question puzzling the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries in June after a photo of an orca breaching off Hatteras swamped social media and various news sites — only to have an online search link

We make the vacation experience the best it can be for our customers. If you are looking for that perfect home to rent or are interested in investing in your own Outer Banks property, contact Joe Lamb, Jr. today!

m

the blurry image to a video from a Korean Powerade ad. Meanwhile, the Outer Banks’ favorite — or not so favorite — AI/ photoshop wizard duped thousands more gullible dunces into believing a pink dolphin had beached itself. Proof that, even after years of warnings to triple check outrageous claims online, some folks will still buy anything.

BUCKING THE TREND

Usually, the discussion over school salaries focuses on teachers — and so do the dollars. But in July we learned that, for the first time ever, full-time staff of Dare County Schools will receive a $1000 bonus this year to help cover our high cost of living. Meanwhile, certified teachers will get an extra two grand, for a total bonus of between $6000 and $8250 per teacher depending on years of experience. All of which adds up to a higher rate of retention — and higher quality schools for kids.

BLOWING THE CURVE

Not everyone appreciates an overachiever — especially when it’s a tropical system. So when record-high water temps made June’s Hurricane Beryl the earliest Cat-4 storm in history — and then the earliest Cat-5 in history a day later — nobody was celebrating, least of all Grenada, as the storm took a rare southern dip to wreak worst-ever damage. But don’t get smug, smarty pants: scientists reckon the Atlantic’s warmer than ever just about everywhere. And that means these rapidly intensifying storms are becoming less of an outlier and more of the norm.

SERFS UP...STAIRS

In July, Kitty Hawk business owners were “raising the roof” over relaxed restrictions that will let them build residential units above both their buildings and on properly sized commercial property — provided its workforce housing. And while some might argue that tying laborers to

their landlords is a throwback to the dark ages, at least it lightens the demand for year-round shelter — and eases stress for some local families and employers.

NERD ALERT!

Got an unquenchable thirst for knowledge? You’ll geek out over Dare County library’s new online platform — Gale Presents: Udemy — where thousands of on-demand courses cover everything from work skills — including cloud computing to finance and accounting, and leadership and management — to new languages and creative outlets. And anyone can access it from home. All they need is a library card. (Which we’re pretty sure you already have.)

THE SAGA CONTINUES

Too much, too fast? Or too big to fail? Corolla residents will find out in Sept., as Currituck will decide how to handle a

proposed text amendment to revise the permitting process for projects larger than 30,000 square feet. The cause of the potential change? A humongous mixed development in the heart of Corolla that includes a proposed 172-room hotel and 127 single-family-homes — yet went through the same approval protocols as your average B&B. Critics say the county should add extra steps, like traffic studies, stormwater plans, and a public hearing. But considering reports say the commissioners apparently “really like” the idea, while the county attorney cited “vested rights,” we can already predict how this particular story will end.

TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS?

Think sand bags will control floodwaters? You should see what a stack of bills will do. And now you will, thanks to two state grants that’ll go to work on Hatteras Island — an extra $234k will help conduct a drainage study in Salvo, while $160k will

construct bio-swales that will store and filter overwash and stormwater runoff on NC12 leading into Hatteras Village.

HOLIDAY? CELEBRATE!

Add a handle of Wild Turkey to your list of Thanksgiving Day shopping runs. In July, the state loosened liquor laws to allow the ABC Store to stay open on certain holidays — including New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Christmas Day. The only caveat: said holiday still can’t land on a Sunday. (But then that’s why the good Lord invented beer.)

SMART-ASS COMMENT OF THE MONTH

“Don’t you call me ’cause I can’t go...I owe my soul to the company store.” — James

For detailed reports on these stories and breaking local news on a daily basis — plus plenty of local discussion — visit www.outerbanksvoice.com, www. islandfreepress.org, www.coastalreview. org, www.SamWalkerOBXNews.com, and www.thecoastlandtimes.com.

“Kitty Hawk Council Approves Measure to Build Workforce Housing on Commercial Property,” OuterBanksVoice.com, July 2, 2024

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upfront soundcheck

WHADDYA RECKON?

getactive startingpoint roadmap

We got questions — you got answers.

Holly Dennis, 58 Ambulance Angel Jarvisburg

“I graduated down here in the 80s. I loved hanging at the Footsball Palace; Kelly’s was big — it was just so much fun.”

outthere gohunt gosurf

Mary Shillings, 40 Lady of Lodging Wanchese

content

“Mid 90s. The seafood festivals in Wanchese were amazing. The whole community really came together; it wasn’t as commercialized as it is today, and all the kids had a blast and just wore themselves out completely.”

Jordan Baum, 20, She Sells Seashells by the Seashore Kill Devil Hills

“About 10 years ago, before it got wildly popular. It felt just a little more laid back. “

Mike Miller, 62

Paint Slinger & Six Stringer Colington

“Man, the early 2000s had to be it. Fishing, hunting, working, surfing, and not necessarily in that order. We had the freedom to cruise the beach, and not have a whole lot of worries beyond eating and making a truck payment.”

When was the best time to be on the Outer Banks?

Al Blomberg, 68

Riff-Raff Rejecter

Kill Devil Hills

“I went on a 70s camping trip to Ocracoke that was amazing. But the best time for me personally was 200210, because I was able to spend a ton of time with my kids up in Corolla and get to see them enjoy this place.”

Debbe McCormick, 62 Saucy Sloganeer Mann’s Harbor

“Pre-Covid, because we actually had an offseason, and it feels like that’s completely disappeared now.”

Ifriam Sharp, 19

Cellphone Professional Elizabeth City

“When the English first landed here. It would have been cool to see the interaction between the settlers and the native population.”

Colleen Walker-Good, 52

Purveyor of Potables

Kill Devil Hills

“Now — because I get to enjoy it.”

Interviews and images by Tony Leone

Guess this horrific looking what-is-it and win two Outer Banks Film Society winter memberships!

Scary? Or scrumptious? Depends on your take — or your tastes. But you don’t have to like it to play this month’s contest. Just consider the following clues:

This seasonal trend looks like a fright.

Goes “bump’” by day and by night. Hollow out the “brain cavity” for some Halloween ball.

Or eat the damned thing — warts and all.

Think you know the answer? Carve off your best guess and send it — along with a name and phone number — to editor@ outerbanksmilepost.com by Oct. 14. We’ll throw the correct ones in a barrel and scoop out one lucky winner, who’ll score a pair of winter 2025 memberships to Dare Arts’ Outer Banks Film Society — that’s two free seats to see all seven flicks. Screenings will be held between January and March. Learn more at www.darearts.org/filmsociety.

PS congrats to Laken Foster for guessing last issue’s puzzle: a shopping cart.

Dr. Thomas McGrady RPH

We are a full-service pharmacy aimed at providing an extraordinary customer experience. Our goal is to aid in the health and wellness of every customer.

• Prescription Filling

• Prescription Counseling

• Immunizations

• Veterinary Medications

• Blood Pressure Checks

• Healthy Visits/Med Checks

• Medication Therapy Management (MTM)

• Over the Counter Products

“Mmm… brains?” Photo: Stan Le Steele

MAKING THE GRADE

Monday Night

Alive

is a powerful learning tool for local students.

The year was 2001. Betty Selby’s daughter needed help with her math homework — and Selby realized she did, too.

“So, I hired a tutor,” recalls Selby, who’s now Mayor Pro Tem of Manteo. “But when I asked other parents in the neighborhood, I heard a lot of the same stories. It seemed as though everybody was struggling.”

That’s when Selby remembered a volunteer based tutoring program from previous years called Monday Night Alive.

“In the early 90s, there was a big gap between Black students and white students,” she recalls. “Naomi Hester, Virginia Tillett and Nancy Griffith aimed to narrow that gap.”

At the time, Hester was the Dare County Schools social worker, Virginia Tillett was on the Board of Education, and Griffith was a school counselor at Manteo High School.

“We offered a tutoring component, a parenting component, and sometimes special speakers,” Griffith says today. “We

paid teachers a stipend to tutor, and I taught the parenting classes.”

They met every Monday evening at the Roanoke Island Community Center. Better known as “the Head Start building,” because of the pre-K support it provides for local families, the center has a long history of helping young minds overcome great odds.

Located opposite the Pea Island Cookhouse Museum, on the other side of the Richard Etheridge traffic circle, the building first opened in 1951 when the Dare County Board of Education appropriated $41,428.80 for the construction of the “new Roanoke Island Colored School.” (Dare County began integrating its school system beginning in the 1965-1966 school year.)

The program was still making up ground for decades of “separate but equal” treatment when it lost funding in the late 90s.

“The guidelines for (grant) funds had

Betty Selby keeps the pencils sharp — and young minds even sharper.

Photo: Rashad Daniels

changed,” says Griffith. “And Monday Night Alive was no longer eligible.”

But money woes were not about to stop Selby. In 2001, she convened a meeting of interested parents and community members — including founders like Griffith. Together, they “brainstormed how to restart the program,” with nothing but community support from local teachers all the way to area agencies.

“The Dare County Youth Center has been super helpful with bringing kids from their after-school program,” Selby says. “And taking them home.”

Every Monday during the school week, students from all grades and backgrounds arrive shortly before 6pm. The first hour is all about tutoring. The second hour is dinner — because, while some kids need a little help with math, English or science, others need a hot meal just as much.

“Some of our kids are at risk,” Selby says. “But I don’t want to give the impression that all of them are.”

The tutors are equally diverse. Some are Manteo teachers. Others are First Flight High honors students. Then there’s retirees like Ray Bruce, a former oil engineer from Currituck County.

“Mr. Ray is a math genius,” Selby says. “He’ll be like, ‘Betty, this boy’s a genius, he’s just bored.’ He’s recognized two or three of our kids like that.”

Still other mentors teach the kids how to be successful in life — such as Detective Sergeant James Burroughs of the Manteo Police Department. Burroughs first began showing up to help with security but soon found he couldn’t stay away — even after he retired.

“We wanted an officer to be part of the program,” Burroughs says. “But even when other officers were there, I was still showing up. I really enjoy it.”

Meanwhile, more friends and family work behind the scenes. Folks like Selby’s niece Latoya Jenkins. As an administrator at the Outer Banks Hospital, she helps with strategic planning — like scheduling and supplies — though she stops short of calling it “volunteering.”

“If you’re a family member of Betty Selby, you do not really volunteer,” Jenkins jokes. “I was voluntold.”

“SOME KIDS NEED HELP WITH MATH... OTHERS NEED A HOT MEAL.

Volunteer or voluntold, Monday Night Alive can always use more help as they gear up for another school year. Pre covid, there were sometimes 25 to 30 kids every Monday night. Recently, it’s around 15, mostly middle school aged with a few from the high school and primary grades. But the program appears to be growing again. And so are Selby’s plans.

“We used to take high schoolers around to various colleges,” Selby explains. “It was very beneficial, so we want to start implementing that again.”

That’s why Monday Night Alive’s asking who’s handy with a pen or calculator — or just has a few years of wisdom to spare — to show up on Mondays to mold young minds. Better with a pair of tongs? Chip in behind the scenes and fix some food. Or if your checkbook’s feeling strong, simply make a donation to the Monday Night Alive Fund, which Selby started last year and is administered by the Dare Education Foundation.

But, while everyone who is a part of the program offers their own unique talents, the reward is universal.

