Ocracoke Island offers vacationing families a desirable destination, complete with beaches, calm sound waters, fascinating attractions and a walkable village. It only makes sense that the things to do in Ocracoke also appeal to a number of different ages as well as a wide variety of interests. The island’s attractions present information in an interactive and approachable way. Take a trip to see island’s colonial ponies at play. Familiarize yourself with the island’s historic sites during a guided evening ghost and history walk. There’s no movie theater in Ocracoke, but families stay entertained with local musicians’ concerts, performances at the theater and trips to escape rooms.
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Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
Ocracoke Civic & Business Association Contributor
Ocracoke Alive, Inc. was formed to enrich Ocracoke Island by serving the cultural and artistic needs of the community. Through fundraising and donations, this group supports the musical, educational and artistic vein of the Ocracoke community by organizing and sponsoring multiple events throughout the year, including the annual Ocrafolk Festival, Festival Latino de Ocracoke, community plays and school programs.
Ocracoke Alive, Inc. was formed to enrich Ocracoke Island by serving the cultural and artistic needs of the community. Through fundraising and donations, this group supports the musical, educational and artistic vein of the Ocracoke community by organizing and sponsoring multiple events throughout the year, including the annual Ocrafolk Festival, Festival Latino de Ocracoke, community plays and school programs.read more
Ocracoke Alive, Inc. was formed to enrich Ocracoke Island by serving the cultural and artistic needs of the community....read more
Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
If you want to enjoy a beach bonfire without all the work of setting it up and breaking it down, call Ocracoke Beach Fires. They handle everything, so all you have to do is sit down and relax. They provide the National Park Service permit, chairs, firewood and trash bin (add on s'mores, beer or wine and cheese if you'd like), and take it all...read more
Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
The majority of land on Ocracoke is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and is publicly owned and administered by the National Park Service. The NPS Ocracoke Island Discovery Center is located at the southernmost end of N.C. Highway 12 near the Cedar Island and Swan Quarter ferry docks. Here you’ll find trip-planning information, informational brochures, free maps, public restrooms, educational exhibits and a...read more
Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
The second-oldest lighthouse in North Carolina, Ocracoke Lighthouse is celebrating its 200th birthday in 2023! The 75-foot, whitewashed tower and its surrounding buildings were completed in 1823. The light is still in operation, and its beam can be seen 14 miles out to sea. While it's not open to climbing, Ocracoke Lighthouse sits on a lawn of flawless green surrounded by a white picket fence, outbuildings...read more
Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
There are many theories about how ponies found their way to Ocracoke Island. Some say they arrived on English ships during 16th-century exploration, others say they were victims of Spanish shipwrecks and some say they were simply livestock for the locals. However they got here, the ponies roamed the island freely for at least two centuries and were very much a part of the island...read more
Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
Ocracoke is one of the few remaining working maritime communities. Round out your Ocracoke cultural education and learn about the life and history of the local Ocracoke watermen at this exhibit. Located at the former Will Willis Store & Fish House, ca. 1930, on the Community Square docks, the exhibit explores the traditions and daily lives of island watermen, past and present. The mission of...read more
Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
The Ocrafolk Festival is one of the most beloved Outer Banks annual events and traditions. On the first weekend in June, storytellers, musicians and artists bring themselves and their trades to Ocracoke Island for a three-day festival. You can shop directly from artisans and crafters, watch art demonstrations, listen to established and up-and-coming musicians and be absorbed by thrilling tales about Ocracoke Island and North...read more
Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
There are two pickleball courts at Ocracoke Youth Center on Horse Pen Road. The outdoor asphalt courts are dedicated for pickleball with permanent lines and nets. Its free to use the courts on a first-come, first-served basis.read more
Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
Portsmouth Island, just across the inlet from Ocracoke Island, is an enchanting place to visit. This uninhabited island is rugged and remote, one of the last Atlantic coast islands that is free of development, thanks to its status as part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. There is much to do on this island, all of it free and simple, filled with history and the...read more
Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
This outfitter takes passengers to Portsmouth Island for four-hour excursions on a remote, uninhabited island. The boat can take up to 12 passengers and leaves Ocracoke three times a day at 8, 9 and 10 a.m. Returns are four hours later, at 12, 1 and 2 p.m. Reservations are required. You can visit both the historic village and the isolated beach for surf fishing and shelling. read more
Child & Family Oriented in Ocracoke
Springer’s Point covers about 120 acres of maritime forest, tidal red cedar forest, salt marsh, wet grasslands and soundfront beach bordering Pamlico Sound near South Point. In 2002 after 10 years of research and negotiation, the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust purchased a 31-acre tract of this land and established a nature preserve. A high point of land overlooking the inlet, Springer’s is believed to...read more
