Ocracoke’s Island Commons gets decked out in 12,000 Christmas lights for the month of December
After two years of transforming the grounds surrounding Ocracoke’s historic Island Inn into a public park and common area, volunteers with the Island Inn Commons Landscaping Project recently revitalized the site yet again for the holidays, with the temporary addition of thousands of Christmas lights.
The display was celebrated with a gathering at the Island Commons on Friday evening, but Ocracoke Island visitors who missed the December 6 celebration will be able to enjoy the collection of lights and décor all month long.
The 1901 Island Inn, (also known as the Odd Fellows Lodge), has been undergoing an extensive renovation since the property was acquired by the Ocracoke Preservation Society (OPS) in 2018, and the second annual holiday display is yet another enhancement to the already much-improved community space.
According to Debbie Wells, who is the driving force of nature behind the Island Inn Commons Landscaping project, the brilliant display is all due to volunteer Trudy Austin, who has been working since October to bring the illumination to fruition.
“This would not happen without her dedication and hard work,” said Wells. “She is the Island Christmas Fairy!”
2023 was the first year that the gardens were decked out In holiday décor, and 2024’s exhibit is even bigger and brighter, for multiple reasons. For one thing, with a wave of new improvements to the Island Inn Commons in the past 12 months – including the installation of restrooms, a pergola, and an event space – the number of Christmas lights inherently increased from 8,000 lights in 2023 to roughly 12,000 in 2024.
“In the main garden, the big change this year is that [Trudy] wrapped all the new cedar trees in multi-colored lights, and we included the big pergola, and the event space in the display too,” said Wells. “It took a couple of months to put it all together.”
The Island Commons will be illuminated every night for the rest of December, and with a prominent location along N.C. Highway 12, the sight is impossible to miss.
“Trudy is the total force behind the Christmas Lights… without her, it wouldn’t have happened,” said Wells. “And we can’t wait for everyone to see it!”
How you can help the OPS and the Island Inn project
Donations are always 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.
For more information about the Island Inn project, click here.
