Current Events August 12-18

It's fig week on Ocracoke! The Fig Festival is Friday and Saturday! 

The OPS Museum and National Park Service both offer several free programs each week for all ages, including opening the lighthouse. Lifeguards are on duty 9-5, seven days a week at the lifeguard beach (a.k.a. Day Use Area). It's going to be a busy week on Ocracoke and we're all happy you're here. Here's some helpful tips:

• Walk facing traffic; bike with traffic. 
• If you have to drive, do it slowly. Relax! You're on vacation and we're all going to get where we're going...
• You have to be 16 to drive a golf cart. Don't let your 15-and-under kids drive golf carts. Seriously.
• Don't cross the yellow line to pass golf carts. They count as real vehicles; slow down and stay behind them. 
• Learn about rip currents, and be careful at the beach. The lifeguard beach is the safest place to swim. 
• For current beach access information and the weekly mileage summary, go to http://go.nps.gov/beachaccess. For field summary, visit:http://go.nps.gov/fieldsummary. Mileage and field summaries are updated every Thursday during the shorebird and sea turtle nesting seasons.  
• Visitors can sign up for beach safety text messages by texting “Join OBXBeachConditions” to 30890.

Check out the Ocracoke Current calendar for more events and information! We post updates on our Facebook page, too! 

Monday, August 12th:

9:30am: Ocracoke Lighthouse is open! You can go in, but not up! You know you want to see inside... 9:30-11am.

9:45am: VBS @ Ocracoke Lifesaving Church Free, all are welcome, 9:45am-Noon, Monday-Wednesday. This is a joint venture with Ocracoke UMC. 

1pm: Ocracoke Pirates NPS Program @ Ocracoke Visitor Center. Learn about Blackbeard and other pirates with a park ranger.

1pm: Museum Tour @ OPS Museum. Get the inside scoop on exhibits! 

3pm: Barrier Island Nature NPS Program @ Ocracoke Visitor Center. Join a park ranger for a talk about the wild side of the park.

7pm: Open Mic @ Dajio Every Monday night all summer long!

8pm: LAST NIGHT of the SEASON! A Tale of Blackbeard @ Ocracoke School gym. Ocracoke's homegrown musical will run on Monday nights from July 1 until August 12 at 8:00 PM in the Ocracoke School Gym. Admission is $15.00 for adults and $7.00 for children 12 and under. You may purchase tickets at the door or online here: 

https://www.ocracokealive.org/tale-of-blackbeard.html

8:45pm: Night Sky NPS Program @ Lifeguard Beach Ocracoke After Dark! Enjoy and evening of stars and stories on the beach! 

Tuesday, August 13th: 

9:45am: VBS @ Ocracoke Lifesaving Church Free, all are welcome, 9:45am-Noon, Monday-Wednesday. This is a joint venture with Ocracoke UMC. 

10:30am: All About Turtles! NPS Program @ Ocracoke Visitor Center. This activity especially for seashore kids and families.

1pm: Porch Talk @ OPS Museum. Porch Talks are free, informative, and informal. Join us for our porch talk with Jeanie Owens about her book of Ocracoke History.  

2:30pm: Ocracoke History NPS Program @ Ocracoke Visitor Center. Join a park ranger to learn about the island’s rich past.

8pm: Live Music! @ Coyote Music Den: Coyote Plus One "Well-Crafted Spontaneity" - Marcy & Lou with a different special guest every Tuesday at 8pm (doors at 7:30). A fun, heart-felt evening of live music in a magical setting. This week's guest is Jay Turner.

Tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/profile/1040249  Watch from wherever you are for $1 - www.concertwindow.com/coyote

9pm: Karaoke @ Ocracoke Oyster Co. You know you want to sing!

Wednesday, August 14th:  

9am: NPS Banker Ponies Program @ Pony Pens. Meet the ponies unique to Ocracoke! Bring bug spray!

10:30am: All About Turtles! NPS Program @ Ocracoke Visitor Center. This activity especially for seashore kids and families.

1pm: Kids's Create-a-Craft @ OPS Museum Join us each Wednesday during the summer (June 5 - August 14) to make a cute craft! FREE; Donations are happily accepted! 

1:30pm: Lighthouse Open! You can go in, but not up! You know you want to see inside... 1:30-3:30pm.

2:30pm: Ocracoke Pirates NPS Program @ Ocracoke Visitor Center. Learn about Blackbeard and other pirates with a park ranger.

8pm: Live Music! Lounge Rays @ Dajio 

8pm: Live Music! Dance with the Ocracoke Rockers @ Ocracoke Oyster Co.! 8-11pm Good times! 

8pm: Season 2: Dingbatters (ALL NEW COMEDY) Guide to Ocracoke @ Deepwater Theater Back for a brand new season with all new Comedy-Skits, this critically acclaimed show is the ultimate guide for Ocracoke visitors (and residents) of all ages! Doors open @ 7:30pm. Admission: $20 adults; $10 children.

Thursday, August 15th:  

9am: NPS Banker Ponies Program @ Pony Pens. Meet the ponies unique to Ocracoke! Bring bug spray!

11am: Preschool Story Time & Craft @ Ocracoke Library: Story Time with Ms. Juju! All ages welcome; this activity is geared toward the littlest library patrons, age 0-5. FREE!

