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Dare A250 Faire Recap: Honoring Our Nation’s Beginnings
 Held on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Manteo, the Dare A250 Faire brought the community together for a vibrant, full-day celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. From lively performances and local vendors in downtown Manteo to the “Star-Spangled Spectacular” at Roanoke Island Festival Park, the event showcased the rich history, culture and spirit that define Dare County as the “Land of Beginnings.”
Thousands of residents and visitors enjoyed live music, historical reenactments, art exhibits, educational displays and family-friendly activities that highlighted the county’s unique role in America’s story. The Dare A250 Faire served as a meaningful and memorable tribute to 250 years of freedom, innovation and community—setting the stage for a year of commemorative events across Dare County.
View a recap of this once-in-a-lifetime event by clicking the image below.
Dare A250 Faire T-Shirts and Coffee Mugs: Now On Sale in Manteo
Did you miss the opportunity to pick up a Dare A250 t-shirt during the Dare A250 Faire? We still have a limited quantity available. Email DareCountyPR@DareNC.gov with your preferred size and color to arrange a pickup at the Dare County Administration Building in Manteo, NC.
Prices: T-Shirts- $20 each, Coffee Mugs- $10 each
T-Shirt Color Choices: Natural and Ash
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Dare County Students Shine at Dare A250 Faire with Award-Winning Art and Essays
The Dare A250 Committee, partnered with the Dare Education Foundation, is excited to announce the winners of the Dare A250 Essay Award and Dare A250 Art Exhibition Award. Students in Dare County were invited to explore and share their insights on America’s 250th anniversary and the county’s unique role in our nation’s history.
Students whose essays and artwork demonstrated exceptional quality were recognized during the event at the Dare A250 Faire, held in Manteo, NC on Saturday, April 18, 2026. The submissions—spanning visual art and written expression—demonstrate the vibrant creativity, cultural heritage, and academic excellence that thrive within our community.
 From left to right: Emma Zoe Cahill, Viktoria Skultetyova, Logan Veyna, Ike Vandermyde, Molly Richards, Zofia Brewer, Samantha Lasik, Dare A250 Education Committee Chair Brenda Shore and Dare Education Foundation Executive Director Ben Sproul.
Dare A250 Art Exhibition Award
With artistic vision, Emma Zoe Cahill, a fourth-grade student at Nags Head Elementary School, created a piece that combines a classic still-life artwork featuring an arrangement of fruit, with the quintessential statement of patriotism, the American Flag, titled A Snack for Patriots. Emma’s art was shown at Dare Arts during the Dare A250 Faire, providing the young artist the opportunity to have her work displayed amongst those who will be her future peers.
Dare A250 Essay Awards
Six students distinguished themselves with an essay that blended thoughtful analysis, personal insight, and a deep appreciation for our shared cultural heritage. Their writing demonstrates exceptional clarity, creativity, and academic excellence, offering a powerful reflection on the themes at the heart of the A250 celebration. Through their scholarship, they each remind us, in their own way, how young voices can illuminate history, inspire dialogue, and shape the future of our community.
Zofia Brewer, 10th grade, First Flight High School: Eva M. Clayton: The Struggle for Representation in North Carolina
Samantha Lasik, 11th grade, First Flight High School: Fighting for Civil Rights in Northeastern North Carolina
Molly Richards, 12th grade, First Flight High School: Hotel D’Afrique and the Struggle for Freedom in the Outer Banks
Viktoria Skultetyova, 7th grade, First Flight Middle School: Love, Perseverance, Home
Ike Vandermyde, 11th grade, First Flight High School: Founding Values & Frank Stick
Logan Veyna, 4th grade, Cape Hatteras Elementary School: Road to Freedom in the Outer Banks
Each student’s work contributes to the rich tapestry of the A250 celebration, reminding us that the stories, traditions, and artistic expressions of young people are essential to understanding who we are and who we aspire to become.
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Passport Program Highlight: |
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Dare A250 Passport Stop #6:
Island Farm
Visit Island Farm, a living history site that tells the story of the everyday Outer Bankers who lived on Roanoke Island in the 1850s. Here, an island family experienced the impacts of the Civil War, performed harrowing rescues as members of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, and assisted the Wright Brothers in their dream of achieving powered flight, all while feeding chickens, fishing the sounds, and growing corn for grinding at the windmill.
Location:
Island Farm is located at 1140 N. U.S. Highway 64 on Roanoke Island, just north of the Town of Manteo. The Dare A250 Passport Program QR code sign is located at the visitor center window to the left of the entrance.
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 December 1941 attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into the hostilities of world conflict. Germany, Japan’s major ally, soon declared war on the United States, too. The declaration led to the development by the German Navy of a plan to take advantage of inadequate American war preparations and strike at the vulnerable, merchant-rich sea lanes just off the Atlantic coast. Code-named Operation Drumbeat, it called for a swift, decisive submarine assault on the American eastern seaboard. Only five submarines were initially assigned to the operation, but no one imagined the success that these few U-boats would achieve.
During the first six months of 1942, the U-boats inflicted considerable damage on coastal shipping. Among the victims of this so-called “Atlantic Turkey Shoot” was the San Delfino, an armed British tanker carrying airplane fuel. She was sunk by the German submarine, U-203, on April 9, 1942 just off the shoreline of Pea Island (part of northern Hatteras Island). A body identified as Fourth Engineer Officer Michael Cairns of the Royal Merchant Navy soon washed up on Hatteras beach, where he was buried by locals. Early the next month, on May 11, 1942, the HMS Bedfordshire, an English trawler converted for anti-submarine deployment, was also torpedoed off the Outer Banks. Four bodies from it washed ashore on Ocracoke Island where they were buried. An unknown sailor washed up on Hatteras Island and is believed to have been part of the Bedfordshire crew. He was buried beside Cairns, who had been interred two weeks earlier.
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These two graves lie in a small cemetery located within Cape Hatteras National Seashore at the southern end of Hatteras Island just past the Buxton Woods picnic area on Lighthouse Road. Designated British territory, every year in May on the anniversary of the HMS Bedfordshire's sinking, members of the National Park Service, the United States Coast Guard, and the British Royal Navy join visitors and local citizens to honor not only the service of the men buried, but also the sixty-three foreign sailors who perished along our coast.
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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 in Nags Head, NC
Racing the Night: The Teenage Girl Who Saved the American Revolution
Monday, June 29, 2026
Location: 120 Duck Road, Duck, NC
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
Killer Dunes Jockey's Ridge Challenge
Friday, July 3, 2026
Location: Jockey's Ridge State Park in Nags Head, NC
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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 in Avon, NC
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 in Nags Head, NC
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