Annual Beaufort Holiday Art Walk – Enjoy a festive day in Historic Downtown Beaufort, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and celebrate the season with art receptions and open houses at many downtown locations. A wide variety of art from regional artists will be showcased throughout many of the downtown shops, galleries, and restaurants. The Art Walk will begin at The Beaufort Historic Site, 130 Turner St. Art Walk maps will be available at participating locations.
Historic Beaufort Candlelight Homes Tour -Tour private homes in Beaufort and ride on the double-decker bus with carolers from local churches. Homeowners will open their doors so that the public can delight in their festive décor and decorations. Tickets $16.
Crystal Coast Christmas Flotilla– The Crystal Coast Christmas Flotilla features boats, yachts, oars, kayaks and commercial vessels decorated for the season. The decorated boats can be seen at 5:30 p.m. on the Morehead City waterfront and at 6:15 p.m. on the Beaufort waterfront. Boats may register to participate in the Flotilla by phone or mail, and until noon on Saturday, December 7, at the North Carolina Maritime Museum Store. All decorated boats are judged and prizes for excellence and creativity are awarded at the Awards Party after the Flotilla in the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center located across the street from the museum. Cash prizes will be awarded! Entry fee to participate. 252.504.7763. North Carolina Maritime Museum, 315 Front Street, Beaufort, NC 28516.www.ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.
Resolution Run 1 Mile & 5K-Get your 2019 resolutions in gear first thing on the first! Join our 1 mile or 5k run and get ahead of the curve this new year. The race travels down Front Street in beautiful downtown Beaufort, starting at the corner of Turner and Front streets. Registration is $15 online or $20 day of the race.
8th Annual Chowder Cookoff -Four guest clam chowder cooks will compete at the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center. Participants enjoy a tasting-sized portion of each of the four chowders and then vote for their favorite. In addition to clam chowder, the event will host a cornbread taste-off. For ticket information, please contact the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum at 252-728-1638 or visit www.maritimefriends.org/events. Proceeds help support the operations of the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum. North Carolina Maritime Museum, 315 Front Street, Beaufort, NC 28516. 252-504-7740.
Mati Gras Middle Lane -If you’ve never been to a Mardi Gras Celebration for Fat Tuesday, the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the fasting of the Lenten season; try out an entertaining afternoon in Beaufort. Enjoy an afternoon street carnival filled with Cajun music & jazz! There will even be a parade of “krewes” in costume tossing jewelry and charms for everyone. Bring the kids along for the face painting and mask making experience under the tents. Challenge your “krewe” to a round of boules or cornhole in the gaming area. Gather your friends in a costumed “krewe” and parade Middle Lane in competition for prizes at 3 p.m. Mardi Gras on Middle Lane is a free event and is presented by Beaufort Development Association, in conjunction with Middle Lane businesses. For more information about this event contact Liz Kopf at lizkopf@gmail.com or 252-728-7108 for more details or to participate with your “krewe.” The cost to enter your “krewe’ is $50. Visit the official website for Beaufort Development Association a
Burn Your Socks on the Equinox -In the mid-1980s at a boatyard in Annapolis, MD., Captain Bob Turner wore socks all during the long, cold winter months while working on OPB’s (Other People’s Boats). By winter’s end, his socks were stand-up stiff with sawdust, caulk and bottom paint. ON the first day of spring, Capt. Bob placed his leavings laden socks in a paint tray, doused them with lighter fluid, set them on fire, and then drank beer to celebrate. And so the spring tradition of sock burning began and it has grown to coastal communities across the country.Come join us and celebrate the age old maritime tradition of burning your socks on the spring solstice. Enjoy oysters, food, brew and music. Tickets are $25 and available online at www.beaufortnc.com or at Backstreet Pub in Beaufort.Bring a pair of old socks to burn. Bring a pair of new socks to donate.
Spring
Old Beaufort’s Farmers Market –The Olde Beaufort Farmers’ Market is happy to announce that the market will be back on the courthouse grounds under the shelter of the majestic live oaks for our 2019 season! We now look forward to this year’s focus on “Celebrating Community” with an appreciation for all. Again this year the market will aim to help out by selling reusable shopping bags to replace plastic bags. Come renew your friendships with our regular vendors and meet our awesome new ones too! Find the freshest locally grown veggies, microgreens, farm-raised meats, locally caught seafood, delicious homemade baked goods, and beautiful, quality handmade art and craftwork. Grab a cup of coffee and be filled with the joy of the market, the place where life slows down so neighbors can catch up from 8:30 until 1:00 every Saturday morning!
Beaufort Wine and Food Festival – Beaufort Wine & Food brings talent from across the country and beyond together for five days of cuisine and beverages, all in the name of charity. This year marks the festival’s 16th year, and guests can expect to see the high level of epicurean talent that it has enjoyed for years.
