Celebrations and festivities start early and end late. We hope you enjoy your 3rd & 4th!
Here are some tips for enjoying the return of FIREWORKS:- The NPS parking lot and boat ramp will close at 5pm on Saturday, July 2nd. The parking lot should re-open on Monday, July 4th.
- The Anchorage Marina's boat ramp is available while the parking lot is closed. Please contact the Anchorage Marina at 252-928-6661 for more information.
- Part of Highway 12 will close at 7pm on Sunday July 3rd, starting at the corner of Hwy. 12 and British Cemetery Road. Only ferry traffic or resident/renter traffic will be allowed through. The last ferry leaves Ocracoke at 9pm. The fireworks will start at 9:15-ish after that ferry has left. (Travel tip: if you or someone you know has to leave on the 3rd, recommend that ferry departure. They will have a great view of the fireworks!)
- Tommy Hutcherson will be our deejay, playing tunes at the NPS docks next to the ferries starting at 8pm on Sunday evening. Bring a chair or blanket and claim a space on the docks or grassy area for the closest view of the fireworks.
- The Community Center parking lot will be available for visitors after 7pm on July 3rd. The Community Square parking lot will be available after 8pm.
- Please walk, bike, or if you must, golf cart. We expect a big crowd and parking will be extremely limited!
On July 4th, there's a full day of fun and free events for the whole family.
New this year are a Skydive Demo at the Ocracoke Community Park (two jumps, at 1pm and 2pm) located on Maurice Ballance Road (which is off of Middle Road, which is off of Back Road – find a village map, if you're not sure where that it!) Again, parking is very limited, please walk, bike, golf cart, or carpool.
Another new event is the Community Beach Fire at 7pm at the Lifeguard Beach. Lifeguards will stay on duty until 8pm, and the fire will burn until 10pm. How to find us: Walk to the right from the Lifeguard Beach ramp; walk or drive to the left from Ramp 70. Bring your beach towels, chairs, and marshmallows! (If you want to host your own beach fire, you may, just get a permit from NPS, available online or at the Visitor Center.)
In addition to the OCBA-sponsored events, there’s also live music at island watering holes…. Check the Current calendar or local bulletin boards for more information.
Let’s all have a safe and happy holiday weekend and follow some common sense guidelines for fun:
- Please walk facing traffic and bike with traffic.
- Share the road and slow down!
- Don’t drink and drive – there’s no excuse in a place this small! Walk home. Your car or golf cart will be there in the morning.
- Remember: all personal fireworks are illegal on Ocracoke, in the village and on the beach.