Week of July 7, 2025 - July 13, 2025

Meet a Banker Horse in Nags Head

  • Friday, July 11th 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
    • Monday, July 28th 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
more dates....
Nags Head

Come meet a rescued, gentled Banker horse and learn more about the wild horses, the rescue farm, and what the Corolla Wild Horse Fund does to keep the horses safe and thriving.

Week of July 14, 2025 - July 20, 2025

Surfing For Autism

  • Thursday, July 17th - Saturday, July 19th
Nags Head

Surfing For Autism is an Autism Spectrum Disorder awareness event that uses the beauty of the Outer Banks to provide children with an amazing experience and an opportunity to ride the waves.

Week of July 21, 2025 - July 27, 2025

Outer Banks Skim Jam

  • Friday, July 25th - Sunday, July 27th
Nags Head

Spectators and active watersports fans alike are welcome to head out to the beach near Jennette’s Pier to catch a spectacular on-the-water show by some of the best skimboarders on the East Coast.

Week of July 28, 2025 - August 3, 2025

Meet a Banker Horse in Nags Head

  • Monday, July 28th 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
    • Friday, July 11th 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
more dates....
Nags Head

Come meet a rescued, gentled Banker horse and learn more about the wild horses, the rescue farm, and what the Corolla Wild Horse Fund does to keep the horses safe and thriving.

Outer Banks Watermelon Festival

  • Friday, August 1st
Nags Head

Celebrate summer with Kitty Hawk Kites and support the Outer Banks Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coalition at the annual OBX Watermelon Festival. This beloved local celebration that’s held at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing in Nags Head features a wealth of activities for visitors of all ages, and is the perfect way to toast the peak of the summer season on the Outer Banks.

Week of August 11, 2025 - August 17, 2025

Outer Banks Pirate Festival

  • Thursday, August 14th
Nags Head

Get ready for a pirate invasion on the Outer Banks, courtesy of the two-day Outer Banks Pirate Festival. This festival that will be held next to Jockey’s Ridge State Park in the central Outer Banks town of Nags Head promises plenty of swashbuckling good times and activities, and will be a memorable event for young and old salty visitors alike.

Week of September 15, 2025 - September 21, 2025

OBX Jeep Invasion

  • Friday, September 19th - Sunday, September 21st
Nags Head

Jeep lovers are welcome to attend this annual festival that takes advantage of the beautiful fall weather of the Outer Banks, as well as the off-roading opportunities that are abundant along the miles of coastal North Carolina shoreline. The OBX Jeep Invasion is a fun and adventure-filled event that gives Jeep lovers an opportunity to get together and have a blast at one of the East Coat’s favorite destinations for four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Week of November 24, 2025 - November 30, 2025

Hangin' With Santa

  • Friday, November 28th - Saturday, November 29th
Nags Head

Get a head start on the holiday season with this post-Thanksgiving event that offers a world of fun for visitors of all ages. Held at the flagship Kitty Hawk Kites store in Nags Head, this two-day event features amazing shopping, activities, demos and displays, and - of course - a visit by old St. Nick himself to allow kids to get a jump start on their Christmas lists.

 

Kites With Lights

  • Saturday, November 29th 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Nags Head

Ignite your holiday spirit with this special annual event that combines the natural beauty of the Outer Banks with twinkling Christmas lights for an unforgettable display and seasonal experience. The Kites With Lights event is hosted by the flagship Kitty Hawk Kites store that’s just across the street from Jockey’s Ridge State Park, and the beautiful landscape of twinkling kites with the iconic massive sand dunes of the park in the background will be a sight that spectators won’t soon forget.

Other Kid Friendly in Nags Head

 

Kid Friendly in Other Towns

Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin

Stop by Nags Head's Ben Franklin at Mile Post 10 on the Bypass where you will find everything you need for the beach! From Clothing, T-shirts and Swimwear to Boards, Chairs, Umbrellas and Tackle. You'll find it all…and of course, we have the best selection of Souvenirs anywhere on the Outer Banks. Enjoy your vacation! Independently owned by a member of one of the Outer Banks’ oldest families, the Ben Franklin store is stocked with just about everything a visitor would need to go to the beach.

 

Ben Franklin stores were once part of a five-and-dime retail empire, with about 2,500 locations across the country in its heyday. As decades passed and the times and customers began to change, many closed their doors, leading to fewer than 150 of these nostalgic shops. Nags Head Ben Franklin, however, has withstood the test of time and adapted to the needs of its customers to provide a memorable shopping experience on the Outer Banks.

 

Debbie Terry Tolson, manager of the Ben Franklin location in Nags Head, recalls working with former owner Tommie Daniels. Daniels’ father, Moncie Daniels, started the business in downtown Manteo in the early 1900s. The Daniels family has been a longstanding fixture in the Outer Banks business community—Moncie even sold gas to the Wright brothers in 1903.

 

Tommie, with an excellent business mind, saw the opportunity the new Bypass presented and, in 1977, he opened the Nags Head location of Ben Franklin. He was one of the first businesses on the Bypass,” Tolson says.In addition to a new location, the Ben Franklin store saw a new group of customers.

 

“People would come from all around because Tommie had a little bit of everything—it was more like a five and 10 then,” Tolson explains. “As he went to the beach, he began to get more tourists, so he started catering more and more to visitors.”

 

Today, the 21,000-square-foot souvenir shop quickly catches the attention of anyone driving by thanks to the ocean-themed mural that decorates the façade of the building, painted by local artist Rob Snyder. This Ben Franklin location has become the must-stop shop for both first-time visitors to the area and generations of families who escape to the Outer Banks annually.

 

Tolson credits the great prices and friendly customer service to the success of the location, which keeps families returning.“People come in all the time and tell me, ‘my grandmother or my grandfather used to bring me here and now I’m bringing my children,’” she shares. “One of my favorite parts about working here is seeing the people come back year after year.”