Outer Banks Events Summer 2022
The summer of 2022 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting we have seen for years on the Outer Banks.
There seems to be something for everyone on the docket. Kids will love the slightly twisted fairy tales Porkchop Production’s Stacey Maxwell will be performing at the Theater of Dare in their new Kitty Hawk location.
Sponsored by the Bryan Cultural Series, classical music lovers will appreciate the return of native son Tshombie Selby for the Juneteenth celebration at the Pea Island Cookhouse Museum in Manteo. Selby, a tenor with the New York Met opera company, will be bringing some friends with him to the performance.
The Bryan Cultural Series will also be bringing the remarkable talents of the Surf and Sounds musicians for the 8th Annual Surf and Sounds Chamber Music Series in August.
Perhaps the biggest news, though, is VusicOBX and their commitment to bringing national touring bands to the Outer Banks. With outdoor shows scheduled at Roanoke Festival Park throughout the summer, 2022 may truly come to be known as the Summer of Music.
It’s not being called a music festival, but VusicObx has RIFP booked for three days in July, Tuesday through Thursday, July 12-14. Headliners are Whiskey Myers, Dirty Heads, and Umphrey’s McGee.
There is so much more happening all summer long on the Outer Banks. Our event list cannot possibly list everything. We did not include recurring weekly events—there’s a long list of them. We also didn’t include First Fridays in downtown Manteo—although, perhaps we just did. And there is so much happening we certainly missed something.
So go out and explore the Outer Banks. Have fun, stay safe and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Events
June
Dare Day Festival
Downtown Waterfront
June 3-June 5
Manteo
Time:9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Friday, June 3
New College of the Albemarle (COA) Campus
6:00 – 10:00 PM.
The doors to COA’s new campus will be wide open in order to showcase the various programs they offer. Enjoy food from local food trucks while jamming out to local bands. The town of Manteo at the First Friday festivities is an easy walk.
Saturday, June 4
Roanoke Island Festival Park
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Check out the variety of craft and food vendors, music, live entertainment, lawn games, and a great kid’s corner. High school bands, local dancers and performers, obstacle course, and hula hoop.
Sunday, June 5
Pea Island Cookhouse
2:00 – 4:00 PM
Gospel concert at the historic Pea Island Cookhouse Museum.
Porkchop Productions Children Theater Presents The Tortoise and the Hare
June 8
Theater of Dare
Shows at 10:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Outer Banks Rum Festival
June 11
The Pavilion at Pirate’s Cove Marina
The Outer Banks Rum Festival is a chance for locals and visitors to celebrate all things uniquely Outer Banks while also funding solutions to feed the most vulnerable among us – children, seniors, and families in crisis. What if ending hunger in Dare County could be as simple as raising your glass?
For more information contact the Beach Food Pantry.
Rebelution with Special Guests
Sunday, June 12
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Reggae artists Rebelution, Steel Pulse, DENM, and DJ Mackle. All ages, family-friendly event, kids 8 and under are free. Food & beverage vendors will be on-site, including beer, wine, & seltzers. No outside food or drink. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. Music starts at 5:30 p.m.
Shakey Graves with Bendigo Fletcher
Jun 16
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Get ready to take a musical journey with a musician that combines blues, folk, country, and rock and roll into one-of-a-kind sound.
40th Annual Rogallo Kite Festival
June 17 – Jun 19
10:00am- 4:00pm
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Kitty Hawk Kites, Jockey’s Ridge Crossing, Nags Head
Francis Rogallo was a NASA scientist and inventor of the flexible wing. His inventions started the sport of hang gliding and his designs have carried over into the development of stunt kites, power kites, and hang gliders that are flown today. Kitty Hawk Kites and friends will be displaying amazing 30 – 100 ft kites on top of Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Fly a kite of your own, take part in free stunt kite lessons, and kite coloring for the kiddos.
Juneteenth Celebration
June 19, 2022,
5:00 PM
Pea Island cook House Museum
Juneteenth Celebrates Freedom and the African American history and heritage of the Outer Banks. New York Met Tenor Tshombe Selby will be the featured performer at this year’s celebration. He will bring with him a group of talented friends to share the message of the Sounds of Freedom.
Porkchop Productions Children Theater Presents The Tortoise and the Hare
June 29
Theater of Dare
Shows at 10:30 & 2:30
Stick Figure
Jun 30
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Stick Figure concerts are gatherings with audience sing-alongs, hard-hitting bass, the mind-manifesting hues of a light show, and the sounds of improv reggae. Great for the whole family. The show is listed as sold out.
July
Fourth of July Celebrations
Town of Duck 4th of July Parade
9:00 a.m.
The wackiest and best parade ever. The perfect way to begin the celebration of our nation’s birthday. Town events will happen after the parade.
Manteo
An all-day celebration featuring a street fair with rides, art, food, and more. Evening fireworks over Shallowbag Bay are legendary. Scheduled events begin at 3:00 p.m.
