Happy 4th of July and other Great Things to Do in Manteo, NC

Manteo is jumping with lots of great family fun this July! Here's the "short" list of activities. I've highlighted some special events!

History, Arts and Fun – All Rolled Into One! July 1 - 31, 2009 Enjoy daily programs aboard the Elizabeth II, in the Settlement Site and in the interactive Roanoke Adventure Museum. A docudrama, in The Film Theatre, entitled “The Legend of Two-Path.”

Visit the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum nearby features a working boathouse and the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse.

Summer Youth Sailing July 1-31 - Morning and afternoon sessions are available. Open to youth 8 and older. Basic and intermediate instruction taught. Students sail Optimist and 420 sail boats. http://www.outerbankssailingacademy.com/.

Adult Sailing Program July 1- 31 Roanoke Island Maritime Museum. The instructors are all American Sailing Association Certified.

Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band Summer Children’s Performance Series

July 1- July 3 at 10:30 a.m. Film Theatre“Very enjoyable. Upbeat, catchy tunes, excellent lyrics with great messages.” Winner, Best Song For Children from The Independent Music Awards. $5.00 adults; children 5 and under – free.

Alex and the Kaleidoscope Concert Pavilion Twilight Series July 1and 2 at 8 p.m.

Boardwalk Marsh Exploration July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. RIFP Visitors center. Enjoy a free guided walk around Roanoke Island Festival Park. NC Coastal Federation at

First Friday Celebration in Downtown Manteo July 3rd beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Stop by the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum and shop downtown merchants.

America Celebrates/July 4th Fireworks July 4 at 8 p.m. Outdoor Pavilion: Music performed by Western Carolina University’s College of Fine and Performing Arts as part of the Fourth of July celebration at the Roanoke Island Festival Park. The Town of Manteo will be providing the fireworks.

Dixie and Linda Browning Reception July 6-23.

Open Sail at Roanoke Island Maritime Museum July 7,14,21,28 6-7:30 p.m. This open sail is available to sailors that have completed our sailing programs, weather permitting.

Shallowbag Bay Sail About - July 7, 14, 21, 28 6-7:30 p.m. Roanoke Island Maritime Museum. Sail Shallowbag bay in a traditional style work vessel, weather permitting.

Ray McAllister Book Signing July 7 from 11:30-2:30 p.m. Museum Store. Hatteras Island: Keeper of the Outer Banks.

Kinobe Soul Beat Africa Summer Children’s Performance Series

July 7-10 10:30 a.m. Kinobe and “Soul Beat Africa,” take on Uganda’s ethnic sounds and fuse tradition with modern instrumentation. The price of admission is included in the general admission ticket.

Kinobe 1st US/ Canadian Tour Concert Pavilion Twilight Series

July 7, 8,9,10 at 8 p.m. - Outdoor Pavilion Adults, $5; Children 5 and under-free; Friends of Elizabeth II, free.

Anna Davis Creef Book Signing - July 8 and August 5 11:30- 2:30 p.m.
Museum Store. Sixteen Sandpipers: And Outer Banks Counting Book

Renaissance Kids Camp
July 13 – July 17; ages: 5 – 7. 9am – 3pm (after-care provided if necessary). Campers will explore music, the arts and games of the Renaissance world with members of the Guilde of St Andrew as we commemorate the 425th anniversary of the English Colony. Members $120/week and non-members $140/week.

425th Anniversary of the Roanoke Voyages

July 13, 6-8 p.m. Outdoor Pavilion- Opening Ceremony. Lots of great activities planned to commemorate this historic event!

Magic Show for Children Summer Children’s Performance Series

July 14-17 : 10:30 a.m. Film Theatre. The show features some of the most incredible magic and illusions performed by world renowned illusionists Clive Allen and Tracy! The price of admission is included in the general admission ticket to the park.

Elizabeth Wiegand Booksigning - July 15 from 11:30-2:30 p.m. Museum Store. The Outer Banks Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from North Carolina’s Barrier Island.