As Jenkins says, “I do it because it brings me joy.” — Kip Tabb

To learn more about how to volunteer, send a message via the Monday Night Alive Facebook Page. And to donate to the Outer Banks Community Foundation’s Monday Night Alive Fund, go to www.obcf.org.

Make a Promise, Protect the Place

The Outer Banks is an amazing natural wonder that has supported a special way of life for generations. Let‘s all work together and make a promise to protect this place.

The Times Wilson

FOR TWO DECADES, DREW C. WILSON DOCUMENTED THE OUTER BANKS’ MOST DYNAMIC ERA.

Shifting skylines and shoaling inlets. Beached whales and maxed-out saltboxes. Seafood festivals and sporting events popping up on a near weekend basis — favorite haunts disappearing at breakneck speed. All fueled by a fierce influx of fresh, smiling faces hooting and hollering “best place ever!”— while a chorus of old salts gripe about things “going to shit.”

You might think we’re talking about the Outer Banks over the past few years. But the truth is, the changes that have come about during our post-COVID “boom” pale in comparison to the tectonic shift that occurred in the so-called “good ol’” latter days of the 20th century...

WORDS BY MATT WALKER

C. WILSON/

Ryan and Rach Photography

LAUNCHING PAD. Why was it so much easier to find workforce housing “back in the day”? One, the season was much shorter — maybe four months — so renting a salt box year-round made as much financial sense for landlords as flipping it weekly. (Especially if the homeowner lived out of state.) Plus, most summer employees were college-age kids looking to live on the cheap and would gladly cram into rooms, couches or even porches between shifts — not families looking to buy a house or build a life. As a result, many long-time locals’ “starter homes” were low-rent crash pads. “Snug Harbor was a really large house in Nags Head with enough room for 12 to 15 people,” Wilson recalls. “I love how this really captures that era — you get the tie-dye and the flannel and even the board. But then you see the deadbolt on the door and how dirty the carpet is, you realize how sketchy those places could be.”

Just check the numbers.

According to census data, Dare County’s current population is about 38,000 — up by approximately 4000 since 2020. That’s roughly the same increase as between 2016 and 2020. In fact, in all the years between 2000 and today, we’ve added maybe 8000 people. By comparison, between 1980 and 2000, our numbers more than doubled — from 14,000 to 30,000 — as an influx of new year-round residents filled our shores and streets, resulting in everything from new schools and businesses to modern infrastructure and amenities.

Instead of turning back, Wilson stayed put for 22 years.

One thing that’s never changed? The corresponding volume of negative chatter.

“When I got here, people were already saying, ‘Oh this place is ruined, they just need to shut the bridges down,” recalls longtime photojournalist, Drew C. Wilson, who first arrived in 1983 as a baby-faced 20-year-old. “I heard it the whole time I was there, and I’m sure you still hear it now.”

Not that it fazed him. Instead of turning back, Wilson stayed put for 22 years, documenting what’s arguably

the region’s most dynamic era as a reporter and photographer — first for The Coastland Times, and, later, The Virginian-Pilot. And while he may have started out young, he was hardly green. In fact, he’d been glued to his camera since sixth grade, when he did a science project on clouds while growing up in Newport News.

“My father let me use his Yashica D, which is a twin lens reflex camera,” Wilson remembers 50 years later. “I put these yellow and red filters on it to bring out the clouds. When I had to make the enlargements, my dad had a friend from work who had a darkroom in their garage. We went out there to develop some of the better pictures, and at that point I was hooked.”

At 16, Wilson bought his own camera and began capturing daily life at his high school, filling all three yearbooks with photos. (“My girlfriend actually gave me this stupid shirt that had ‘Photographer’ written on the back of it,” he laughs.) By graduation, he’d even sold a few shots to the local paper and was off to the University of Minnesota in hopes of making journalism a career. When all the serious photography classes were taken, he reached out to the school paper, who put him on entertainment beat, shooting the likes of Def Leppard and Devo.

Even so, he only lasted a year.

“I really wasn’t happy there,” he recalls. “I had classes that had 500 people in them. Nobody knew who I was; I wasn’t paying any attention and was making terrible grades. There was no way that I was going to succeed there; I was just too immature.”

“I didn’t have any writing experience,” Wilson admits. “But Mr. Meekins was impressed enough with my pictures that he decided to take a risk and hire me; by Tuesday I was in there working.”

And with that, Wilson’s fate went from future Homer Simpson to modern-day Jimmy Olsen, as he enthusiastically chased down images and stories, from reporting on weekly court proceedings to capturing historic events like Manteo’s 400th Anniversary celebration to sharing whatever was hitting the docks at Wanchese.

In-between, he’d research articles for a popular column called “Glimpses of the Past,” which revisited stories and images from across the previous halfcentury.

“The Coastland Times was basically my college education.”

And so, Wilson moved home. By then, his parents had relocated to Raleigh. For fun, he began documenting the underground club scene for an indie zine called The Alternative. For money, he found a gig helping build the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant. Hustling blueprint changes around the job site was hardly illuminating, so when he saw a coastal paper was looking to hire a reporter/photographer, he immediately printed up a batch of his best 8x10s and mailed them off.

The following Sunday, he was on his way to meet the legendary Coastland Times publisher and editor, Francis Meekins.

“They figured if I looked at all these old newspapers, I’d get a real good familiarization with the area, which was the truth,” Wilson says. “And, you know, those two and a-half-years I worked for The Coastland Times was basically my college education.”

It was also a lesson in local life. Some days he met pier anglers wrangling sharks; others it was Lost Colony actors buying lunch at Food-a-Rama. And on rare free days, he began chasing thrills in the water.

“One of the first things I bought was a boogie board, because it’s all I could afford,” he laughs. “But, later on, I got into surfing and windsurfing.”

Then, sometime in the fall of 1985, Wilson hitched a ride with a local radio reporter to cover a conference football

UP, UP AND AWAY. Between ’83 and 2005, the Outer Banks was on an infrastructure building spree. Water towers went up from Duck to Hatteras. No fewer than four new schools broke ground between KDH and Nags Head. But what catches Drew’s eye in this selfie isn’t the changing skyline, but the empty landscape. “This photo was taken in ‘85 from a Charter Communications tower on Gallery Row,” he says. “Behind me you can see that Memorial Drive isn’t even paved. But when I got here, the first stoplight was just going up on the 158 Bypass at Colington Road. From there it just started to grow — and it’s done nothing since but keep growin’.”

BREAKING POINT. Wilson covered more than his share of bad weather, from Hurricane Emily to The Storm of The Century. But there’s one name that stands the test of time. “Like most folks, at some point the hurricanes all run together,” he recalls. “But I’ll never forget Isabel in 2003, because it split Hatteras Village off from the rest of the Outer Banks. For months, I flew down there every couple of days and made a series of pictures as they pieced it the road back together. It was a long, long recovery. It was one of the reasons why it was easy for me to leave a couple years later.”

game. So did a newsman for Hampton Roads’ The Virginian-Pilot, who casually mentioned their recently launched North Carolina section was paying $75 for a single photo — nearly half Wilson’s weekly pay.

Wilson naively began sending them images, many of which made the front page. It was the kind of sweetheart deal that can only last a few months and the kind of rookie mistake that can cost you a job.

“One day, I came into The Coastland Times office to turn in this picture of a lady playing the bagpipes in downtown Manteo,” he recalls. “Jack Hohmann, the editor — he looks at the picture and shoves it back in my face. He says, ‘I’ve already seen that in the Pilot this morning.’ So, I went home and wrote a nice letter to Mr. Meekins, thanking him and Jack for the opportunity, and I started freelancing for The Virginian-Pilot.”

Within a couple months they’d hired him full-time. It was a bigger job with a bigger reach. Assignments included racing to Raleigh to cover capital powerbrokers — or

Wilson was covering ten counties across Eastern North Carolina.

up the Eastern Shore to report on chicken farm working conditions.

Meanwhile, the Outer Banks was continuing to grow at a record pace. More bodies, more businesses. It seemed that half of Virginia had already moved south to seek their fortune — and the Pilot was poised to capture their audience. And their ad dollars.

“About six months after they hired me, I was in the bathroom up at the Norfolk office,” Wilson remembers. “These guys came in suits and everything, talking about, ‘What are we gonna call it?’ ‘I think they’re gonna call it the Carolina Coast or something,’ ‘Well, that should make a lot of money,’ and, ‘That should do real good.’”

It did. Before long, The Coast was covering the Outer Banks twice a week. Thursday was for locals, Sunday for visitors. The North Carolina section was still in play. And Wilson was shooting it all, covering ten counties across Eastern North Carolina and putting hundreds of miles in his trusty Honda Civic.

“I spent as much time inland as I did at the beach,” Wilson recalls. “But in the mornings, I would always get up early and try to be some place to shoot as the sun came up — many times it was a fisherman, sometimes it was a surfer, sometimes it was just somebody walking on the beach. But that way, if the reporters did not file the articles that they had been assigned, there was something to hold down the page. And so, I did that every day.”

By 10:30 am, he’d be back at the Barnes Street office so he could develop film and make prints. To beat the afternoon deadline, he’d send the photos north on a Norfolk-bound bus that left at noon. And if he didn’t make the bus?

out there go hunt rear view go surf

DISGRUNTLED 90’S LOCAL EDITION

Man! You shoulda seen the Outer Banks

NUMBER TIME UNIT PLURAL ago. It was so DATED ADJ. . We’d MENIAL LOCAL JOB all day and VERB all night! Saw killer bands play at DEFUNCT LOCAL CLUB . One time, Almighty ELECTED OFFICIAL PLURAL opened up for THREE SINGLE DIGITS at UNDERSEA CITY ! And it only cost NUMBER

CURRENCY PL. ! A erwards, we’d hit the COLOR FRUIT , which later became the

. But no matter how

but now it’s the

INTOXICATED STATE we got, we never drove, because there were at least

NUMBER cabs waiting at every bar. And we’d always wake up before

LIQUID and go SPORT . Especially during WEATHER EVENT season. One year, NAME THAT STARTS WITH AN ‘F‛ sent waves for TIME PERIOD . We’d drive DIRECTION and shred COLOR Tops or LETTER Curves. And we smoked PLANT the whole way there and back. And in winter it was even more DATED ADJECTIVE . e beach was so empty you could ACTIVE VERB in the middle of LOCAL ROAD for hours and not get hit. But every place closed, so we’d le for unemployment, travel to TROPICAL ISLAND , come back in SPRING MONTH , and do it all over again. Nobody claimed to be a NOUN , even if they lived here for NUMBER years. And nobody called it the THREE LETTERS either! ese days, everybody’s just moving here to chase a CURRENCY and nobody can nd a place to VERB . Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go clean my NUMBERED ADJECTIVE home. I got some Air THREE LETTERS guests checking in at NUMBER . We GERMAN

!

DISHWASHING

WATERING HOLES. The Outer Banks has always been a mecca for surfers and fishermen. But the 80s ushered in a whole new species of thrill seekers. In Currituck, the first vestiges of monster truck events began mud-bogging. In KDH and Rodanthe, waterslides became heat wave oases for visitors and tourists alike. But it’s windsurfing that redefined Hatteras — and hooked Wilson. In fact, he routinely pulled over at Canadian Hole to snap shots and sneak in a session. “I’d have to come out of the water every once in a while to make sure my pager hadn’t gone off,” he admits. “And everyone loved the Surf Slide. I’m glad you found a photo, because at the time, I was almost more interested in sliding down myself then I was in taking pictures.”