Corolla
Independence Day Celebration, Historic Corolla Park
5:00 p.m. until the last firework.
Live music, fun family activities, and more. Fireworks over Currituck Sound create a lasting memory.
Kill Devil Hills
Avalon Pier
Fireworks over the ocean at the edge of the continent. Fireworks begin after sunset.
Porkchop Productions Children Theater Presents The Three Groats Gruff
July 6
Theater of Dare
Shows at 10:30 & 2:30
Whiskey Myers with Shane Smith & The Saints
Jul 12
Roanoke Island Festival Park
6:30pm-10:00pm
Existing somewhere between classic country and hard-driving rock, Whiskey Myers has been building a fan base for 15 years.
Dirty Heads, SOJA, Tribal Seeds, and Artikal Sound System
Jul 13
Roanoke Island Festival Park, Manteo
Doors at 5:00 PM, Show at 6:30 PM
Featuring genre-bending music and lyrics, Dirty Heads merges reggae with rock, rap, and blues.
Umphrey’s McGee
Jul 14
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Doors at 6:00 PM, Show at 7:30 PM
Be ready for some jazz, rock and blues merged into Umphrey’s McGee own unique sound.
44th Annual Wright Kite Festival
July 16 – Jul 17, 2022
10:00am – 4:00pm
Wright Brother’s National Memorial
Take flight where flight first began with Kitty Hawk Kites and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Enjoy a walk where Wilbur and Orville took their historic first flight in 1903. Large 30 – 100 foot kites will be flying high on display. Free stunt and power kite flying lessons, and a kite-making station for kids.
Admission to the park is $10 for ages 16+, but participation in the kite festival is totally FREE!
Vusic on the Banks Music & Arts Festival with Musical Artist The Movement
Jul 21
Roanoke Island Festival Park
2:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Vusic on the Banks is a one-day Music and Arts Festival on the Outer Banks of North Carolina! 8 Great Bands, two Scenic Stages, and All Good Vibes! The Movement, The Hip Abduction, Bumpin Uglies, Little Stranger, Signal Fire, Cultivated Mind, Jon Gazi, and local artist Jonny Waters.
Porkchop Productions Children Theater Presents The Three Groats Gruff
July 27
Theater of Dare
Shows at 10:30 & 2:30
August
Porkchop Productions Children Theater Presents RAPunzel
August 3
Theater of Dare
Shows at 10:30 & 2:30
16th Annual Outer Banks Watermelon Festival
August 4
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Kitty Hawk Kites, Jockey’s Ridge Crossing, Nags Head
OBX Watermelon Festival is free for guests to attend; however, the purchase of tickets is required to play and eat! Share in this summertime tradition. Bring the family for a day of summertime fun. Compete in classic competitions to win a selection of awesome prizes. Help support the Outer Banks Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coalition, an extremely important community organization. There is a ticket fee for contests and activities.
Outer Banks Pirate Festival
August 10 – 11
Nags Head Kitty Hawk Kites, Jockey’s Ridge Crossing
A swashbucklin’ good time as Kitty Hawk Kites hosts the Outer Banks Pirate Festival. Learn the history of pirates on the OBX, and participate in Scallywag School for the little ones to see if they have what it takes to be a part of Blackbeards’ Crew.
Greensky Bluegrass with The Wood Brothers
Aug 14 Sun
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Doors at 5:00 PM, Show at 6:00 PM
Bluegrass, but bluegrass with a very different take. Merging tight vocals with traditional bluegrass instruments but played in nontraditional ways, Greensky Bluegrass takes the genre to a new place.
40th New World Festival of the Arts
August 16- 17
Manteo Waterfront
An annual juried outdoor festival featuring fine art and fine craft. Hosted by Dare County Arts Council and the Town of Manteo, the Festival provides local and regional artists an opportunity to display and sell their creative work. This is a family-oriented outdoor show, which takes place on the Manteo Waterfront during August of each year.
Porkchop Productions Children Theater Presents RAPunzel
August 17
Theater of Dare
Shows at 10:30 & 2:30
National Aviation Day
August 19
Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo
10 AM – 4 PM
Celebrate National Aviation Day and Orville Wright’s birthday at this free and family-friendly event hosted each year by the First Flight Society. Enjoy airplane displays, exhibitors, and more!
8th Annual Surf and Sounds Chamber Music Series
August 22-26, 2022
World-class musicians tour the Outer Banks performing of Haydn, Beethoven to modern classics. Performances in Southern Shores, Duck, Manteo, and Hatteras. Performance information online at the Bryan Cultural Series.
Slightly Stoopid with Pepper, Common Kings and The Elovaters
Aug 26 Fri
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Doors at 4:00 PM, Show at 5:30 PM
A true fusion band, Slightly Stooped merges music from across the spectrum of genres with great vocals and musicianship, creating their own sound.
Gov’t Mule and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Aug 28 Sun
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Doors at 5:00 PM, Show at 6:30 PM
Rock n’ roll is the way it’s supposed to be played with elite lead guitarist Warren Haynes leading the way.