This weekend starting Saturday, October, 28 the North Carolina Festival by the Sea kicks off on Holden Beach. For visitors of Ocean Isle Beach, this is a great day trip event that is sure to be a blast for the whole family. One of the advantages of choosing an Ocean Isle Beach vacation is the proximity Ocean Isle Beach is to many of the region’s best events. The NC Festival by the Sea is one such event and one you won’t want to miss.
The NC Festival By The Sea is a two-day family-friendly event sponsored by the Holden Beach Merchants Association. The event is free to the public, with free parking, and a free shuttle provided by Island Time Taxi & Rentals. The event kicks off with a parade on Saturday at 10:00 am over the Holden Beach Causeway, this is the one time of the year when you can walk across the bridge. With tons of games, vendors, contest, and live music this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever. Here are just a few of the great things happening this weekend at the NC Festival by the Sea.
Getting There
Holden Beach is about a 35-minute drive north of Ocean Isle Beach. Getting there is easy just take US-17 N/Ocean Hwy W and NC-130 E/Holden Beach Rd SW. Once you’re there you will find the event has plenty of free parking. On the drive, you’ll notice you go thru Shallotte, which is a quaint small town worth visiting as well.
Live Music
You can’t have a festival without great live music. Of course, since this is the beach that means you have to have toe tapping, hip swaying, Beach music with a dash of soul and country thrown in for good measure. The NC Festival by the Sea delivers all that and more. Here is the live music line up for the festival:
Saturday
- 9:00 Carolina Breakers set the mood with amazing beach music.
- 11:45 Hunter Vernum plays some great country.
- 1:00 Imitations take the stage to play their brand of beach music.
- 6:30 The Legacy Motown Review brings down the house with great funk, blues, and R&B.
Sunday
- 9:00 Gospel Music by local groups.
- 10:30 CC Martin belts out hip country tunes.
Food and More Food
With all that walking and dancing you’re going to work up an appetite during the festival. Well, the good folks at the festival have you covered. with dozens of great food vendors. From seafood to burgers there is sure to be something to feed everyone’s appetite. Don’t forget to have a few sweet festival treats as well. Remember you’re on vacation. Go ahead splurge a bit, you can always dance those calories off later. We promise you won’t regret it.
Competitions & Contests
If you’re the competitive type the festival features a few different fun contests. Here are a few. Our favorite is, of course, the Sandcastle. Hey, it is the beach after all.
- Mustache Contest– 12 pm at the stage on Jordan Blvd. Free Entry. Categories include, styled, 1-6 inch and 6-12 inch.
- Sandcastle Contest 9 am Sat. at the Beach access on Jordan Ave.
- Children’s Costume Contest– 2:30 Saturday at the main stage area.
- Shag Contest– 3:30 Shag Contest
- Women-less Beauty Pageant– All proceeds go to the Lower Cape Fear Hospice
Kids Fun
The Festival will feature lots of things for the kiddos. Face painting, multiple Bouncy Houses, Arts and Crafts, and Balloon Art just to name a few. Plus, with all the great family-friendly music the kids are sure to have a blast dancing the day away. Don’t forget the children’s costume competition 2:30 Saturday.
Vendors
This event features dozens of local and regional vendors. Candles, jewelry, and paintings, boat dealers, and fishing tackle shops are just a few of the types of vendors you’ll find. This will be a great place to pick up some ideas for Holiday decorating. Don’t forget to check out our previous post: The Best 10 Fun and Easy Seashell Craft Ideasbeforeyou stroll through the vendors, you never know when inspiration will strike.
(IMG Source: NC Festival by the Sea)
We hope you enjoy the NC Festival by the Sea as you take advantage of Ocean Isle Beach’s perfect location. With so much to do on the island and in the region, we are sure you’ll want to come back time and time again to enjoy this beautiful part of the Carolina Coast. It isn’t too late to find that perfect Ocean Isle Beach vacation! See you at the festival!
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