The Ocracoke Preservation Society (OPS) will be hosting a Fish Fry on Wednesday, July 3, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. to benefit the ongoing Island Inn & Commons project.
The Fish Fry will take place on the grounds of the new Island Inn Commons, and will feature fresh local fish caught by Ocracoke Island fishermen. In addition, a number of Island Inn goodies will be available for sale, including limited edition notecards, stickers, signature Island Inn bricks for the new fig garden pathways, and T-shirts that list all the native species that have been planted in the new gardens.
Prices for the Fish Fry and limited edition merchandise are as follows:
- Fish plates – $15 per plate
- T-shirts – $35
- Notecards – $6
- Stickers – $3
- Bricks – $100
The Island Inn & Commons project is a years-long and multi-pronged effort to bring a new community space to the heart of Ocracoke Village. The two-story Island Inn was first constructed in 1901 as a lodge for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the site was used as a popular hotel, restaurant, and social hub until the 2000s, until it ran into financial issues and eventually fell into foreclosure and disrepair.
In the mid-2010s, the OPS was presented with a plan by a group of concerned Ocracoke citizens to purchase and preserve the building and the surrounding area. Since then, there has been a multi-faceted effort to transform the site, which includes the renovation of the building itself, a new commons and garden area, and a new public restroom which opened in the summer of 2024.
- For more information on the Island Inn & Commons project, click here.
- Donations towards the project are also accepted online and can be made via the OPS website. More information on the OPS, which includes a link to the online gift shop, can be found at https://www.ocracokepreservationsociety.org/shop.
