Though the Annual Day at the Docks celebration was canceled in 2023 due to Hurricane Lee, three cornerstone events from the festival have been rescheduled for Friday and Saturday, September 29-30.
The Seafood Under the Stars event will take place on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m., featuring a chef-prepared six-course dinner with an optional wine pairing and a wealth of locally sourced seafood. Folks with existing reservations who did not cancel do not need to re-reserve their tickets, and additional tickets are now available. Tickets are $55 each and $74 for the optional wine pairing, and reservations can be made via the QR code in the poster below or by visiting https://form.jotform.com/221686054228154.
The annual Youth Fishing Tournament will take place at Oden’s Dock at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 30. Sign-up is at the docks from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m., and the event is free to all kids, with all skill levels welcome. Cane poles and bait will be provided, or kids can bring their own to compete in one of three distinct age groups. (There is a two-hook limit per line.)
The annual Blessing of the Fleet will also occur on Saturday, September 30, and will launch from the local Hatteras village waterfront near Oden’s Dock and the Hatteras Harbor Marina. The event begins with the Parade of Boats, followed by the official Blessing along the waterfront.
The Blessing of the Fleet has been a tradition since Day at the Docks’ inaugural event in 2004. In fact, when Day at the Docks was canceled due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Florence in 2018, the Blessing of the Fleet was still held just a few weeks after its original scheduled timeframe, with dozens of vessels participating in the somber but uplifting moment of gratitude, prayer, and remembrance.
The public is welcome to attend either or both of the Day at the Docks’ festivities on Saturday, and both events are free. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/hatterasdayatthedocks/.