“I’d race down the bypass until I saw them driving on the beach road, then I’d cut over,” Wilson says. “I’d be standing on some corner, waving an envelope. [Laughs] The driver would stop, and I would hand it right to him. Then the Pilot would just send their photo technician over to the bus station on Brambleton Avenue to pick up my photos. That’s how they got into the paper.”

Eventually, they got a courier service, and, finally, electronic transmitters. But Wilson still poured his soul into every shot. So, you can imagine his panic one night in late 1995, when his circulation manager rang up and said the Nags Head office was up in flames.

“I jumped in the car and drove at extreme speeds down the bypass until I got to the scene,” he recalls. “Then I ran right past the firefighters. I knew they were going to be chasing me in there, so when they showed up at the door to the dark room, I just handed them boxes filled with prints to carry out. Then John Harper stepped in, and I gave him a set of boxes. Next it was Mary Ellen Riddle, and I gave her a set of boxes. And so on until we got them all out. So, it was basically a tragedy that turned into that collection.”

achievements, heartaches and awkward moments of any adolescent growth spurt.

Favorite restaurants pop up, from Chilli Peppers to the Colington Cafe, while attractions like the Surf Slide suddenly evaporate.

Squares of sod turn acres of sand dune into a lush Nags Head Golf Links — bulldozers wipe the Galleon Esplanade off the map.

You see the earliest inklings of “OBX” stickers, the start of future attractions like the Roanoke Island Aquarium and Whalehead Club — and the final days of oncereliable fixtures, from late-night cabs to Hardee’s biscuits.

Flipping through feels like watching the beach explode in slow-motion.

When Food Lion comes to town, Andy Griffith leads a revolution to keep local groceries alive. When liquor-bythe drink rears its ugly head in Manteo, churches rise up to beat the devil.

There are even shots documenting “the state of housing,” where kids cram into old, beat-up beach boxes, while realtors beam about their rental machines’ futuristic home theatres. (Complete with whopping 46-inch TV screens!)

“That collection” is a dozen or so bulging boxes of prints and negatives that lives at Outer Banks History Center, spanning the bulk of his 22-year career. It’s so robust that flipping through feels like watching the beach explode in slowmotion, complete with all the grand

Perhaps most striking is the sheer level of new infrastructure that’s put in place, from water towers and post offices, to jails and schools.

And throughout it all, the human side smiles through in portrait after portrait, mostly of fresh young faces starting their lives — from young entrepreneurs

TROPICAL UPDATE. These days, the average local can track a storm just by tapping a screen. But, in 1986, you had two choices: The Weather Channel — or the weather station. “If a hurricane was offshore, I would drive the back road to the National Weather Service office at Buxton, just to go in that darkened room and look at their old 1957 radar,” says Wilson. “It would give me a sense of where the clouds were — and a sense of when the wind was going to change — so I could get back before the sound blew back in.”

launching a business to college workers chasing dreams, waves and the occasional buzz.

To them, this was an era of unbridled possibilities that said “welcome to paradise” — to the existing population, it likely screamed “the end is nigh!” But to Wilson at the time, it just seemed normal day-to-day.

“I don’t think I thought that deeply about all the changes that were happening, to be honest,” he says. “All I wanted was to either go surfing or boogie boarding in the morning, then go windsurfing in the evening — and to get to all the assignments done. That was my focus.”

The human side smiles through in portrait after

portrait

But time marches on. By 2005, Wilson figured he’d captured enough beach life and moved west to be close to his daughter. He bought his family’s farmhouse in New Bern and decided to try his hand at gardening and pottery. But it didn’t take long for his trigger finger to start itching again.

“I think I stopped shooting for like a year-anda-half,” he laughs. “I quickly realized my real job was always journalism.”

Since then, he’s enjoyed a successful second life behind the lens. After working nine years at the Havelock News and the New Bern Sun Journal, he moved over to — ironically enough — The Wilson Times, where he still covers daily breaking news. Between the two, he’s racked up accolades and press awards covering major stories, from mass shootings to five-alarm fires to massive military deployments. Subjects that pushed the limits of his skills — and also his emotions.

“You see families being split apart as the mother or their father is getting ready to get on a plane and go off for their third or fourth deployment,” Wilson says. “The kids are crying, and the Marines themselves are fighting tears back. It made me feel like I was just playing around on the Outer Banks; that I never really covered anything serious — other than a hurricane.”

But that’s just Wilson being humble. Or maybe hindsight is more than 20/20. Because, looking back, you’ll find stories that are as brutal and hard-hitting as any big city — and not just the landfalling storms.

In one shot, Michael Dozier — a man who made headlines for dumping his girlfriend’s headless, handless body on a Nags Head beach — gives the camera a murderous stare. Another depicts the area’s first AIDS casualty reflecting on his final days. There’s even a folder devoted to the Little Rascals Day Care Scandal, an Elizabeth City court case that gripped the whole nation with accusations of widespread child abuse and satanic ritual — accusations that later proved false.

Other shots are once-in-a-lifetime events, like the Hatteras Lighthouse being relocated and the Hale-Bopp comet streaking over Bodie Island. (Both were picked up by papers around the nation.)

And then there’s the Outer Banks struggles that seem to never go away. Parade floats yell “No Offshore Drilling!” Billboards and banners warn of the dangers of drug abuse. Tornadoes shred trailer parks. Storm-trashed roads get built, wrecked, and rebuilt again.

It doesn’t take more than few folders to realize that every “golden era” leaves its fair share of tarnish.

In fact, the only throughline in Wilson’s archives might be that “change is constant.” That and an eye for capturing a given moment’s purest essence — and an undying passion for getting “the shot.”

“I’m just as excited about photography as I ever was,” says Wilson. “Even now, if an assignment comes through — or I hear on the scanner that somebody’s been shot or a fire has happened — it makes me jump, and I just go.”

REPEAT OFFENDERS. It can be easy to fixate on modern problems and think: Why us? Why now? But many of our local issues are actually recurrent themes. The first real battle to stop offshore drilling claimed victory around ’92 — only to resurface again in the 2010s. And shoaling was so bad at Oregon Inlet in the late 80s that Captain Will Etheridge took Wilson to the top of Bonner Bridge and “pleaded for dredging.” But, if you think getting to Hatteras is hard when the ocean washes over Route 12, you should’ve been around when the dredge Northerly Island knocked out nearly 400 feet of Bonner Bridge, stranding visitors and isolating locals. “The traffic after this was crazy, because the emergency ferry only held a handful of cars,” Wilson recalls. “And I think the very first ferry they took across had a Budweiser truck.” [Laughs]. But a lot of the issues I covered then — shoaling, erosion, traffic — you’re still dealing with today.” Even now, if an

Wilson’s also just as excited to come back to the Outer Banks — which he does about every other year. Only now, he sees it through a whole new lens.

And while he recognizes it’s a different place in many ways, he prefers to focus on what’s stayed the same. The parts of the seashore that may have shifted in places but maintain their true grit. The characters who still cling to the coast’s counter-culture values and cruisy lifestyle. And while it may not be as “good as it was,” it’s as good as it’s ever gonna be. And that just may be good enough.

“Honestly, the first thing that hit me after I had been gone for a while wasn’t all the big houses — it was all the trees that had grown up,” Wilson says. “But, I’m coming as a tourist now, so I look at it a little bit differently. And, the fact is, if anyone who comes to the beach now for the first time is doing the same thing. In 30, 40 years, they’re gonna be saying, ‘Man, you should’ve been here when I showed up in 2024 — there was nothing!’”

SMART PHONE FLASHBACK

Outerlore steps back through history — then steps up the action.

The first time Matt Ashworth heard Chris Hannant weave a tale was at Manteo High. Their 9th grade English class had to write a piece of short fiction, and their teacher was so blown away by Chris’ words, she read it to all her students to inspire them.

“I was hooked,” says Ashworth. “So, my first impression of Chris was that he was this epic storyteller and writer.”

Launched in mid-summer 2023, Outerlore is a series of immersive, self-guided walking tours that lets participants journey through Outer Banks history, hauntings and legends using nothing more than a smart-phone. No human guides or set times. Individuals simply pay a fee, press a button, put in some ear pods, and let narrators walk you along an interactive map from place to place, story to story.

“We both have our strengths that kind of go into it,” says Hannant. “And the way it’s all come together, I feel really proud of it.”

The two would later become close friends and travel buddies. But, little did they realize, that one day they would start a business together that used the power of words — plus a love of history and cutting edge technology — to transport curious minds into new worlds.

So far, the tours are available in Downtown Manteo and Ocracoke, but the idea first came to Hannant and Ashworth on the other side of the planet in 2011. While spending four months in Southeast Asia,

“Walking the planks” on Roanoke Island.

Photo: Chris Hannant

they stopped in Cambodia and decided to take a self-guided tour of the Killing Fields — the infamous genocide site where the Khmer Rouge regime collectively killed more than 1.3 million people in the 1970s. At one point, they stopped at a tree from which a speaker was hung to play patriotic music while officials performed executions.

“I welled up and cried,” says Hannant. “It was so, so powerful to listen to the music that these people were hearing as they were being murdered in the exact place where we were standing.”

It left a lasting impression on both young men. Flashforward to 2020, when Ashworth was on a weekend trip in Ocracoke with his wife. Most of the restaurants were closed due to Covid. The island was quiet. He was bored.

“And I just thought to myself, I know Ocracoke has a vibrant history,” Ashworth says. “I really wish there was a way I could walk down Howard Street and just kind of hear stories.”

So, he texted Hannant and asked if he remembered the tour they shared in Cambodia so many years ago. Hannant did. Then they thought, why not do the same thing but for legends and lore of the Outer Banks?

It was a big task. Not just because they had to conquer new tech; they also had to narrow down a ton of material.

“The tour can only be so long,” says Hannant. “So, it’s a question of which stories are historical, which ones are more fun, which ones are going to be the most engaging, and which ones are liked the most.”

So, each night after work, the two dads put the kids to bed and got to work. Ashworth would read tales, selecting the best options to construct a cohesive, entertaining narrative. Hannant worked rewrites and edited the audio, adding the appropriate sound effects and music to give the recordings that powerful, immersive feel. Then there were the logistics of charting a path. Both men laugh as they remember

pushing their baby strollers up and down the waterfront in Manteo, figuring out the best route.

In Summer 2023, after months of late nights researching and writing — and teaching themselves how to create the audio and user interface — Hannant and Ashworth unveiled the self-guided tour of Manteo. This summer, they released Ocracoke.

The result? Two captivating journeys that combine the cinematic experience of music and sound effects, with the emotional impact of being in the setting where the action took place.

“YOU HEAR THE SHOUTS OF THE PIRATES... THE SHOTS OF THE GUNS.

On the Roanoke Island tour, tales cover the Pirates of Nags Head, The Disappearance of Theodosia Burr, The Legend of the White Doe and Jockey’s Ridge. For Ocracoke, entries run from haunting lore (Legend of the Cora Tree, The Ghost Ship of the Outer Banks) to WWII history — the Sinking of the Caribsea — to the fierce battle that took Blackbeard’s life.

“To me, Blackbeard is the best one because you’re in Springer’s Point, walking through the woods,” says Ashworth. “And then you walk out onto the beach — and 100 feet off the beach is literally where Blackbeard was beheaded.”