Beaufort Annual Wooden Boat Show -Whether you’re a boating enthusiast or prefer to keep your feet on dry land, the 45th Annual Wooden Boat Show has activities for all ages. This free event celebrates the art of North Carolina traditional wooden boatbuilding and the sport of boat racing. Dozens of handcrafted wooden boats will be on display, along with nautical demonstrations, and activities for children. The annual Wooden Boat Show has received top honors from the Southeast Tourism Society as a “Top 20 Event for the Southeast” four consecutive years. Throughout the show, please feel free to tag your photos with #BeaufortBoatShow.
Crystal Coast Half Booty Triathalon – For 2020 the Half Booty distance will be the only option. We will return the 140.6 triathlons to North Carolina in 2022! Located on the beautiful coast of North Carolina, participants and spectators can enjoy all the Crystal Coast area has to offer! With average air temperatures in Beaufort between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, May is the perfect time to visit! The Crystal Coast community is excited and supportive about this event! The mayor of Beaufort, Rett Newton, encourages everyone to come experience this event and see all that Beaufort has to offer!
Beaufort Music Festival– May in historic Beaufort, and the town is packed on Friday and Saturday with locals and tourists alike enjoying the beautiful weather and some pretty great music.
Beaufort Old Homes, Garden, and More Tour -This annual walking tour of private homes, gardens, churches and historic places is the last full weekend in June. Other highlights of the weekend include tours of the Beaufort Historic Site buildings, the Old Burying Ground, narrated bus tours of the historic district, and an antique car show. The tour is self-paced with time to visit all the shops and restaurants in downtown Beaufort. For more information visit www.beauforthistoricsite.org or call 252-728-5225.
4th of July Parade and Fireworks– A Beaufort tradition and crowd favorite, the Fourth of July Parade steps off at Gordon Street at 11 a.m. The parade and continues through downtown along the beautiful Beaufort waterfront. The parade always draws some of the most creative minds in town, including Beaufort’s very own Sweet Potato Queens decked out in their crazy costumes. Kids, pets, wagons, and so much more make up this annual Beaufort event. Co-sponsored by the Beaufort Development Association and the Town of Beaufort, the parade always attracts many floats.
Historic Beaufort Road Race– 43 Years and still going strong… Join us for a local tradition, the Historic Beaufort 10K/5K/1M race. Hundreds of runners will run through the historic downtown of Beaufort to benefit Crystal Coast charities. The divisions include 10K Run, 5K Run, 1 Mile Run, 10K & 5K Wheelchair, 5K Baby Jogger (all children must be safely strapped in and pushed by an individual over the age of 18), 5K & 1 Mile Timed Walk and Masters.The racecourse has been certified as accurate by USA Track and Field. Sponsored by The Beaufort Ole Towne Rotary Club. All races start on Front Street between the NC Maritime Museum and Orange Street. For more information, email at info@beaufortoletownerotary.com or visit the website, www.beaufortoletownerotary.com
Summer
Beaufort Brewin Craft Beer Festival– Prepare to raise a glass to mark Beaufort Wine and Food’s craft beer festival, Beaufort’s Brewin’. The two-day festival will feature a variety of events held in Beaufort and will range in size from beer dinners, luncheons, and seminars to the headline event; Beer, Bubbles, and BBQ held in downtown Beaufort. Partnering with regional distributors and over two dozen breweries from across the state and beyond, BWF has crafted a stellar line up of events to generate great exposure for the organization and the Crystal Coast. Over the course of two days, guests are immersed in a number of beer-focused events.
Beaufort Pirate Invasion-The Beaufort Pirate Invasion is a reenactment of an event that happened in Beaufort, North Carolina, in 1747, when the town was caught up in a battle to defend itself from Spanish privateers. Blackbeard is also part of our local history and the wreck of QAR is here to prove it. Along with many other tales and legends of the Notorious Pirate and his alleged shenanigans in our area. This annual event was created in 1960 to highlight this unique and historical event of victory. The story unfolds on the waterfront at Taylor’s Creek, throughout town and around pirate encampments. Professional pirate re-enactors, villagers and merchants roam throughout town creating a historical and piratical presence for pirate enthusiasts of all ages to enjoy. Join us in celebrating our towns history and unique culture throughout the year by visiting Beaufort during one of our many local events and don’t miss the N.C. Maritime Museum and the Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit which opened last spring and many other interesting things to see and do in NC’s Coolest Small Town.
Beaufort Historic Association Fall Party -Gala fundraising party held in a beautiful Beaufort home featuring the works of a selected artist. The artwork is available for purchase. Admission fee.
Beaufort Food and Wine Annual Oyster Roast – Beaufort Wine & Food is pleased to spotlight North Carolina’s coastal & culinary heritage with its annual oyster roast. The gathering, complete with bonfire, hay wagon transport, and live music, celebrates the bounty of Eastern NC cuisine and will feature local steamed oysters, shrimp and other seafood selections along with North Carolina pork.
