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A250 Faire: Full Program Lineup Announced |
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The Dare A250 Faire is set for Saturday, April 18, 2026 with a full day of music, history and celebration!
The full lineup for the Dare A250 Faire, a free, family-friendly celebration taking place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in downtown Manteo, has been published online at DareA250.org/faire.
The day will feature two celebrations—both to include live music, cultural performances, interactive entertainment and a signature storytelling experience that brings the rich history of the Outer Banks to life.
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 Live Music & Performances
The All-American Stage in downtown Manteo will host a dynamic schedule beginning at 11:10 a.m. with the Cypress Society Singers & Dancers, representing the Lumbee and Kahtehnuaka Tuscarora Eastern Woodland Native nations. An Opening Ceremony follows at 11:45 a.m., with live performances continuing throughout the afternoon, including Connected (jazz), Ruth Wyand (roots Americana) and the Daniel Jordan Band (Southern country-rock).
At 3 p.m., the Dare County All-American Award Ceremony will recognize participants in a variety of festive categories, including patriotic attire, patriotic pet, most decorated business and boat displays, as well as Dare A250 Scholarship Awards. Participants should report behind the stage at 2:30 p.m. for judging.
Additional performances will take place on the Magnolia Freedom Stage, featuring Ascension Music Academy, Shiloh and Enrique with the Mustang Music Outreach Program, and the OBX Jazzmen.
Street Entertainment & Community Experiences
Throughout downtown Manteo, attendees can enjoy roving patriotic performers from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., including stilt walkers, a bubble artist, a juggler and a hula hooper. Historical interpreters from The Lost Colony, Roanoke Island Festival Park and Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station will add a living-history element, while more than 60 local artisans and community organizations will be on-site. Several local businesses and restaurants will offer special events and discounts.
At 12 p.m., student musicians from First Flight Middle School and Manteo Middle School will perform on Sir Walter Raleigh Street.
Featured Storytelling Experience at the Pioneer Theater
As a marquee element of the Dare A250 Faire, the historic Pioneer Theater will host a free, live storytelling series highlighting the people, traditions and defining moments of the Outer Banks.
Moderated by Miles Daniels, the program will feature four distinguished speakers sharing personal insights and historical perspectives:
11:30 a.m. – Clark Twiddy: “Vision, Risk, and Reinvention: How the Outer Banks Became a Destination”
12:30 p.m. – Robin Daniels Holt: “The Families Who Stayed: Generational Memory and Cultural Continuity”
1:30 p.m. – Nancy Gray: “Water, Work, and Survival: The Working Coast of the Outer Banks”
2:30 p.m. – Ken Mann: “Stories of the Outer Banks: Voices, Characters, and Coastal Memory”
Attendees are invited to come for one session or stay for the full experience, with archival film and video presentations shown between speakers. The Pioneer Theater is located at 109 Budleigh Street in Manteo.
Star-Spangled Spectacular Finale
The celebration continues at Roanoke Island Festival Park with the Star-Spangled Spectacular (advance tickets required, all of which have been reserved). The evening performances will begin at 3:30 p.m. with Just Playing Dixieland, followed by an Opening Ceremony at 4:15 p.m. and an Earth, Wind & Fire tribute by the Ray Howard Band at 4:30 p.m.
The day will conclude at Roanoke Island Festival Park with the Dare A250 Grand Finale—a multimedia patriotic production featuring a community choir and a powerful tribute to America’s enduring spirit.
The Dare A250 Faire is sponsored in part by Dare County, The Town of Manteo, The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, Southern Bank, The Don & Catharine Bryan Cultural Series and Roanoke Island Festival Park.
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A250 Education Features at the Dare A250 Faire: |
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Dare A250 Faire to host children’s interactive art experience at the Dare Arts Courtyard on Saturday, April 18, 2026
The Dare A250 Faire will bring a burst of creativity to downtown Manteo with a hands-on children’s art experience in the Dare Arts Courtyard from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Young artists will be invited to add their own brushstrokes to a large patriotic painting, which will later
be enhanced by acclaimed local painter Brad Price before being permanently displayed at the Outer Banks Community Foundation. Designed to inspire pride, creativity, and connection, the project is poised to become one of the faire’s most meaningful highlights.
Families can also enjoy coloring Flat John White—the first governor of an English colony in America—along with festive tablecloths. Placemats that can be colored will be available at participating businesses throughout Manteo, as well. Together, these
activities promise a lively celebration of history, imagination and community spirit.
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Inspiring Through Education: Dare A250 Student Awards and Teacher Grants
Through awards and scholarships, the Dare A250 Education Subcommittee is honoring the achievements of local youth and the educators who guide their instruction.
The student winners of the A250 Art Exhibition and A250 Essay Award Program will be announced during the free Dare A250 Faire on Saturday, April 18, 2026 in downtown Manteo. The awards ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. on the All-American Stage.