Not only that, but with the headphones in as you walk, you hear the shouts of the pirates and the Navy soldiers, the shots of their guns, and the boom of the cannons off the ships, set against a backdrop of dramatic music. And the journey’s not over yet. The two plan to add more locations — both on the Outer Banks and up the East Coast. Each one a new chapter in a long history of sharing adventures.

“It started off as a business idea — like, what a cool side hustle this would be,” says Hannant. “And it really became a work of passion.” — Maggie Miles

SEVEN-DOLLAR BUTTER. Five-dollar lettuce. Six-dollar ice cream. Buying food at the beach has never been cheap. And it’s only gotten more expensive in recent years. (Since 2020, food prices nationwide have risen 22.13%.) But do higher costs mean we have to skimp on quality? And as long as we’re spending more, why not buy better food?

CONSUMER REPORT

question

The more my grocery bill grows, the more I find myself asking those questions. I also find myself wondering how much more expensive it is to shop at farmers markets — like Secotan Market in Wanchese, Dowdy Park Farmers Market in Nags Head or Tarheel Too in KDH — where I can buy eggs and meats from small, local farms, locally or regionally grown fruits and vegetables, and freshly made baked goods.

So, I decided to conduct an experiment. One week, I shopped at Secotan Market in Wanchese to feed my family of four a single meal — meats for grilling, veggies, bread, and dessert. The next week, I recreated the exact same menu using similar products at my neighborhood Harris Teeter. The results were pretty enlightening. (And downright delicious.)

THE SECOTAN RUN

Part of the fun of shopping a farmers market is you have to improvise based on what they offer that week. For this Saturday in June, I bought items to make deviled eggs topped with kimchi, barbecued chicken and pork chops, beet and cabbage slaw, roasted potatoes, steamed green beans, and sourdough bread dipped in olive oil sprinkled with Za’atar. We each had a slice of blueberry pound cake for dessert.

Heavenly Portion Family Farm (Small Washington County chicken, beef and pork producer):

Free-Range Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: 1.57 lbs. @ $13.65 lb. = $21.43

Free-Range Bone-In Pork Chops: 1.32 lbs. @ $9.75 lb. = $12.87 Free-range Eggs = $7

Somerset Farm (Chowan County organic vegetable farm):

Organic cabbage, beets, potatoes, green beans = $15 O & Beau Spices Za’atar spice blend = $10

Haypoint Live Culture Foods (Dare County-based fermenter): Napa Cabbage Kimchi = $9

Upper Crust Bakery (Currituck County artisan baker): French sourdough bread = $9

Carawan Farms (Hyde County-based blueberry farm): Blueberry pound cake in a small loaf pan = $15 Swamp Sauce barbecue sauce = $10

What’s the difference between a farmer’s market dinner — and a supermarket supper? We did a little math.

THE HARRIS TEETER RUN

Just because it’s a massive store doesn’t mean you have to buy from Big Farma. Safe to say “The Teet” offered enough higher-quality and organic food to mimic our meal, such as:

Vegetables: Cabbage (organic) = $5.22

Beets (organic) = $3.99

Potatoes (organic) = $5.99: Locally grown green beans = $1.99 Nasoya Kimchi = $7.99

Baked Goods:

Small farms, big flavor.

Photo: Aggie Kulcha

WHAT WE LEARNED

Same meal, second time around, was good — but not as good. The Heavenly Portion Family Farms meats were noticeably more flavorful — and the cost difference between the two was negligible. The Somerset Farms’ just-picked cabbage and green beans were crisper — the potatoes and beets were earthier and fresher — and were all actually less expensive than the grocery store. And compared to Upper Crust, the grocery store sourdough did not even taste like the same food. Same for the pound cake. (I’d picked the frozen Sara Lee because it was packaged in foil and cardboard and the bakery pound cake was in a hard plastic clamshell.) The kimchi, barbecue sauce and Za’atar were slightly more expensive, but the flavors were significantly better, especially the locally made kimchi. Both allowed for leftovers for a couple of us for lunch the next day.

Yes, the farmers market is a little more expensive than the grocery store. But that’s mostly for specialty items, not meats and vegetables of similar organic or small-producer quality. For me, the $14 between the two runs was well worth it for several reasons:

Knowing where my food comes from. Every label at the market proudly displays an address you instantly recognize. (Not some corporate headquarters halfway across the nation.) Plus, you meet the folks who grew it or made it or raised it — and hand that person the money — which nourishes your connection to the food production process. In fact, when I eat a meal from the market, I literally think about the people who got it to my plate.

“ AS LONG AS WE’RE SPENDING MORE, WHY NOT BUY BETTER FOOD?

Good for the local economy. At a farmers market, each purchase helps support a local business, and it goes into our local economy instead of into the hands of a large food corporation. Furthermore, there are often children on-site helping their parents, so I know that money is helping real families.

Nutritional value and flavor. Fruits and vegetables that are in season and picked at peak ripeness contain higher densities of nutrients compared to food that spends days and weeks in transport and storage. Plus, eating what’s local and in season also encourages me to buy a bigger variety of foods. (I probably would not have bought beets at Secotan Market that day, but it’s what they had, and I came up with a new, tasty way to prepare them.)

Better for the planet. Food transported from one or two counties over — not from across the country or the world — also means a much lower carbon footprint for getting it to my plate. Farmers markets also use far less packaging than grocery stores, where more and more items get wrapped in plastic. (And, for some reason, I never forget my reusable bags at the market but frequently do at the grocery store.)

Shopping experience. Granted, the grocery store is a necessary convenience for many items. And shopping organic is beyond many local budgets. But if I can minimize the number of trips to a freezing cold grocery store packed to the gills — to shop outdoors and directly from local farmers — I’ll gladly make the extra trip. And I like knowing that Secotan Market accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT cards in exchange for tokens you can spend on SNAP-eligible items, which makes it a more inclusive shopping experience.

Of course, one could cook the same dinner for less money shopping at any Outer Banks grocery store — provided you’re not hankering for locally sourced food. And it would be difficult to provision your whole pantry at a farmer’s market — not to mention, potentially cost-prohibitive over time. But, in the end, for me, dollars feel like a small price to pay for better food that helps build community.

Even if it’s for just one meal. — Terri Mackleberry

QUIET RIOT

Picture two parties. One is a collection of barflies, sipping suds and chatting against a backdrop of muted TVs, a light trickle of tunes coming out of a stereo. The other’s a dancefloor of booty shaking, arm waving maniacs, all hootin’ and hollerin’ to no sound at all. Now picture them side-by-side at the same club. Which one would you join? The uptight characters playing it cool — or the fly girls and guys acting a fool?

“There’s always a group of people that sits backs and watches,” says OBX Silent Disco co-founder and DJ Mattie Dalia. “But ultimately, curiosity takes hold, the dance floor fills up. And then it’s not really two parties — it’s like 20 parties — because everyone’s into their own groove.”

And yet, they’re all still smiling and laughing together, lost in their own little worlds, but sharing the collective joy. That’s the magic of silent disco. And it all starts with a wireless headset connected to three color-coded channels that blast everything from hip-hop to yacht rock to modern country, gangsta rap to rave to EDM — plus pop hits from every decade — each one painstakingly curated to crescendo over three hours. From there, the listener runs the show, toggling between red, blue and green to fuel their personal dancing fever.

“I’ve got 300-to-400 different playlists,” says Dalia. “I might have Ludacris on one channel and Cyndi Lauper on another. Sometimes, there’s three bangers all playing at the same time. And, in that way, it’s easier than normal DJing, because, if you don’t like it, you can just change the channel.”

Dalia would know. The former Charlotte resident used to spin 80s nights in the big city before moving here in 2001. But he’d never seen silent disco until the 2013 Mustang Festival, when he popped by an afterparty with his wife and business partner, Rhonda.

“At first, we were like, ‘what the hell is this?” he laughs. “Two hours later, we’re laughing and covered in sweat. But the hook really sunk in on a trip to the Dominican Republic in 2022. It was so much fun; we went straight home and bought 100 headsets.”

For the past two summers, the Dalias have been rocking clubs like Sundogs, Jolly Roger and Outer Banks Brewing Station — plus a few private parties and at least one bat mitsvah. Tonight, it’s a weekly Thursday night gig at Jack Brown’s, where a mirror ball bedazzles different crews.

There’s family vacationers and bachelorette parties. College kids and prowling cougars. Circled up in groups or swaying solo in a corner. Ears bouncing from color to color ’til they find the right beat. Busting rhymes and screaming refrains, whether it’s “Bodak Yellow” or “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.” And the longer it goes, the louder it gets.

“I liken it to singing in the shower, to singing in the car,” says Dalia. “Something about the headsets just makes people lose themselves.”

It all makes for a fascinating study in human psychology — and shocking behavior. Who knew the guy spitting Big Daddy Kane in the muscle tee was an even bigger Village People fan? Or that the shy-looking girl in the modest sundress would act out every triple-X Nicki Minaj lyric?

““SOMETHING ABOUT THE HEADSETS JUST MAKES PEOPLE LOSE THEMSELVES.”

And if the right song comes on, the whole room changes hues and hollers out “YMCA!” or “Me so horny!” — tangible proof of music’s ability to kill inhibitions and cross cultures.

“It happens every night,” says Dalia. “And I never know what song it will be. Just as soon as I think it’s the hip-hop channel, and everyone should be glowing blue, it’s 70s Disco on the green channel. Or it’s the Beastie Boys on the red channel. Or it may be the worst song you can think of — but people just love to belt it out.”

The more folks twist and shout, the more folks line up to rent a $7 set. No wonder Dalia’s already gearing up more themed nights for fall — including a special OBX Pride Fest edition at Jack Brown’s on September 12, and a Mama Kwan’s Halloween bash on October 25. And that’s just the beginning.

“I’m dying to do a full moon party outdoors,” he says. “The extra glow would be so cool, and we can go late because we don’t infringe on any noise ordinances... theoretically.”

Right about the time I slip out the door, every set of ears is bright green, and every toothy grin is booming, “Whoop! There it is!” And the bouncer? His eyes are popping out of his skull.

“Silent Disco, huh?’ he deadpans, as he cranes his neck for a peek inside. “Don’t sound too silent to me.”

— Leo Gibson

YMCA gets the greenlight.

Photo: Ed Tupper

HALLOWEEN HACKS

One trickster’s hot tips for horrifying your home.

JUST HOW PSYCHO ARE YOU?

Rather, on the Halloween enthusiasm scale — with 1 being “I leave a bowl of fun-sized Snickers on my porch” and 10 being “I spend several weeks and all my extra cash staging Stephen King novels” — where do you land?

KDH resident Stephen Brewer goes to 11. This is a guy who’s so obsessed with the holiday, he bought a house near First Street just so he could pierce the beating heart of the Outer Banks’ Halloween trick-or-treat scene. A guy who has a plywood casket stashed under his house year-round, because his storage room is so stuffed with skulls and tombstones, it can’t fit another souvenir from the underworld. A guy whose side gig is selling horror movie merch under the brand “Toxic Coffin.”

“I guess I like the air of mysticism and mischief,’” muses the full-time graphic artist. “Plus, it’s a no-pressure holiday. It’s not about presents or visiting relatives. It’s just a night for fun.”

Even if it takes more than a month to prepare for the party.