1:30pm: Lighthouse Open! You can go in, but not up! You know you want to see inside... 1:30-3pm.

2:30pm: Ocracoke History NPS Program @ Ocracoke Visitor Center. Join a park ranger to learn about the island’s rich past.

6pm: Wine Tasting @ Zillie's 6pm: Wine tasting at Zillie's Island Pantry! Wine tastings take place every Thursday @ 6pm, and pair five great wines with delicious hors d'oeuvres from the pantry. Space is limited, so make a reservation, and sign up at zillies.com.

8pm: Live Music! Raygun Ruby @ Dajio, 8–11pm. Everyone's favorite 80's cover band! 

8pm: Live Music! Molasses Creek @ Deepwater Theater. Every Thursday night all summer! Doors open @ 7:30pm. For 26 years, Molasses Creek's high-energy performances and heartfelt songwriting has brought the love of their coastal home to the stage. The band's elegant harmonies and arrangements, stellar songwriting, blazing instrumentals, and quirky sense of humor have won loyal followers throughout the United States and around the world. 

Friday, August 16th:

8:30am: Birds & Beaches NPS Walk @ Campground beach parking lot. Join a ranger for an island exploration. Fun for all ages! (90 minutes). Bring bug spray.

9:30am: Ocracoke Lighthouse is open! You can go in, but not up! You know you want to see inside... 9:30-11am.

2:30pm: All About Turtles! NPS Program @ Ocracoke Visitor Center. This activity especially for seashore kids and families.

4pm: Porch Talk @ OPS Museum All about Figs with local expert Chester Lynn. Kick off the Ocracoke Fig Festival with this informal and informative discussion of Ocracoke's fig varieties and favorite ways to eat them. 

5pm: The Savory Side of Figs @ OPS Museum: New for 2019 at the Ocracoke Fig Festival! This ticketed event ($20 per person) will feature figgy heavy hors d’oeuvres and sample entrees from Ocracoke restaurants and chefs accompanied by beer, wine, and fig-infused tea. Try figs with cheese, figs with pork, figs on pizza! The possibilities are endless. Space is limited; reserve a ticket by calling 252-928-7375.

6pm: Wine Tasting @ Zillie's 6pm: Wine tasting at Zillie's Island Pantry! Wine tastings pair five great wines with delicious hors d'oeuvres from the pantry. Space is limited, so make a reservation, and sign up at zillies.com. 

6pm: Ocracoke Fig Festival Square Dance @ Berkley Barn. 6-8pm; hosted by caller Philip Howard and accompanied by Molasses Creek. Come out and join in the fun -- it's easy to learn. Beginning at 5:30pm, there will be a Fig Preserves Tasting Contest -- for just $3, you get a tasting ticket and a chance to vote for your favorite! Winners are announced at 7pm. Zillie's Island Pantry will provide a cash bar with beer, wine, and soft drinks from 5:30-8pm. All are welcome to this FREE event! 

8pm: Live Music! Jon Lea @ Dajio

8pm: Live Music! @ Coyote Music Den Friday nights through October 25th, Fridays at the Den will be Marcy & Lou "In Concert" with a special guest (or not) at 8pm (doors at 7:30). A fun, heart-felt evening of live music in a magical setting. 

Tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/profile/1040249  Watch from wherever you are for $1 - www.concertwindow.com/coyote

Saturday, August 17th:

10am: Ocracoke Fig Festival! All day fun at the OPS Museum grounds with live music, storytelling, fig-tastic vendors, kids' crafts, and more! The Museum will also be open. Events are 10-5 on Museum grounds. 

4pm: Ocracoke Fig Festival Fig Cake Bake-Off! @ OPS Museum grounds. Enter your cake in one of Three Award Categories: Traditional Ocracoke Recipe (You can find the traditional recipe in local cookbooks, or at www.preserveocracoke.com.) Traditional ingredients are limited to flour, sugar, oil/butter/margarine, eggs, pecans/walnuts, fig preserves, milk/buttermilk, vanilla, and salt/spices. A sugar glaze or sour cream frosting also accepted. Innovative (Anything goes, as long as it's figgy! Fig Kids (Anything goes, as long as it's figgy – and the cook is 16 or under!) Enter in one or all categories. Cakes are judged on Presentation, Traditional/Innovative Flavors, and Figginess. No need to sign up ahead of time! Deliver your uncut Fig Cake entry to the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum between 10am and 3pm on Saturday, August 17th. Fig Festival volunteers will get your information and assign a number to your cake. If you’d like to share your recipe, please bring a copy. Judging begins at 4:00pm; winners are announced at 5:00pm (broadcast live on WOVV 90.1 FM or listen online at wovv.org). The audience is welcome to join in the Fig-For-All when we eat the entries!

8pm: Live Music! Thirty3 @ Ocracoke Oyster Co.

8pm: Live Music! Kate McNally @ Dajio 

Sunday, August 18th: 

Services @ both churches: Ocracoke United Methodist (Sunday School 10am; service at 11am) and Ocracoke Assembly of God (Sunday School 10am, services at 11am and 6pm; also Wednesday night service at 7pm).

Looking ahead....

Check out the Ocracoke Current calendar for more events and information! We post updates on Facebook, too! 

Send info about any events we may have missed to ocracokecurrent@gmail.com.

This story will be updated as needed with more information, so check back!