Outer Banks Upcoming Events

Autumn may be the best time of the year on the Outer Banks. The weather is warm, but not hot. The water temperatures are perfect. And there are still a ton of things to do.

The premier fall event on the Outer Banks is the Duck Jazz Festival (www.duckjazz.com), October 9th. A free outdoor festival, if there is one show to come on the Outer Banks, this is it. It has evolved into a weekend long celebration of music, festivities and food in the Village of Duck.

The Outer Banks Forum for the Lively Arts (www.outerbanksforum.org, 252.255.2274) has been around for a number of years, and they seem to have really outdone themselves this fall. On September 24th and 25th Always… Patsy Cline is being presented at First Flight High School–which has a very, very good auditorium.

Through songs and narration of their letters, the play tells the story of Patsy Cline and Laura Seger, who was one of her best friends.  Southern Shores resident, Laura Martier, who may be the only person I have ever met who has the voice and stage presence to take on the role, plays Patsy Cline. Barbara Hird, who has gained considerable notoriety and excellent reviews in her the person play, Elizabeth R, will play Laura Seger.

The Outer Banks Forum has two more shows coming up. Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt will be here with his eclectic performance of old-time mountain music, Bluegrass, and country, on October 22. Pianafiddle improvises off traditional music using–you guessed it–just a piano and a fiddle. The show is scheduled for Novermber 19.

The Dare County Arts Council is one of the most active arts councils around, and this fall may be one of their most dynamic yet.

Artrageous is the organization’s premier fundraising event, and it has really become a weekend celebration of the arts. The 22nd Annual Artrageous Art Extravaganza will be held October 1-2 and includes some amazing activities with artists on Saturday and a live auction at Kelly’s Outer Banks Tavern on Sunday evening.

Featuring films from regional directors and producers, the Southern Circuit Film Tour will screen three movies at the theatre at Roanoke Island Festival Park. A Bird of the Air will be shown on September 17, Louder Than a Bomb on October 22 and Ahead of TimeNovember 5.

Finally, on October 15, the DCAC is sponsoring a skill building day for writers. Featured speaker, Chris Roerdan, is a nationally recognized editor who has helped a number of fiction writers hone their skills. Other writers will be on hand to discuss the publishing process and how to get paid for your work.

No discussion of things to do on the Outer Banks in the fall would be complete without mentioning the Outer Banks Marathon (www.obxmarathon.org), November 12 and 13. Actually more a weekend celebration of running, events include the marathon, half marathon, an 8K, 5K and a fun run.

We’re not even going to try to list all the bands and special event nights at nightspots, because there is something happening every night – so come on and enjoy the Outer Banks in fall!