With the help of his wife, Katie, and 11-year-old daughter, Penelope, Brewer spends weeks converting his yard into two ghastly scenes. On one side of his house is a haunted hay patch with cornstalks, a pile of scary emoji pumpkins, and a giant skeleton. On the other is a walk-through graveyard complete with a mausoleum and ghostly apparitions.

Some of it’s store-bought, some handmade. But the end result is a oneof-a-kind horror show that’s the stuff of nightmares. Almost.

“It’s more PG-scary,” Brewer laughs. “But I just love it when it all comes together — the lights and the sound and everything. That brings me so much joy.”

Here are Brewer’s top tips for upping your Halloween game without spending a fortune.

BE

HONEST

ABOUT YOUR LEVEL OF PAIN

Do you want to kill a few hundred hours — or burn a few hundred bucks? That’s the real choice between buying pre-made displays or making your own.

“The store-bought stuff is available immediately and ready to go,” Brewer says. “But it’s also expensive. And often just doesn’t look as good. That’s why I prefer a blend of DIY and repurposed storebought.”

For example, Brewer decided that dropping a couple c-notes for an ultrarealistic archway of skulls — then upgrading with his own lighting array — was the best economic balance of both money and time. But he opted to build his own sixfoot coffin out of recycled palettes and plywood, instead of spending $100 on something half the size and twice as cheesy.

And when it came to creating his cemetery, instead of buying plastic displays, Brewer painted PVC pipes to look like a

graveyard fence and dry-brushed wooden tombstones to look like battered cement.

But even when he decides it’s cheaper and less time-consuming to buy something prefab, he still modifies it to make it look less store-bought.

“I’ll weather it somehow,” he says, “just to make it my own.”

SOUND AND VISION

Wanna set the mood without breaking the bank? Brewer suggests piping some spooky music through strategically placed Bluetooth speakers — then electrifying your exterior.

“Lighting adds contrast and atmosphere,” he says. “It’s one of those little details that helps transform the setting.”

He prefers remote LED lights from Amazon — a two-pack is around $20-$30 — then points them at the house or display.

“Mix green and purple,” he says. “It instantly makes it feel like Halloween.”

And you thought your neighbors were kinda creepy. Photo: Ryan Moser

ENTER FOGMAN

Every metal band knows fog machines can crank up the creep factor. To up your game, make the mist stick close to the ground.

“The key is to chill the fog so it’s cooler than the air temperature,” Brewer says. “Then it hangs low and gives that super-spooky graveyard effect.”

Brewer says you can buy a fog chiller for a few hundred bucks — or you can build one, like he did, using a cooler, a wire shelf, irrigation ducting, PVC pipes, and a fog machine. Sound complicated? Brewer says YouTube videos can show you the exact method for building your own.

MONSTER-SIZE IT

Beach box carports can make perfect bat caves — but the extra height can also make human-sized yard creatures seem comically small. The best set-ups overcompensate by incorporating a few mega-sized features — picture one of those 12-foot skeletons you see lurking each fall. And if you don’t want to drop a few hundred at the nearby big-box store, just build your own scarecrow on the cheap by sticking a Dollar Tree jack-o-lantern on a big cross of wood, tacking on branches for arms, and then draping it with old clothes.

Or get a little more gruesome with this tip:

“I made a rib cage from pool noodles and papier mâché,” Brewer says. “My setup all started with that 11-foot scarecrow. It was my most over-achieving display, and it gave me confidence to do more.”

SLASH YOUR COSTS

Why spend $15 on fake costume blood that can burn your skin? For pennies you can mix cornstarch, red food dye, water and baking soda into something more realistic and safer — except on clothes.

“That stuff stains everything,” Brewer warns. And before spending $50 on a bag of plastic skulls, consider stockpiling a few milk or water jugs. Then, cut the top off the jug and put a dummy skull inside. Soften the jug with a heat gun then use a wet sponge to mold the plastic around the skull. Pop

the jug off the dummy, and paint it when it’s cool. Make a pile of skulls, maybe strung with lights.

Now, use the money you save to buy beef netting instead of fake spider webs.

It’s slightly more expensive, but it lasts longer and isn’t toxic to animals.

More importantly?

“ FOR REAL THRILLS, TRY BUILDING A THEME.

“It looks better and has so much more contrast than standard spider webbing,” Brewer says. “Just stretch it, cut hundreds of holes in it, and hang it.”

SHOW SOME SPIRIT

Anyone can chuck a few spooky items around the yard — but for real thrills, try building a theme.

“You can tell the houses that are having the most fun with decoration versus the houses that just went out and bought everything,” Brewer says. “Personal expression adds that extra level, and you notice it.”

Traditional cornstalks are way more interesting if you get closer and see faces peeking out. A skeleton crashing through the cemetery fence is way more dynamic than a pile of bones just leaning on a tree.

“Tell a little story,” Brewer says. “It makes it more interesting.”

USE YOUR BRAINS

Before you start, think hard about how big you want to go — and how loud you want to be. It is a neighborhood, after all.

“We are concerned about our lighting and sound and ask if it’s a problem,” says Brewer. “And we’re really conscious about turning everything off after 10 pm.”

Plus, that stuff has to live someplace between holidays.

“I’m pretty much at capacity when it comes to storage,” Brewer says. “My wife wants a ‘she shed,’ and I need a ‘boo barn.’”

[Laughs] — Terri Mackleberry

with AWOLNATION NEON TREES

LETTER FROM FEBRUARY

Hi. Remember me? February? No, I guess not — at least not really. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so ready to say goodbye to summer.

I know…I know…it’s all the tourists. The traffic. The bulging bodies and beepin’ horns. The parking lots that somehow fill up before the sun breaks the horizon, and the 12-seater tent set-ups that hog acres of sand — but stay empty all day. And the endless succession of flat spells in otherwise perfect conditions — or the sloppy shite-surfs that may get you wet but can’t slake your thirst.

By August, all that built-up bad juju sticks to your soul like hot asphalt. The type of bubbling, suffocating blob only a freezing blast of air can kill. One that brings a strong winter swell that sweeps the beach clean. Where the only crowd on the horizon is a mob of peaks and dawn delivers nothing but stiff offshores and a warm blanket of sunbeams.

Yeah, I got a few of those — somewhere here in my closet cramped with short days and narrow windows of opportunity. But you know what I don’t got? See all them bronzing bikinis and hunky beefcakes? They’re long gone. Back in college, cozying up with hungover playmates while you struggle into your wetsuit.

And I don’t have any 30-second wash-offs, either. The frolicky body surfs and random bike rides. Or those calm tranquil weekends where you hit the beach with no purpose whatsoever. Morning bakes that melt into afternoon naps on a steaming mattress of sand and beach towels. Two pm wake-ups with a quick rinse to rub the salt from your eyes. Or the post-sunset sessions where “just-onemore” can take you well past dark. Where you can still walk home shirtless and not shiver once.

The last of those wet footprint moments is evaporating as we speak — faster than a Saharan teardrop. Best savor every one. Better yet: go make some more. And the first step is to hop right back in the water. — C. White

Art by Brad Price

endnotes

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Forget the past. Embrace the future! From Aug. 28-Sept. 1, the world’s most progressive surfers blow minds daily at Jennette’s Pier, while evening ragers push into the night. On Aug. 28, be at Fishhead’s for the 4pm Corona Cares Fundraiser for The UNC Lineberger Cancer Center, followed directly by the official Kick-off Party at 6pm. On Aug. 29, drop into Jack Brown’s for a 4-6pm happy hour, then grab some Avalon Pier Beers from 6-8pm. And Fri. night, Bonzer Shack premieres local ripper Bo Raynor’s new vid at 6pm — then keeps rockin’ ’til close. Find updates and live heats at www.wrvobxpro. com. (PS. At press time, we learned Fri. night will also see the Outer Banks Brewing Station host The Inertia’s Hometown Hype: Outer Banks presented by White Claw, where a special vid and photo competition will celebrate the local surf community — and a WRV surfboard raffle will benefit Outer Banks Boardriders. 9pm. Stay tuned to www. theinertia.com for details.) • Seeking something slower paced? Maybe some inner peace? Head to Jennette’s Pier for more Outer Banks Health’s Namaste at the Beach, Aug. 29, Sept. 5 &12. No RSVP needed. Just show up at 7:30am with a beach towel and water. Call 242-449-4529 with questions. • Don’t slip or trip, you knuckleheads! Sublime With Rome’s Farewell Tour slides into Roanoke Island Festival Park on Aug. 29 at 6pm. (Doors at 5pm.) Tix almost always sell out, so get your fix at www.vusicobx.com. • Hungry to haul in a big “bad fish” — and help local families receive medical care? Hop aboard the Community Care Clinic of Dare’s 3rd Annual Billfish Tournament on Sept. 1. Participants can register online at www.dareclinic.org — or during the Aug. 31 Captain’s Dinner And everyone’s invited to Oregon Inlet Fishing Center for Sept. 1’s weigh-in and awards ceremony from 3-6pm. (Email lynjenkins@dareclinic.org with any questions.) Just plain hungry? The Food Bank of the Albemarle will be distributing meals at the clinic on the first and third Mon. of every month from 2-3:30pm. (Or until supplies run out). • Stock up on a fresh supply of handmade treasures from 60+ vendors — plus cornhole, bubbles and bushels of activities — at Sept. 1’s Soundside Labor Day Weekend Market. 9am-1pm. Find details and weather updates on their Facebook page. • Or fill your ears with original music when the Southern Shores Civic Association’s Songwriters at Sunset Concert Series presents Kevin Watson (Sept. 1, 5-8pm) and Chris Toolan & Maslin Seal (Oct. 6, 4-7pm) at the North Marina Pavilion. Tune in to Facebook for updates. • Meanwhile, Elizabethan Gardens’ Butterfly Releases perform a symphony of fluttering color every Tues. (10am) & Thurs (10am & 1pm), through Sept. 26. $25 tix must be purchased online and include a keepsake certificate. More details at www.elizabethangardens.org • Lookin’ to flex? Town of Duck’s Yoga On the Green strikes poses every Tues. morn. through Sept. 24, while Wed.’s Dynamic Flow on the Green stretches ’til Sept. 11. (Both at 7:30am.) And Thurs.’ Concerts on the Green keep rocking at 6:30pm with Mike Scoglio Trio (Sept. 5), Sam’O & JFC (Sept. 12), and Jeremy & the Generations (Sept. 19). Then treat your eyes by peeping Duck Town Hall’s Women of the Outer Banks Small Group Show — featuring fine works by Peggy Morse, Willow Rea, Susannah Sakal, Kate Lawrence & Erin Moore — Mon.-Fri., 9am-4:30pm. (Hangs through Oct. 25; holidays excluded.) Visit www.townofduck.com for a full sched. • Dowdy Park Yoga keeps on flowing every Tues. from 8:30-9:30am through Oct. 29, while Friday Night Movies lines up three more flicks, starting at sunset: Sept. 6, Oct. 4 & Nov. 1. Follow their Facebook page for deets. • Twodozen local creators — from painters to jewelers, lensmen to loomers — post up at Kitty Hawk’s Hilton Garden Inn for Sept. 4 & 5’s OBX Arts & Craft Festival, where a portion of proceeds support the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, Beach Food Pantry and Coastal Humane Society. 10am-5pm. Get all the colorful deets on Facebook • Meet a diverse breed of local artists every Wed. through Sept. 25, when the Tri Villages Market at Rodanthe’s Camp Hatteras Campground fills the grounds with crafts, photos and pottery — plus food, coffee and more. 9am-1pm. Sniff out each week’s lineup on their Facebook page. • Red wines, golden ales and a host of colored canvasses coat the grounds of Historic Corolla Park for two more Wed. afternoons at Corolla Cork and Crafts, Sept. 4 & 11. (37pm.) Or, if pitching bags