The A250 Dare County Schools Teachers Grant was designed to support educational initiatives that commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. The grant aims to empower teachers and educational organizations to create projects, programs, or resources that engage students with American history, civics, and the founding principles of the nation. Five teachers have been awarded A250 Dare County Schools Grants and one teacher has been awarded the A250 Music Directors Grant. Congratulations to the following teacher grant recipients:
Evan Ferguson, Cape Hatteras Secondary School media coordinator. With a focus on Common Ground, students were actively engaged in colonial Edenton activities where they had an opportunity to learn through hands-on activities.
Ellen Bryson, Kitty Hawk Elementary School librarian. Focused on Visions of Freedom, the focus will be on making American history accessible with interesting new books.
Shannon Brinkley, First Flight Middle School librarian. Developing interactive stations focused on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the Visions of Freedom.
Mike Phelan, First Flight High School teacher. With a focus on Visions of Freedom, every celebration needs fireworks, or in the case of this project, 3D rockets.
Silas Allen, Cape Hatteras Secondary School teacher. Looking at Visions of Freedom, students will plant a small garden with crops that soldiers would have eaten during the Revolutionary War time.
John Buford, music director at First Flight Middle School and First Flight High School. With a focus on Gathering of Voices, Buford kicked off the A250 season leading a talented group of students singing a selection of patriotic tunes during the Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Nags Head. In addition, Buford and his students will be entertaining all of us with red, white, and blue tunes to honor our nation’s story with song at the Dare A250 Faire on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
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Passport Program Highlight: |
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Dare A250 Passport Stop #5:
Fort Raleigh Historic Site
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is located on the north end of Roanoke Island. The site commemorates the Roanoke Colony, established in 1585 and 1587 under the sponsorship of Sir Walter Raleigh, including the mysterious Lost Colony, which disappeared by 1590. The visitor center features exhibits on the early English expeditions, the first Algonquian-speaking people, the lost colony and the island’s Civil War history, including the Freedmen's Colony
Location:
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is located at 1401 National Park Drive in Manteo, NC. The Dare A250 Passport Program sign is located in a window next to the front entrance of the visitor center.
The Dare A250 Passport Program features 13 historic stops located throughout Dare County, each offering a meaningful introduction to local history through museums, cultural sites and natural landmarks. At each site, visitors can scan a QR code to collect a virtual stamp and submit their name and email through the digital form. As participants build their collection, they will become eligible to receive a certificate recognizing their engagement with Dare County’s historic landscape during the A250 celebration. The program is open through November 18, 2026.
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Of the People, By the Sea |
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This Month's Historic Highlight:
Aycock Brown
The natural beauty of the Outer Banks has long made it a haven for photographers—but few have captured its spirit as powerfully as Charles Brantley Aycock Brown (1904–1984).
From the 1930s through the 1980s, Brown documented everyday life in Dare County with remarkable authenticity—commercial fishing, local businesses, and the quiet moments of daily life that defined our community. He was the first director of the Dare County Tourism Bureau and his photography and journalism not only preserved history, but also played a vital role in making the Outer Banks the tourist destination it is today.
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The Aycock Brown Collection at the Outer Banks History Center offers thousands of photographs depicting life in Dare County—an open invitation to step back in time and experience our county through his eyes.
Reflecting on her childhood, his granddaughter Margaret Lee recalled, "Every day, he took us to the docks at Oregon Inlet where we played under the fishing center while he walked around taking pictures. He waited for the boats to come in so he could go down the row and photograph the catch of the day."
Images courtesy of Outer Banks History Center, State Archives of North Carolina.
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First Flight Society's Celebration of Wilbur Wright's Birthday
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Location: Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, NC
Dare A250 Faire
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Location: Downtown Manteo and Roanoke Island Festival Park
OBX Rod & Custom Festival
Friday, May 1, 2026
Location: Soundside Event Site in Nags Head, NC
ICO Veterans Tribute Pickleball Social
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Location: Duck Woods Country Club in Southern Shores, NC
OBX 50/150 Air Race
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Location: Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo, NC
Annual Rogallo Kite Festival
Friday, June 12, 2026
Location: Jockey's Ridge State Park
Family Fun Times
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Location: Dowdy Park in Nags Head, NC
Summer Concert Featuring a Patriotic Sing-A-Long
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Location: Dowdy Park in Nags Head, NC
Americana Farmer's Market
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Location: Dowdy Park in Nags Head, NC
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Killer Dunes Jockey's Ridge Challenge
Friday, July 3, 2026
Location: Jockey's Ridge State Park in Nags Head, NC
Kids Move More
Friday, July 3, 2026
Location: Dowdy Park in Nags Head, NC
Town of Duck 4th of July Parade and Community Celebration
Friday, July 3, 2026
Location: Beginning at Scarborough Lane in Duck, NC
4 on the 4th Run/Walk
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Location: Beginning at Kinnakeet Shores in Avon, NC
Fourth of July Fireworks Show
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Location: Avon Fishing Pier
Town of Kill Devil Hills Independence Day Firework Show
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Location: Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills, NC
Independence Day Celebration at Island Farm
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Location: Manteo, NC
Fourth of July Fireworks Show
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Location: Nags Head Fishing Pier
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