Get great savings this holiday season with big discounts at Islands Art & Bookstore! They’re your one stop shop for all the beach lovers in your life! They carry local artwork, books, and stunning prints of our island beaches, all at affordable prices!

Stock up early and save big! 

The North Carolina’s Southern Coast is perfect for summer vacations, with its warm weather, white sand beaches, and fun family attractions that will provide memories for years to come. However, Autumn along our coast is an entirely different experience, but one that is just as magical!

In fall, the weather cools just slightly from blazing hot 90 degree summer days, to warm days peaking in the 80s followed by cool evenings. Also, fall is the time of year for local festivals that highlight our area’s unique offerings. So this fall take a trip to the coast, bask in the golden sunshine, visit fun fall festivals, and enjoy having the coast all to yourself!

Sunset at Sunset Festival in Sunset Beach, NC

Sunset at Sunset is the Town of Sunset Beach’s Community Block Party. This year’s festival will be held October 10th from 9m to 5pm!

It’s the 9th year for the festival, which is free for all attendees and boasts numerous vendors from artists to writers, charity booths and local community organizations to local wineries and restaurants. The festival also had several bands playing some great beach music all day long, which may inspire a little shagging on the dance floor! Great food, great fun and great people!

More than 100 vendors, crafters, food services, and non-profit organizations participate in the day’s activities. Throughout the day high quality bands entertain attendees. A photography contest is held each year and a 5K Run/Walk over the Mannon C. Gore Bridge is a highlight of the day.

The North Carolina Oyster Festival in Ocean Isle Beach, NC

The 35^th Annual North Carolina Oyster Festival, held October 17^th & 18^th, 2015, will feature local cuisine, arts and crafts, children’s activities, live music, an oyster eating contest, shag competition, the Oyster Shucking Contest, and the delectable Oyster Stew Cook-off.

The beach center becomes a walking district that offers something for everyone: local cuisine, arts and crafts, children’s activities, live music, Oyster Stew Cook-off and the Oyster Shucking Contest.

Leading up to the festival are the Annual Surf-off Competition and our Annual Road Race which includes a 5K, 10K Road Race, 1 Mile Fun Run and new for this year is a 5k Beach Run Adventure.

Festival goers can enjoy watching the shuckers compete for the title of 2015 North Carolina Oyster Shucking Champion on Saturday and dancers compete for the coveted title of “Shaggin’ Oyster” on Sunday. Enjoy music and entertainment by Whitney Layne, Craig Woolard and The Embers, Jim Quick and Coastline Band, and other live musicians all weekend. Admission: $5.00 / Children under 8 are free.

 

Riverfest in Wilmington, NC

Riverfest is an annual street fair in historic downtown Wilmington NC and features food, arts and crafts, dance performances, fireworks, children’s activities, car show, street fair with live music, and more — all in a great setting along the banks of the Cape Fear River.

Wilmington’s Riverfest is celebrated in October and runs from the foot of Market Street to Cape Fear Community College. Riverfest has about 200 craft and food vendors plus fireworks, entertainment on two stages, the Great Waiters Wine Race, Run the River 8K Race, various exhibits and a children’s area. Additional Riverfest activities include a Stand Up Paddleboard Competition and the Invasion of Pirates

During Riverfest, the Invasion of the Pirates is a kind of festival within a festival hosting a Pirates Ball on Saturday. Kids can pick up a treasure map and participate in a treasure hunt.

This year’s Riverfest will take place from November 20, 2015 to November 22, 2015 in downtown Wilmington at Riverfront Park, and best of all admission is free!

 

NC Festival by the Sea in Holden Beach, NC

The last full weekend in October, the Holden Beach Merchants Association hosts the very popular “NC Festival by the Sea.” This 2-day event, October 24th & 25th, 2015, kicks off with a parade down the Holden Beach Causeway. This is the only day of the year that you can walk across the Holden Beach bridge and each year several hundred enjoy this time to take pictures and view our beautiful waterway.

Arts and Crafts vendors are open from 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday and 9:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday. You’ll want to plan to be onsite for a couple of meals and a snack or two from the Festivals food vendors.

For the competitive people, there is a horseshoe tournament and a sandcastle building contest. Children can enjoy face painting, huge kites flying overhead and the children’s fun areas. There is live musical entertainment both days at Holden Beach’s Pavilion.

 

So venture down to the Brunswick Beaches this fall, there’s plenty going on along our coast!

Wilmington NC still has a lot of standing water however the worst appears to be over for our area as the record rains have moved further on up the NC Coast.

Some businesses are closed and drivers are advised to use caution.

We were spared from Hurricane Joaquin hitting our coast but we have experience historic levels of rain.

The outlook for the rest of the week is good with a drying trend appearing to be finally on the horizon.