passion, sign up for the last two Corolla

Cornhole Tournaments. (3pm start; call 252-453-9040 to register.) Or just stretch out one more time at Sept. 5’s Yoga in the Park at 7:30am. Weather permitting; keep tabs on www. visitcurrituck.com. • Rather run wild? Corolla’s Lighthouse 5k/1Mile takes its last laps of the season, Sept. 4 & 11. (More at www.obxrunning.com). • Or drop a line down south, Sept. 5-7, when the 41st Annual Hatteras Village Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament — aka “The Little Hatty” — sees 6-person teams vie for prizes over two days. Hook into their Facebook page for details. • Hoist a stickered Solo cup with your neighbors, Sept. 6, when First Friday fills Downtown Manteo’s Social District with friendly smiles, later shopping, and live tunes by Brooke & Nick at Old Tom Street, Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs at Magnolia Pavilion, Bill Rea at 1587 Restaurant & Lounge, and Toolan & Evans at NouVines. Step behind Dare Arts and you’ll hear Anchor Blazer and see an amazing jellyfish installation by sculptor Carol Willett. (Hangs through Nov.) Then step inside to take in opening receptions for two more exhibits: oil paintings by Taylor Williams and narrative photography by Theresa Scott. (Both stay on display through Sept. 28.) Full descriptions at www.darearts.org

• Wanna score a free concert and hear compelling stories? The Bryan Cultural Series brings the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival to Southern Shores’ All Saints Episcopal Church, Sept. 6, where the Terra String Quartet and Ara Gregorian mixes passionate performances with tales about each masterpiece. 7pm. Donations accepted. Deets at www.bryanculturalseries.org. • Then get blown away by the region’s top orchestra, Sept. 7, when the Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts brings the Virginia Symphony Orchestra to First Flight High. 7:30pm. Tix available at www.outerbanksforum.org • The bad news? There’s only two more fresher-then-ever Manteo Downtown Markets left in the season: Sat., Sep. 7 & 14, 9am-1pm. Follow the town Facebook page for weather updates. • The good news? Wanchese’s Secotan Market will keep pumping out locally raised produce, vegetable ferments, meat & eggs, baked goods, and more, every friggin’ Sat., Sept. 7-Nov. 23 — plus one more Pre-Thanksgiving Market on Nov. 27. (8am-12pm in Sept.; 9am-12pm, starting Oct.) More at www. secotanmarket.com. • Roanoke Island Festival Park gets covered in country hits, Sept. 7, when VusicOBX presents Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson with special guest Whitey Morgan & The 78s. Tix and times at www.vusicobx.com • And the 6-string slingers keep firing at Blue Moon Beach Grill six days a week, now through fall, thanks to Bryan Campbell (Mon.), Graham Outten (Wed.), Natalie Plevyak (Thurs.), Brad Privott (Fri.), Jake Posko (Sat.), and the Bar Cats (Sun.). 4-6pm. Keep tabs at www. bluemoonbeachgrill.com • “Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame....” That’s the song they’ll blast at your funeral if you don’t stay on Nags Head Woods’ designated trails, Sept. 7 through Jan. 1, as Bow Hunting Season invites qualified archers to help thin the deer

Town of Duck’s “Women of the Outer Banks Small Group Show” features dazzling works by Susannah Sakal and four more local artists through Oct. 25.

herd. Find a map at the kiosk or at www.nature.org/nhw

• Walk freely through acres of maritime forest — then step inside to explore our indigenous history — at the Frisco Native American Museum any Tues.-Sun.,10am-5pm. Find pricing, deets and weekly 2pm workshops at www.nativeamericanmuseum.org.

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• Or watch Hobie Cats prowl the Currituck Sound when the OBX Multihull Sail Fest makes its port Nags Head’s Soundside Event Site, Sept. 7-8. Learn more at www.sailobx.com. • Drop that Jolly Roger — and raise those rainbow flags! OBX Pridefest sails back into town, Sept. 9-15, with everything from sunset cruises to silent discos, music bingo to pub crawls — plus a full spectrum of “drag” experiences. But the anchor event is always Sat.’s free festival at Roanoke Island Festival Park, a full day of food, bevvies and top entertainment by live and the likes of Coco Vega, Jennifer Warner, Sass and more. 11am-5pm. Find pricing, tix and full details at www.obxpridefest.com. Just remember: all the daytime events are family friendly — the nighttime events are NOT.

upfront soundcheck

• Skintight spandex is always winning attire when the Outer Banks Triathlon swim-bike-runs across Roanoke Island, Sept. 13-14. Register at www.obxse.com

• Rather see crazy nylon colors streak through the sky? Head to Kitty Hawk Kites’ Outer Banks Kite Festival, Sept. 1314, where the nation’s best stunt kite pilots perform aerial antics over Jockey’s Ridge — and offer free stunt and power kite lessons — while oversized display kites flutter in the breeze. 10am-4pm. More at www. kittyhawk.com

• Waterman culture rules the day when Day at the Docks returns to Hatteras Village, Sept. 13-14. The fun starts Fri. night with Seafood Under the Stars, where local chefs prepare a six-course dinner for just 100 seats. ($55; $100 with wine pairing.)

Then everyone’s invited to Sat.’s working waterfront festival, a full day of demos and dock chats — plus a Chowder Cook-Off and Seafood Throwdown — bookended by a morning Fishy K Fun Run and evening’s Parade of Boats & Blessing of the Fleet. Get tix and a full schedule for both days at www. dayatthedocks.com. • High winds made it — but humans saved it. On Sept. 14, join Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Friends of Jockey’s Ridge, and other local partners for Sept. 14’s Dune Day — a celebration of the community that continues to protect the East Coast’s largest living sand pile. More details at www.friendsofjockeysridge.org. • The Outer Banks Brewing Station’s backyard billows with creative energy every Sat., starting Sept. 14, when the Brew & Arts Market mixes top local painters, photogs and more with a live soundtrack by Doc Perkins — and an orchestra of innovative beers. 5-8pm. More at www. obbrewing.com • Got a thirst for tricked-out rides? Race down to the Soundside Event Site, Sept. 14, for the Sumospeed Beach Bash, where techy car nerds show off their candy-colored, streamlined babies — while food trucks, bands and vendors add some extra flavor. 1-5pm. Get detailed at www.sumospeed.com • Fins and fishtails take on a whole new meaning at Jennette’s Pier, Sept 15-21, when the ESA Eastern Surfing Championships sees a frenzy of top talents in every category battle to be named the Atlantic Seaboard’s apex competitor. Deets and live heats at www.surfesa.org • And the action continues after hours up in the pier’s Oceanview Hall, Sept. 16-18, as the 13th Annual Surfalorus Film Festival showcases the best surfing films from award winning veterans to first-time directors, plus tasty beverages, snacks, and live music. Find more info and tickets at

Discover the surfing culture along our state’s northeast coast, featuring memorabilia from the surfing community.

Experience • Explore • Engage

Hatteras Villages’ Day at the Docks serves fishy fun for the whole fam, Sept. 13-14.

www.surfalorus.org

• Old styles rule at Island Farm, Sept.17-20, when Corn Shuck Chair Bottom Weaving with David Russell demonstrates how 19th century artisans cushioned tushes with woven husks. (9am-3pm.) And costumed interpreters continue to recreate the past almost every day in Sept. Come get a refreshing blend of molasses, ginger and cider vinegar — along with a tall glass of history — at Tues.’ Drink Yer Switchel. (9am-3pm). On Wed., Island Farm Wash Day shows how vintage Roanoke Islanders kept life clean (9am-2:30pm). Thurs. is a mix of Rag Doll Crafting and Banker Pony Day (9am-1-pm). And Fri.’s Rag Rug Crafting teaches folks to make a traditional braided rug out of scrap fabric. (9am-12pm.) For pricing and details visit www.obcinc.org. • On Sept. 17, Wes Anderson’s whack job dramedy, Asteroid City, hits the Dare Arts’ screen to start the Outer Banks Film Society’s fall/winter season. Become a member to enjoy a range of high-impact independent films, movie classics, documentaries, and world cinema, such as the Manhattan Short Film Festival (Oct. 1); Run, Lola, Run (Oct. 15); Lisa Frankenstein (Oct. 29), and The Promised Land (Nov. 19). Learn more and sign up at www.darearts.org. • Then help Chicamacomico Life Saving Station avoid future disaster by attending Sept. 19’s fundraising Concert For Chicamacomico, starring the likes of The Sweaters and Skylar Gudasz. 4-9pm. $20 in advance; $25 at the door. Full scoop at www. chicamacomico.org • Rubber ducky dashboards decorate the Soundside Event Site, Sept. 20-22, when the OBX Jeep Charities’ 4th Annual OBX Jeep Invasion fills the grounds with live bands, vendors, food trucks — and, of course, the Show & Shine — to help fuel the Dare County Special Olympics, Virginia Tillett Community Center Toy Drive, and Wounded Warriors in Action. Park it at www.obxjeepinvasion.com for more. • Everyone’s entitled to big laughs when Theatre of Dare opens the season with Social Security — a

screwball comedy that combines uptight families, arts dealers, an eccentric mother, and one swinging daughter. Sept. 20, 21, 26, 27 & 28 at 7:30pm; Sept. 22 & 29 at 2pm. Tix and deets at www.theatreofdareobx.com. • Stoke supports local families, Sept. 21, when the 16th Annual Throwdown Surf Classic returns to Southern Shores’ Chicahauk Beach with heats for all ages, plus raffles, food, prizes, and lots of aloha — with proceeds benefitting Outer Banks Relief Foundation. ($54k last year alone.) Find @throwdown_ surf_classic for details. • Or donate some love directly to Mother Nature at Sept. 22’s Kitty Hawk Kites/Surfrider Foundation Beach Clean Up at Jockey’s Ridge Sound Access, from 5-6pm. And come back to do it again on Nov. 10 at 12pm. More at www.kittyhawk.com. • Then sail south for Sept. 2729’s Cape Hatteras Lighthouse One Design Regatta, where Optimist, Sunfish, ILCA, Club 420, Hobie 16, and all the SAYRA One Design Classes harness the winds around KOA Rodanthe. Register by Sept. 15 at www. hatterassailing.org • It’s man versus bluefish — and black drum, sea mullet and pompano — when Sept. 27-29’s Hatteras Island Surf Fishing Challenge focuses on just four species, then doles out big prizes. More at www. fishermanspost.com. • On Sept. 28, the National Park Service hooks up local cheapskates by killing the entry fee to Wright Bros. National Memorial to celebrate National Public Lands Day. Visit www.nps.gov for the full scoop. • Technically, Sept. 29’s Grateful Friends concert at Grace Lutheran Church is totally free. But it’s also a benefit for the Beach Food Pantry. So come with a donation that shows your thanks — and helps feed hungry neighbors. 4pm. Find details on Facebook • The Outer Banks Brewing Station keeps the good times flowing when the 2nd Annual Pubkin Patch fills the backyard with orange gourds, seasonal treats, and kid-themed activities throughout Oct. (11:30am-9pm.) And the inside brims with flavor and fun with the return of