Build a Boat in a Day - July 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Roanoke Island Maritime Museum: Build an 8 foot plywood boat. Teams will build a boat using the stitch and glue method. Cost: $275 Friends members /$300 non-members. Minimum age is 8 years old with adult.

Las Vegas on the Banks -Xtreme Magic Show Pavilion Twilight Series

July 17 at 8 p.m.Outdoor Pavilion- Adults, $5; Children 5 and under Free: Friends of Elizabeth II- Free. (2... Laura Long Concert - July 19 at 4 p.m. Film Theatre. The annual concert is performed by a member of the Lost Colony Choir.

Camp Smolken - July 20 – 24
9am – 3pm (after-care provided if necessary) Ages 8 and up Travel through the major moments of military history from the Hundred Years War to World War II with Roanoke Island Festival Park’s favorite mercenary soldier, Smolken. Members $120/week and non-members $140/week.

Jeremy Bliven Book Signing July 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Museum Store. Children’s books, The Search for Tiggie Pants and Captain Stumpy the Pirate Cat.

CelloMan Summer Children’s Performance Series

July 21-24 at 10:30 a.m. Film Theatre. A compelling and magical performance with music and masks—The price of admission is included in the general admission ticket to the Park.

The Cello/Piano ProjectPavilion Twilight Series

July 23, 24 at 8 p.m. Outdoor Pavilion. Featuring Eugene Friesen and Tim Ray - Musical passion, sweeping melody and rocking rhythm mark one-of-a-kind evenings. Adults, $5; children 5 and under, free; Friends of Elizabeth II, free.

Simple Rigging - July 23 from 10 a.m. to noon Roanoke Island Maritime Museum. Learn basic rigging techniques, including whipping and splicing and three strand line. Students can bring dock lines to splice in this workshop Cost: $25 members / $50 non-members. Workshop limit is 10.

Annual One Design Regatta Optimist

Roanoke Island Maritime Museum, 420, Sunfish – adult and youth and Laser.

“Voices of the Earth and Sea” Concert

July 26 at 4 p.m. 4th Sunday at 4 p.m.

Composer/ Cellist, Eugene Friesen. Film Theatre. Admission is included in the general admission ticket to the Park.

Rumgagger Pirate Show Summer Children’s Performance Series

July 28-31 at 10:30 a.m. July 28 at 7 p.m. at the Film Theatre ($5 adults; children 5 and under-free; Friends of Elizabeth II, free) Entertaining and educational for all ages!

Margaret Hoffman Booksigning July 28, 29 and 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Museum Store Blackbeard A Tale of Villainy and Murder in Colonial America and Dead in the Water.

Molasses Creek Pavilion Twilight Series

July 31 at 8 p.m. in Concert at Outdoor Pavilion. Based in Ocracoke,this high energy acoustic folk-fusion band delights their audiences with foot-stomping bluegrass, ballads, and a bit of wacky humor. For information on booking, ordering recordings or the touring calendar use the links to the side. $5.00 adults; children 5 and younger - free; Friends of Elizabeth II, free.

For more detail, check out http://www.roanokeisland.com/index.php?name=calendar#July or call 25... .

Recent Visit to Marshes Light

Today's blog is by one of our Discovery Weekend Winners - Peter & Becky from Raleigh, NC. As you can see, they really enjoyed their visit!

The boardwalk was what got us from the first. Is it really this easy to walk into town from the condo? This is so much more fun than driving and parking. That’s a great view of the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. These built-in benches are great!

And then we wondered: with all the twists and turns when walking on the boardwalk, would it be quicker by water?
Becky and I had already hoped to rent some kayaks, even before we headed from our home in Durham for a weekend in a Marshes Light condo. Some years before, we had kayaked around Manteo and looked forward to another adventure.

So Saturday morning we walked along the boardwalk to the waterfront and rented a couple of single kayaks. It was a beautiful April day, and there were lots of other folks with the same idea, even an experienced paddler from San Diego.

