Current Events Week of Dec. 18–24th

.... we've got meetings upon meetings to attend, too. 

For a complete list of all holiday events in December, click here. 

We have fun events all through December and a handful of visitors will be here to join in. The week between Christmas and New Year's Day can be busy with visitors, but for the most part, island peeps have the sandbar to ourselves for a couple of months.

If you're planning a visit during this quiet time, check out the Who's Open page so you'll know where you can eat, sleep, shop, and play. Even with limited options for ways to spend your money, Ocracoke is a great getaway. The best part of a winter visit is the great outdoors. The winter beach is amazing. Springer's Point and the NPS Nature trail never disappoint. Less is more around these parts. 

Monday, December 18th:

5:30pm: Ocracoke Waterways Commission meeting @ the Ocracoke Community Center.

7pm: Tourism Workforce Focus Group @ Deepwater Theater: Attention tourism employees and residents of Ocracoke! Your opinions and experience are needed to inform a project related to the tourism workforce in Ocracoke. Researchers from NC State want to know what is great about working in Ocracoke’s tourism industry and what can be improved. With support from Ocracoke Alive! Dr. Whitney Knollenberg will be hosting focus groups for Ocracoke’s tourism employees and residents can share their opinions and experiences about working in tourism on Ocracoke. All residents and tourism employees are welcome to attend!

Tuesday, December 19th:

12pm: Tourism Workforce Focus Group (in Spanish) @ Deepwater Theater: Attention tourism employees and residents of Ocracoke! Your opinions and experience are needed to inform a project related to the tourism workforce in Ocracoke. Researchers from NC State want to know what is great about working in Ocracoke’s tourism industry and what can be improved. With support from Ocracoke Alive! Dr. Whitney Knollenberg will be hosting focus groups for Ocracoke’s tourism employees and residents can share their opinions and experiences about working in tourism on Ocracoke. All residents and tourism employees are welcome to attend! 

Wednesday, December 20th:

Christmas Caroling, meet at Methodist Church at 5pm. Chili supper after the caroling, hosted this year at the Assembly of God Church. Join in the singing and spread the Christmas joy! 

Thursday, December 21st:

11:28am: Happy Solstice! It's the shortest day of the year – time to celebrate the return of the light as each day gets a little bit longer. The sun will appear to stop in the sky, or it would, if we could see it at the moment of the solstice, which is 11:28am here in the Eastern Standard Time. The term solstice comes from the Latin word solstitium, meaning "the Sun stands still." This is because on this day, the Sun reaches its southern-most position as seen from the Earth. The Sun seems to stand still at the Tropic of Capricorn and then reverses its direction. This is also the First Day of Winter, or Mid-Winter, as in the bleak thereof. In the southern hemisphere, they'll celebrate their summer solstice and longest day of the year. Axial tilt is the reason for the season!

3pm: Occupancy Tax Board meeting @ Community Center 

Friday, December 22nd:

Nothing on the calendar.... Whew! A little break before Christmas

Saturday, December 23rd:

Live Nativity in front of the Methodist Church 5–6pm. A beautiful, silent tableau of the Holy Family, Angels, Shepherds, and Three Kings.

Sunday, December 24th:

Special Hatteras-Ocracoke holiday ferry schedule: 

Hatteras-Ocracoke:

• From Hatteras: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 a.m., 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 p.m., and midnight.
• From Ocracoke: 4:30, 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, and 11:30 a.m., 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, 7:30, and 10:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 1 and 4 p.m.
• Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 1 and 4 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 1:30 p.m.
• Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 4:30 p.m.

11am: Christmas Eve Communion Service @ Assembly of God Church; Sunday morning service at Methodist Church

7pm: Christmas Eve service @ Methodist Church, with the children's Christmas pageant. 

Monday, December 25th, Christmas Day:

Special ferry schedules: 

• From Hatteras: 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11 a.m., 12, 2, 3, 6, 9 p.m., and midnight.
• From Ocracoke: 4:30, 6:30, 7:30, 9:30, and 10:30 a.m., 12:30, 1:30, 3:30, 4:30, 7:30, and 10:30 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Cedar Island: 1 and 4 p.m.
• Cedar Island to Ocracoke: 1 and 4 p.m.
• Ocracoke to Swan Quarter: 1:30 p.m.
• Swan Quarter to Ocracoke: 4:30 p.m.