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Thurs. night’s Tapas & Trivia, Oct. 3-Mar. 31. (Tapas run 4:30-9pm; Trivia with Salty Sam starts at 9:30pm.) Tasty deets at www.obbrewing.com. • And Downtown Manteo is awash in community spirit, Oct. 4, when First Friday brings back a fresh round of musical sounds by Howell & Caswell at Old Tom Street, Fleck at 1587 Restaurant & Lounge, Toolan & Evans at NouVines, and the OBX Shag Club at Magnolia Pavilion, and The Jazzmen in the Dare Arts Courtyard. Then step inside the gallery at 6pm to support creativity yearround, as the Great Art Heist raises funds via a 3-week silent auction. Plus, mixed media maniac Andy Harris combines a crazy mix of acrylic, ink, spray paint, and more, through Oct. 26. More at www.darearts.org. • What’s with the hound dog expression? On Oct. 4, Outer Banks SPCA collars national comedian Bobby Tessel for the 2nd Annual StandUp for Strays at Pirates Cove Pavilion, where every roll in the aisles keeps the shelter rolling in dough. 6:30pm. Tix & deets sponsorships at www.obxspca.org • On Oct. 5, the biggest dogs in beach volleyball dig up Tortuga’s Lie’s backyard when the AVP-rated King of the Beach dangles 10,000 “bones” to bring in world-class pros. 8am-8pm. Find their Facebook event page for updates. • Got a taste for not-so-elite sports? Try Crabdaddy Seafood & Wine Festival, Oct. 5, where the Crabdaddy Olympics tosses crab pots and rolls barrels around Sanctuary Vineyards — but the main event is always endless reps of steamed crabs, wine samples, and live music.11:30am-4:30pm. More at www.sanctuaryvineyards.com. • Or just go hog wild on piles of pork and bushels of bivalves when First Flight Rotary’s Oink & Oyster Roast takes over the Jolly Roger on Oct. 5. Get the latest details and pricing www.firstflightrotary.org. • A smorgasbord of strange board designs fuels competitive fires — and the Outer Banks Relief Foundation  — at Oct. 5’s Which Craft Surf Gathering, where surfers select random sticks for every heat, while the silent auction lets bystanders bid on wild shapes by Scooter Halladay, Josh Peterson, TJ Fowler, Lynn Shell, Bob Yinger, Jesse Fernandez, Ed Tupper, Uncle Leo, Mike Rowe, Ashley Linneken, David Rohde, and Rascoe Hunt. And the crazy times continue with bands and beers at Swellsa’ Brewing. Rain date is Oct. 6. Follow @which_ craft_surf for updates. • Then enjoy a firing selection of locally spawned surf images, artifacts and memorabilia via the Museum of the Albemarle’s new exhibit Where the Waves Break: Surfing in Northeastern North Carolina — any day but Sun., 10am-4pm. Pull into www.museumofthealbemarle.com for the latest. • Can’t wait to carve up your own groovy gourd? Head to Island Farm’s Pumpkin Patch, Oct. 5, 12, 19 & 26 — where the Sat. fun includes classic traditions, like cider, candle making, and historic games, and future jack-o-lanterns are available for purchase. 9am-3pm. Pricing and details at www.obcinc.org. • Looky-loo through some high-end houses — and maybe lift a few design ideas — when the Outer Banks Home Builder Association’s 32nd Annual Parade of Homes returns with in-person tours, Oct. 10-12, from 10am-6pm. And on Oct. 13, members mix and mingle at Jennette’s Pier for 2024 Trade Expo & Awards Ceremony. Find complete plans at www.obhomebuilders.org.

• Word on the street — and the internets — is that the Down the Road Surf & Art Festival’s loosey-goosey concoction of surf contest, music concert and creative output will wash through town Oct. 11-13. Follow @ downtheroadsurfing for the latest. • Salute some real coastal legends, Oct. 11-13, when Chicamacomico Historic Life-Saving

Oddball designs — and madcap inventors, like Dave Rohde — come together for Oct. 5’s Which Craft Surf Gathering. Photo: Dick Meseroll.

Station celebrates the 150th Anniversary of the Life-Saving Service with a series of commemorative events and reenactments. Pricing and details at www.chicamacomico.org. • Then run to remember a beloved community fixture — and help local families beat cancer— when Oct. 12’s Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation’s 5K honors Donna Peele, a beloved founding member who lost her own battle with breast cancer last year. Learn more and register at www.hicf.org. • On Oct. 12, watch a velvet-voiced, NYC “cabaret pianist” channel legendary performers like Dolly Parton and Tom Petty — James Taylor and Stevie Nicks — when the Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts presents Brad Simmons: Acoustic Storyteller at First Flight High. 7:30pm start. Tix and deets at www. outerbanksforum.org • Improvisation is key at Duck Jazz Festival, as local bizzes jam on uniquely themed events, Oct. 12-13. But you can always count on a couple standards like Sat.’s Community Concert on the Green at 4pm, followed by a 7:30pm Live Jam at The Blue Point. Then, on Sun., two stages will rotate bands from 11am-6pm. On the Main Stage it’s the Jae Sinnett Quintet featuring Randy Brecker & Ada Rovatti (11am); Jazzmeia Horn (1pm); the Lao Tizer Band (3:25pm); and Antonia Bennett (5:25pm). The Amphitheatre Stage will feature First Flight High School Honors Jazz Band (12:10pm); the Joe Baione Vibraphone Experience (2:20 PM); and Empire Strikes Brass (4:30pm). Food, coolers, chairs, blankets, and pets allowed; no beach umbrellas or tents. Gates open at 10am. (PS: For a special treat, show up Oct. 10 at 6pm for an Elizabeth City State University Choir Jazz Concert in the Duck Amphitheater. And, on Oct. 11, bring the tykes out for a special Children’s Story Time & Rhythm Play with Ascencion Music Academy at 10am.) Tune in to www.duckjazz.com for more.

• Then it’s time for Manteo’s biggest musical barn burner: Oct. 16-20’s Bluegrass Island Music Festival! Starts with Wed.’s Free Festival Kick-Off at Creef Park (4pm), before Roanoke Island Festival Park hosts three straight days of sizzling bands, like Donna the Buffalo, Scythia and Rhonda Vincent (Thurs.), Shadowgrass and The Brothers Comatose (Fri.), and Breaking Grass and the Infamous Stringdusters (Sat.). And all four nights feature 11pm Late Night Jams at the Pioneer Theatre, where attendees can bring their own banjos or just watch, slack-jawed. (Seating is first come, first served; a festival ticket is required to enter.) And stick around for Sun.’s Authentic Unlimited’s 2pm show at Festival Park’s Indoor Theater. Find all the dang details at www.bluegrassisland.com. • Don some purple, grab some neighbors, and spend a half-hour or so atop our highest sand dune to raise public awareness of domestic violence, when Outer Banks Hotline’s Ribbon on the Ridge returns on Oct. 17. (Starts at 10am; meet at Kitty Hawk Kites a few minutes early to walk over.) Then head to Dowdy Park, Oct. 26, at 11am for the 2nd Annual Dogs Against Domestic Violence, where our furry loved ones lend some paws to the cause — plus activities, contests, and prizes for the humans, too. More at www.obhotline.org. • Then crack a beer and get environmentally informed when OBX Green Drinks mixes presentations by local experts with lively discussion and cold libations at Waveriders, Oct. 17 & Nov. 7. Tap into their Facebook page for updates. • From Oct. 17-31, the Halloween party season turns mad — mad, we tell you! — when Ghostly Galleys of the Outer Banks transforms four favorite haunts into horrifyingly fun pop-up bars: Spooky 12, Gloombay’s & Frights, Monster Kwan’s, and the Bonzer Shack of Shadows. All will have crazy décor, special parties and a fearsome assortment of themed cocktails and food for the whole damned fam. Watch the social media feeds for more gruesome details. • And Town of Duck infects the whole family with Halloween spirit, Oct. 19, with a 4pm Trunk or Treat at Town Park, before playing Hook on the big screen at 7pm for Movie on the Green. More at www. townofduck.com

• Help launch a new athletic tradition with Outer Banks Sporting Events, Oct. 19, when the Another Round 25K challenges individuals and teams to run five consecutive 5K laps around Jockey’s Ridge, on the hour every hour starting at 7:30am. Beat feet to www.obxse.com for details.

• Head to the Soundside Event Site, Oct. 19, as the Outer Banks Seafood Festival celebrates our commercial fishing heritage and

community — and local chefs’ culinary creativity — by serving up a full day of working demos and delicious plates by a dozen local restaurants, plus live music by Manteo Murphy, Partly Crowdy, Celeste Kellogg, Cotton James, and the Daniel Jordan Band. 10am-6pm. $20 for ages 13+. Price includes $10 in beverage/merchandise bucks. Get all the tasty deets at www.outerbanksseafoodfestival.org. • Or ferry south to dive still deeper into our collective fishing history at the Ocracoke Preservation Society’s Working Waterman’s Festival on Oct. 19, where porch talk and exhibits cover everything from harvesting oysters to running charters. 8am-5pm. More at www.visitocracokenc.com. • Then it’s the feel-good angling event of the season, Oct. 2123, as the North Carolina Lions VIP Fishing Tournament introduces hundreds of visually impaired persons to the joys of throwing a line off our local piers. Learn more, volunteer and donate at www.ncvipfishing.org. • “Black bears and cottonmouths and owls, oh my!” That’s what you’ll be yelling, Oct. 22-27, when the annual Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival offers six days of tram rides and kayak tours, watercolor lessons and photography workshops, from Corolla to Hatteras to Mattamuskeet, all to raise funds for the Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society. Then humans take center stage at Oct. 26’s Keynote Talk & Dinner with Kenn Kaufman, a writer, illustrator — and 2-time recipient of the American Birding Association’s lifetime achievement award. Find full sched. and pricing at www.wingsoverwater.org. • Meanwhile, surf fishermen swamp Hatteras Island to obsess over a single species, Oct. 23-26, when the 15th Annual NC

Beach Buggy Association Red Drum Tournament uses $12,000 in prizes for bait. More at www.ncbba.org. • What gives teachers nightmares? Running out of supplies. You can help two schools — and have scary fun — all in one weekend, when Oct. 25’s Kitty Hawk Elementary Fall Carnival raises funds via an afternoon of rides, raffles, food, and laughter (4-8pm); and First Flight Elementary will turn the halls into a haunted house, Oct. 25-26, with the annual Trick or Treat taking place the second night. Follow their respective Facebook pages for more. • On Oct. 26, float down memory lane at George Washington Creef Park, when the 12th Annual Roanoke Island Maritime Museum Wooden Boat Show invites proud captains and craftsmen to show off restored and newly constructed vessels from 9am-2pm. Learn more and register at www.manteonc.gov. • Then watch metal cylinders crash spectacularly, when Kitty Hawk Kites’ Outer Banks Brewtag returns to Soundside Event Site, Oct. 26. This inventive, annual event challenges teams to turn empty 1/6 kegs into flying machines, then launches them from a scaffold where they either soar or plummet — all to the joy of cheering spectators. Meanwhile, a craft beer garden and live bands keep spirits high, and proceeds raise awareness about the “flexible wing” design via The Rogallo Foundation. (11am-6pm.) Full flight itinerary at www.obxbrewtag.com. • No smashing, please! Oct. 26’s Night of 1587 Pumpkins is all about carefully decorating Elizabethan Gardens with 1500-plus jack-o-lanterns, then lighting ’em up —  plus trick-ortreating, contests, family activities, and costumes. (5-8pm.) But they need your help to do it!

