The Wings Over Water (WOW) Festival’s weekend-long encore session begins on Friday, December 6, and the event features a dozen birding activities and trips for visitors who want to explore Eastern North Carolina’s wild side. The original Wings Over Water, (which began in 1997), is held over a multiple-day period in October, but this special [...] Island Features |  Full Article

The Elizabethan Gardens’ 15th annual WinterLights event opened to the public in late November, and will continue to run on select nights through Saturday, December 28, from 6 to 9 p.m. More than a million lights transform the ten-acre Gardens into a winter wonderland.  Guests are invited to stroll along illuminated garden paths to discover the [...] Island Features |  Full Article

 Island Free Press columnist and professional beachcomber Kristin Hissong recently shared her expertise and love of shelling through a new video released by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. The video includes a couple of tips for determining the best beachcombing conditions, as well as the importance of picking up trash as well as shells, [...] Island Features |  Full Article

  How Many Stars can You See? This is M45 the Pleiades. The Pleiades is a star cluster that been recorded by many cultures including the Mesopotamians, the ancient Greeks, Japanese, and Native Americans. It is described in both the Bible and the Talmud and 11th-century Arab literature. Many cultures measured visual acuity by asking someone [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Hatteras Village will host its annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Community Take-Out Dinner on Tuesday, December 3, starting at 6:00 p.m. The decades-old tradition, which was revitalized in 2019 as a public event, will feature the official lighting of the community Christmas tree in the village triangle, (next to the Hatteras Village Red & White supermarket), [...] Island Features |  Full Article

The Surfin’ Turkey 5K and Puppy Drum Fun Run is returning to Hatteras Village for its 13th year on Thanksgiving Day, and early sign-ups indicate that this year will have one of the biggest turnouts yet. The event features cool swag for participants, a pancake breakfast, a T-shirt, and a post-race celebration. Thanksgiving themed costumes are [...] Island Features |  Full Article

On Dec. 17 at 9 a.m., Wright Brothers National Memorial, the First Flight Society and Outer Banks Forever will celebrate the accomplishments of Wilbur and Orville Wright on the 121st anniversary of their first heavier-than-air, controlled, powered flight. Park entrance fees are waived on this special day. This year, the First Flight Society will induct Charles McGee (1919-2022) into the [...] Island Features |  Full Article

Thanksgiving is just days away, and there are a number of local businesses that will be open for cooks who need a few last-minute ingredients, as well as folks who want to avoid the kitchen altogether. From grocery stores for essential supplies, to restaurants that will be serving up full Thanksgiving feasts, (with absolutely no [...] Island Features |  Full Article

A recent major renovation that has transformed the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum into a cutting-edge destination that explores the state’s rich maritime history is being recognized nationally. The Hatteras museum, part of the North Carolina Maritime Museum System under the state’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, has been nominated for Best New Museum [...] Island Features |  Full Article