Carolina Beach, N.C.: Are you ready for some good old-fashioned summer fun? Then Carolina Beach, North Carolina is the place to be on Saturday, June 4. Beginning at 11:00 a.m., three bands will rock the oceanfront stage on the historic boardwalk with beach music and shag-dancing during the 31st annual Carolina Beach Music Festival. Organizers believe the Carolina Beach Music Festival to be the longest-running beach music festival that is still held on the beach. So grab your sunscreen, beach chairs and dancing sandals to continue the tradition.
Set against a scenic backdrop that showcases the Atlantic Ocean and the newly renovated Carolina Beach Boardwalk, this year’s entertainment lineup will feature regional favorites North Tower (11:00am), The Band of Oz (1:00pm), and Jim Quick & Coastline (3:00pm). Each band is renowned for beach music, a laid-back style of rhythm-and-blues that has strong ties to the Carolina coast. In fact local history buffs claim that the uniquely coastal Carolina “shag dance” is likely to have originated on the Carolina Beach Boardwalk.
The 31st Annual Carolina Beach Music Festival is presented by the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce. Gates open at 10:00am, so bring your chairs, sunscreen, coolers and plan to spend all day listening and dancing to classic beach tunes. Coolers, beverages and food are allowed. No glass; no pets; no refunds. Tickets ($20 in advance; $25 cash only day of show). Attendees with an Anheuser-Busch product in their cooler can register to win prizes. For advance festival tickets, visit www.pleasureislandnc.org/events-details.php?id=1065 or call 910-458-8434 for details. Advance tickets are also available (cash/check only) at Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce (1121 N. Lake Park Blvd., Carolina Beach), Island Tackle & Hardware, Silver Dollar and Olde Salty’s in Carolina Beach.
Start your weekend early on Thursday night (6:30pm-9:30pm) with a free concert by “Roots United” (Reggae), followed by fireworks over the Carolina Beach Boardwalk. Continue the fun on Friday at the newly renovated Carolina Beach Boardwalk with rides and amusements, souvenir shops, surrey rentals, and the legendary Britt’s Donuts and homemade sweet treats at The Fudgeboat. Rise early on Saturday so you can shop for local produce and crafts at the Carolina Beach Farmer’s Market at Carolina Beach Lake Park (8am-1pm). Then spend Saturday afternoon dancing on the beach to three live bands at the Carolina Beach Music Festival (11:00am-4:30pm). On Sunday, enjoy a laid-back brunch at an island restaurant, relax at the beach, sign up for a surf lesson, and wind down with a free outdoor movie at the Carolina Beach Lake amphitheater. This week’s family film is “Mr, Popper’s Penguins” (PG; 8:45pm). Or, travel down the road to experience the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s summer exhibits: DINOSAURS! and Butterfly Bungalow. On Sunday evening, enjoy a Boogie in the Park concert at Kure Beach Oceanfront Park with music by “Mangroove” (swing/jazz/blues) from 5pm until 7pm.
This summer, discover the island’s simple pleasures and unexpected treasures in Carolina Beach and Kure Beach. Celebrate 100 years of North Carolina State Parks when you visit Carolina Beach State Park and Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. Cast your rod and reel from the Carolina Beach Fishing Pier. Sign up for a party cruise or fishing excursion at the Carolina Beach Marina. Take a surf or SUP lesson at local surf schools. Just minutes away, explore Kure Beach—North Carolina’s small wonder—where you can fish from the state’s oldest fishing pier and relax at an oceanfront park. Just a few miles down-island you can visit the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher and explore Civil War history at Fort Fisher State Historic Site.
Go with the flow and see where the water takes you when you visit Wilmington, North Carolina and the island beaches of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach. For a complete calendar of events, visit www.WilmingtonAndBeaches.com/events-calendar. For seasonal specials and summer highlights, visit www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/seasonal-page.