The Daniel Jordan Band serves up country fried licks at the Outer Banks Seafood Festival on Oct. 19. Photo: Glenn Woodell

So, either bring your own gruesome, pre-cut gourd — or come out and carve your own on Oct. 24 & 25, from 10am-4pm. Details, pricing and tix at www.elizabethangardens.org. • Just wanna scream your guts out? Head to Hatteras Village on Oct. 26, where Seabreeze Trail gets a Halloween makeover to become Witching Woods Haunted Trail. From 7-8pm, bring out the fam for a lower key Sensory Friendly Experience. Then, be ready to split your pants, because Anything Could Happen! From 8-10pm. Find more deets on their Facebook page. (PS: Stay tuned for a possible Holiday Trail Light Extravaganza starting in Nov.) • And literally hundreds of sailboarders blow through Avon, Oct. 26-Nov. 2, as Ocean Air’s OBX-WIND event sets up races from seriously competitive (slalom and long-distance) to seriously fun (the ever-popular “beer race”), plus freestyle competitions, equipment demos, and nightly shenanigans. Learn more and register at www.oceanairsports.com. • Calling all pottery heads! On Oct. 27, the 10th Annual Cody Dough Show fires up Island Farm with ceramic pieces and cool, crocheted items — plus other distinct crafts. Come score a unique gift while chilling with a one-of-a-kind artist from 1-4pm. • On Oct. 28, slice off a few hours to hook up the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, when the 16th Annual Paul Shaver Golf Tournament invites folks to play 18 holes at Nags Head Links before “par”-tying down at the Black Pelican — while the beloved Hatteras’ facility keeps the green. Pricing and details at www.chicamacomico.org. • Sexy devils? Virile vampires? Who knows what you’ll see at Halloween’s raciest, laciest party — the Outer Banks Brewing Stations’ Exotic/Erotic Ball — but you’re guaranteed to get an eyeful as $100 cash prizes in both categories push the limits of carnal creativity. More at www.obbrewing.com. • Hot for Teach? Head to Ocracoke Nov. 1-2, as Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree draws hundreds of swashbuckling enthusiasts in eyepatches and puffy shirts to salute centuries of history over

two days— before reenacting the infamous buccaneer’s last bloody battle. Sail over to www. visitocracokenc.com for gory details. • Or get a taste of the island without leaving town when Dare Arts’ Vault Gallery hangs film photography by Ocracoke artist Robert Chestnut for two whole months, starting with Nov. 1’s 6pm opening reception, where you can meet the shooter and snap up his work. Ferry over to www.darearts.org for more. • Remember all those notebook doodles you did in high school? Well, they sucked. For a real lesson in turning fiber sheets into creative gold, sneak into Duck Town Hall any Mon.Fri., Nov. 1-Jan. 23, between 9am and 4:30pm — holidays excluded — to see Handmade Paper Art by Paul Tury. Wanna know how it’s done? Come out to Nov. 2’s opening reception with the artist from 2-3pm. Find a complete lineup at www.townofduck.com • Then relive that glorious feeling of your science or social studies teacher wheeling in a projector, Nov. 1-3, when Downtown Manteo’s 2nd Annual Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival delivers another batch of top-notch nature documentaries and activist bios to emphasize the importance of protecting our planet. Find deets at www.obxeff.com. • Better start polishing that air guitar. On Nov. 2, the Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts presents the Troubadour Project’s one-band tribute to 70s rock anthems and iconic riffs — from Queen to Led Zeppelin to The Eagles — at First Flight High. 7:30pm. More at www. outerbanksforum.org. • Tasty licks continue on Nov. 3, when the 15th Annual Outer Banks Shrimp Cookoff challenges local chefs to crush each other in a battle of crustacean cuisine — while peeling off proceeds for the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research. Find times and location on www.obxdolphins.org. • Better peel yourself off the couch and get to the polls on Nov. 5, ’cause Election Day’s your last chance to vote for candidates from county to state to the POTUS. Even better, hit an Early Voting Polling Station between

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Oct. 17-Nov. 2. Find locations and electoral rules at www.darenc.gov. • Come Nov. 7, the NC Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green delivers word power to the people with a reading at Jennette’s Pier, courtesy of the Bryan Cultural Series. 7pm. Free event but donations encouraged. More at www.bryanculturalseries.org. • On Nov. 8-9, take a ferry to Fiesta Island when the annual Festival Latino de Ocracoke celebrates its vibrant Hispanic community with traditional music, ballet folkloric dances, food, games, and incredible cuisine. Get all the spicy details at www.visitocracokenc.com • Then it’s your legs turn to burn when Nov. 8-10’s Outer Banks Marathon invites folks to pound the pavement — then parties down at the finish line with BBQ, beer and bands. Can’t handle all 26.1 miles? Sign up for a Half Marathon or the Surf Pediatrics Surf & Soar 5K/8K & Fun Run. Full deets at www.obxse.com. • Think that’s torture? You’ve clearly never seen Misery, Stephen King’s epic tale of a misguided fan’s sadistic obsession with a best-selling author. Luckily, Theatre of Dare presents their twist, Nov. 8, 9, 14, 15 & 16 at 7:30 pm; and Nov. 10 & 17 at 2:00 p.m. And if you’ve ever wanted to take a whack at acting, auditions for the Feb. production of Lizzie: The Rock Musical — the story of America’s most infamous 19th century axe murderer— take place Nov. 22-23. Tix and more at www.theatreofdareobx.com. • Ten-hut!

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From Nov. 9-10, Dare Arts’ 12th Annual Outer Banks Veterans Writing Workshop at UNC Coastal Studies Institute helps military members and their family members use words — or this year, song writing — to process complex feelings. Score details and register at www.darearts.org. • Eight-second rides are just one of the thrills waiting at Nov. 9’s Currituck Bulls and BBQ. From 12-3pm, grill masters try to smoke each other — and fans get to choose a grand champ — as part of the People’s Choice BBQ Competition. ($10 to judge). Then, from 3- 5:30pm, the rodeo goes buck-wild with bull riding and barrel racing — while Mutton Bustin’ lets tykes take a shot at riding sheep. ($15 per person; free for ages under 5.) Meanwhile, the grounds bustle with live music and family activities — plus a cornhole tournament, axe throwing, petting zoo, and a mechanical bull. Learn more at www.visitcurrituck.com. • Get a giddyup on your Christmas shopping when local artists make like elves for two Dowdy Park Holiday Markets on Nov. 9 & 30, from 9am-12pm. And mark your calendar for Nov. 30’s Tree Lighting Celebration, where the place positively glows with carols, cocoa and yuletide spirt from 5-7pm. Find their Facebook page for details. • On Nov. 10, little flames make for lasting memories at Nags Head’s St. Andrews by the Sea, as Gentle Expert Memorycare’s Candle Lighting ceremony honors loved ones living with dementia, along with those who are no longer with us. More at www.gemdayservices.org • Anyone can help brighten up our community at Nov. 16’s Town of Manteo Fall Litter Pick-up. Just meet at the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum for coffee and donuts at 8:45am before giving the streets a polish from 9-11am. Find ’em on Facebook. • Then help nourish hungry neighbors while fueling culinary creativity, when the Beach Food Pantry’s Annual Chefs’ Challenge posts up at Pirate’s Cove Pavilion on Nov 16. Here’s how it works: local restaurants try to outdo each other by turning non-perishable items into haute cuisine, while attendees

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sample the delicious results and crown a winner. Best of all, every dollar fights food insecurity here at home. Get tix, deets and sponsorship info at www.beachfoodpantry.org. • Elizabethan Gardens radiates holiday spirit, Nov. 22-Dec. 28, when WinterLights glows up the grounds with festive décor, crackling fires, and thousands of LEDs. Check back for select dates; timed-entry tickets sold online only. Or come out Nov. 24, when Virginia Dare Night invites Dare, Currituck and Ocracoke residents to attend for free — provided they bring donations for the Roanoke Island Food Pantry. Pricing and deets at www. elizabethangardens.org. • Or learn how Roanoke Islanders handled Thanksgiving feasts before electricity, Nov. 26-27, when Island Farm’s Garden to Hearth demonstrates 19th century tactics, from cooking over fire to smoking meat to preserving vegetables. 9am3pm. More at www.obcinc.org. • Wanna pickle your liver while playing high-speed pedestrian? Race to the Outer Banks Brewing Station, Nov. 27, as the Tipsy Turkey Beer Mile lines up a mad-dash mix of 1/4-mile races and 10 oz. chugs, and competitors sport their most gobbly garb. Prizes go to the fastest — and the most festive looking. Late registration and check-in from 1010:45am; 11am start. Race over to www. obxrunning.com for details. • Then keep burning those pre-feast calories with more Thanksgiving Day races. Corolla’s Wild Turkey 5K does laps around the lighthouse (8:15am start; learn more at www.obxrunning. com), while Hatteras Village’s Surfin’ Turkey 5k & Puppy Drum Fun Run has two ways to participate: show up by 8am to run with the crowd — or go it alone and submit your finish time online. Either way, proceeds support the Hatteras Island Youth Education Fund. More at www.hatterasyouth.com. • And the 8am Ocracoke Island Turkey Trot 5K on Nov. 27 is just the kick-off for a weekend of events, as Nov. 29’s Parade of Boats sees skippers do laps around Silver Lake Harbor near sunset, while Nov. 30’s Holiday Gift Market lets folks shop local for loved ones all day long. Full sched. at www.visitocracokenc. com. • Just need to get the kids out of the house over Thanksgiving Break? Head to Jockeys Ridge Crossing for Kitty Hawk Kites’ Hangin’ With Santa, Nov. 29-30, where tykes can test drive toys and take selfies with Santa. (Pix take place Fri., 10am-2pm, and Sat., 1-4pm.) And on Nov. 30, climb the big dune for Kites with Lights, where 19-to-30-foot kites get decked out in holiday bling from 4-7pm and the Jockey’s Ridge State Park Solar Christmas Tree lights up at 5pm. (PS: Be sure to buy some beverages and baked goods, as donations benefit the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge.) Visit www.kittyhawk.com for the latest.

• Bivalves and bugs are the gifts that keep on giving on Nov. 30, as Sanctuary Vineyards’ Great Currishuck doles out AYCE oysters and crabs, plus local beer and wine and live music, to create a crackin’ good crescendo to the holiday weekend. 11:30am-4:30pm. More at www.sanctuaryvineyards.com. • And, finally, it’s time for every red-nosed Outer Banker’s favorite holiday miracle — The 12 Bars of Christmas! From Nov. 29-Jan. 31, a dozen favorite watering holes magically transform into yuletide-themed pop-up bars and generously gift a portion of proceeds to local charities. (A generous $28k last year alone!) Find a full list of participants and details at www.12barsofchristmas.com.

How does Andy Harris blend acrylic, spray paint, gouache, paper, collage, and more into a single flight of fancy? See for yourself when his mixed media lands at Dare Arts, Oct. 4-26.