There is a 50% chance of rain today down to 20% tomorrow with SUNSHINE for Tuesday and Wednesday!

Update Oct. 2nd 11am:

The latest Advisory at 11:00am this morning indicates an even further shift to the east!

Landfall along the US coast unlikely according to the predicted path of Hurricane Joaquin!

The coastal areas are still subject to 5-10 inches of rain and radar indicated that the heavy rain that will cause minor flooding. Use caution when traveling.

Update October 2nd 8am: The latest Advisory at 8:00am this morning indicates a further shift to the east in the predicted path of Hurricane Joaquin with landfall along the US coast unlikely!

The storm is expected to turn northeast this afternoon, avoiding a direct hit to the North Carolina Coast.

The coastal areas are still subject to 5-10 inches of rain and radar indicated that the heavy rain that will cause minor flooding. Use caution when traveling.

October 1st 2015:

We are not in the forecasted path of Hurricane Joaquin and Wilmington is not anticipating any type of evacuation at this time, however due to possible flooding conditions the town is urging residents and guests to be prepared for the effects to our area from this storm and to make preparations immediately.

It is predicted that Brunswick County may receive 6-10 inches of rain with higher potentials. Winds for our immediate area are expected to be from the North/Northeast at 15-25 mph with possible tropical storm wind gusts at times. Coastal Flooding and Erosion is also possible.

Hurricane Joaquin is now a Category 4 storm and is affecting the central Bahamas with hurricane-force winds, storm surge flooding and torrential rain. At 2:00 PM EDT, the center of Hurricane Joaquin was located near latitude 23.0 North, longitude 74.2 West. Joaquin is moving generally southwestward at about 6 MPH and a southwestward or westward motion is expected to continue through tonight. A turn toward the northwest and north is expected on Friday and a faster motion toward the north is expected Friday night and Saturday. On the forecast track, the center of Joaquin will move near or over portions of the central Bahamas today and tonight and pass near or over portions of the northwestern Bahamas on Friday.

Forecast Models are very uncertain as to the path of Joaquin however, there is a possibility that Joaquin may directly or indirectly affect the East Coast late this weekend or early next week.

This site will be updated as new information is available.

Photo courtesy of The Weather Channel.

Wilmington Riverfest

Update: Wilmington Riverfest has been rescheduled for November 20th-22nd. All times and locations will be the same as previously scheduled. We hope to see you there!

 

*Wilmington’s Riverfest will be postponed until November due to weather from Hurricane Joaquin. We will keep you updated on the event’s future dates.

Riverfest is an annual street fair in historic downtown Wilmington NC and features food, arts and crafts, dance performances, fireworks, children’s activities, car show, street fair with live music, and more. All in a great setting along the banks of the Cape Fear River.

Wilmington’s Riverfest is usually celebrated in October and is held along the riverfront from the foot of Market Street to Cape Fear Community College. Riverfest has about 200 craft and food vendors plus fireworks, entertainment on two stages, the Great Waiters Wine Race, Run the River 8K Race, various exhibits and a children’s area. Additional Riverfest activities include a Stand Up Paddleboard Competition and the Invasion of Pirates

During Riverfest, the Invasion of the Pirates is a kind of festival within a festival hosting a Pirates Ball on Saturday. Kids can pick up a treasure map and participate in a treasure hunt.

This year’s Riverfest will take place from November 20th, 2015 through November 22nd, 2015 in downtown Wilmington at Riverfront Park, and best of all admission is free!

Be sure not miss this fun festival that has become a tradition along the Cape Fear River waterfront in beutiful, Historic Wilmington, North Carolina.

For more information on this event visit https://www.wilmingtonriverfest.com/  or call (910) 452-6862

 

RIVERFEST EVENTS:

Riverfest features craft vendors, concessions booths, a children’s play area, entertainment on various stages, Saturday night fireworks, a rowing regatta, and more. 2015 will mark the  debut of the First Annual Miss Riverfest. One well-deserving young lady will be crowned and perform hostess duties throughout the festival.

ECONOMIC IMPACT:

Although the yearly festival is dependant on sponsorships and donations from community businesses and organizations, the economic impact of Riverfest for Historic Downtown and the surrounding community has been estimated at over three million dollars!

The Friends of Oakdale Cemetery present the 5th Annual Oakdale Cemetery Luminary Event on November 7th featuring tours departing main gate at 6:15, 6:30, 6:45 and 7pm. More than 600 luminaries will line the walking tour route where attendees will visit the graves and learn about several of Oakdale’s medical doctors who were also large contributors to community service.

Light refreshments served and tours will be cancelled in event of inclement weather. Tickets available in cemetery office, admission is $15 per person. Oakdale Cemetery is located at 520 North 15th Street, Wilmington, NC.

For more information call Eric Kozen at (910) 762-5682.