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Your weekly guide to life on the Crystal Coast — every Thursday.
Events · Live Music · Beach Happenings
Happening Now
Peachtree Bluff · Sep 19–20
Live Music Nights
33 shows this week
Local Markets
Every Saturday
Weather Vibe
Sunny · 84°–85°
This Weekend
📍 Beaufort Historic Site
📅 Sat–Sun, September 19 – 20 · from 11 AM
Two days built around Kristy Woodson Harvey's Peachtree Bluff books — a double-decker bus tour of Beaufort narrated by the author, lunch with a cocktail, a reading with wine and cheese, and a Sunday morning of mimosas and book signing. Tickets start around $21.
The Big One
📍 Morehead City Waterfront
📅 Fri–Sun, October 2 – 4 · Free
Forty years in and still the biggest weekend on the coast. Two hundred vendors, three stages of free live music, rides and games for the kids, a road race and a pier fishing tournament, and fireworks over the water Saturday night at 9. Friday noon – 11, Saturday 10 – 11, Sunday 10 – 5.
Swansboro Tradition
📍 Downtown Swansboro
📅 Sat–Sun, October 10 – 11 · Free
The Mullet Parade rolls down Highway 24 into downtown at 9 AM Saturday, then it's 160-plus craft and food vendors, live music at Pug Pavilion from 11, and fried mullet plates 11 – 5 both days. It starts early: the Blessing of the Fleet is Friday, October 9 at 6 PM at Casper's Marina. Park at Ward Farm and ride the shuttle in.
Coming in October
📍 Newport Flea Mall Event Grounds · Newport
📅 Saturday, October 17 · 9 AM – 5 PM
Caber tossing and stone putting from world champions and first-timers alike, plus a beer tent stocked by local breweries, food trucks, live music, clan tents, highland dancing, sword fighting and a dog-herding demo. There's a kids' area too. Tickets on the Games' website.
💡 Insider Tips
Festivals, fishing tournaments, a Dolly Parton bar crawl and the first Oktoberfests. Here's how the rest of the month shapes up across the Crystal Coast.
The Food Truck Jamboree in Morehead City and a Buffalo Trace whisky dinner at the Beaufort Hotel (Fri), then a packed Saturday: the Tunnel to Towers 5K in Swansboro, a free kids' fishing tournament in Cape Carteret, the Fall Ren Faire and Apple Fest at Humphrey Farm, Rocktoberfest at the Backstreet Pub, and Peachtree Bluff in Beaufort. Sunday brings the first Oktoberfest of the season at Thirsty Surfer and the Bear Island beach clean-up. Plus 33 live music shows.
The Dolly Parton Bar Crawl hits downtown Beaufort Friday (6 PM, look-alike contest included). Saturday brings the Emerald Isle Fall Fishing Tournament, Oktoberfest at Fishtowne Brew House (5 – 9 PM, stein-holding and hammerschlagen), a National Public Lands Day hike at Hammocks Beach, and a full-moon sunset cruise on the Lady Swan. Sunday: Monarch Keepers on Bear Island.
October stacks up fast: the NC Seafood Festival (Oct 2 – 4), Fall Fest and the pumpkin patch opening at Humphrey Farm (Oct 3), the Mullet Festival in Swansboro (Oct 10 – 11), the Highland Games in Newport (Oct 17), the Halloween Bash and Night of Destruction at the speedway (Oct 24), and Halloween Fest at Humphrey Farm to close the month (Oct 31).
From this week's Crystal Coast Insider
Insider Tip
Keep an eye on the old Frank and Clara's spot on the Salter Path strip. The signs just went up for Bogue Oyster Club, a new restaurant and bar, and word is it opens in a couple of weeks — right on time for oyster season. We'll share the date the minute there is one.
Where We're Going
this week
📍 Emerald Isle · food truck
A wood-fired oven on wheels. The truck moves around Carteret County through the week, so follow them on Instagram to see where it's parked, then get there before the line does. The crust comes out blistered and chewy, the pepperoni cups and crisps, and a whole pie disappears faster than you'd think.
Local FavoriteSlow Down
here
Our pick this week:
Carrot Island
The wild horses of the Rachel Carson Reserve graze the marsh right across Taylor's Creek from the Beaufort waterfront. Grab a coffee, find a bench on Front Street, and watch them work the grass at the water's edge. No ferry ticket, no schedule — just a slow half hour that feels a long way from anywhere.
Best Brunch
Preston's Corner
Swansboro
Order the eggs benedict with ham ~ You won't regret it!
Best Coffee
Historic Grounds Coffee Shop
Beaufort
The pound cake cold brew with house-made vanilla foam ~ is amazing!
Best Wine
Mountain Brook Vineyards
Emerald Isle
Do a wine tasting with the delectable chocolates ~ The perfect afternoon!
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