Should we immediately head right toward Marshes Light? No, first we just had to turn left and go up that little creek we remembered from years before. It starts out wide, with lots of boats and activity, but soon narrows to where there’s barely room to turn a kayak around. There had been a solitary cabin at the end of the creek. Would it still be there?

The creek was just getting narrow when Becky slowed her boat and pointed silently ahead to an egret in the shallows. I stopped my boat, put down the paddle, and fumbled to get our little camera out of its protective plastic bag (Kayaking usually involves at least a little water dripping inside the boat!) to try to snap the egret before it flew off. As you can see, it worked!

A tree fallen across the creek just a bit farther on cut off any more paddling in that direction, so we turned back toward town. We would never find out if that cabin was still there.

Why go straight when you can take the scenic route? We turned left into one of those long straight cuts through the marsh grass, then into the open water of Roanoke Sound. We skirted the back of Festival Park, stopping to wave at a family with kids in strollers. I think the little ones were amazed to see people floating in the water so close to shore.

Back by the town waterfront and a look at the Queen Elizabeth II, it was time to head for Marshes Light. In no time at all we were floating just outside our marina-view condo. We were looking up to the balcony where we’d had breakfast just that morning.

Sunrise on the Coast and Marshes Light

What a beautiful morning! The birds are chirping and the sun is rising on a perfect spring day at Marshes Light!

This photo was taken by one of our new villa owners from her balcony in the Bayberry at Marshes Light. Thanks Joan!

Please feel free to send me your best photos and I'll be happy to post them.

Setting up for Summer Sailing School at Marshes Light

Right in the heart of Manteo, along the boardwalk, is the North Carolina Maritime Museum, which is a wonderful place to visit and learn about the maritime history and culture of Roanoke Island and offers a variety of educational programs and interpretive exhibits through out the year.

During the summer months sailing, traditional boat handling, and boating safety courses are offered as part of the museum’s Outer Banks Community Sailing Program.

For more information on the sailing program, visit: http://www.obxmaritime.org/programs.htm.

Relaxing in the sunshine Outer Banks Style

After an afternoon at the beach, there's nothing more refreshing than coming home to relax in the backyard by the pool - with Buster the Lab of course!

Record Sales at Marshes Light

It's been a busy month for us at Marshes Light! We welcomed two new marina villa owners and sold four homesites. We look forward to watching new construction of a permanent residence within the next few months.



My friend and talented co-worker, Ann, has created a story-board featuring the Carolina, a craftsman style bungalow with 4 bedrooms and three baths. This home was designed to the Manteo Way of Building, which preserves and promotes the historical details of the architecture found in Old Town. Home packages anticipated to start at $450,000.

Stroll along the boardwalk and stop by our model home at 326 Fernando Street in Manteo and check it out. We're open from 10-5 Monday through Saturday and 12-5 on Sunday.

Elizabethan Gardens Home & Garden Tour & Upcoming Events

May 28
The Elizabethan Gardens Home and Garden Showcase
The Elizabethan Gardens and Roanoke Island Garden Club invite you to The 2009 House and Garden Tour, from 9 AM to 4 PM. Your ticket will provide access to island gardens, "Tablescapes" at 108 Budleigh and special programs at The Elizabethan Gardens. Lunch will be available for purchase at The Elizabethan Gardens. All proceeds benefit The Gardens.

June 10, 17 & 24
Wild Wednesdays
Join nature photographer, Jeff Lewis, as he shows stunning photos of the flora and fauna found in The Elizabethan Gardens. Located in our air-conditioned theater.

June 11, 18 & 25

Discovery Thursdays
Discovery Thursdays will include up to five interactive activities that families will enjoy together. These activities will focus on a specific aspect of The Gardens. Participants will gain further understanding and appreciation of The Gardens and Elizabethan Times which they can apply as they later tour The Elizabethan Gardens. Located in our air-conditioned theater.