Folks on the Outer Banks didn’t get the memo that fall is the “off-season.”
There are four major festivals happening in October, as well as a ZZ Top concert. And, oh yeah, rates for rentals are lower, waits at restaurants are shorter and a dip in the ocean is tolerable.
Here’s what you need to know about the events:
ZZ Top, with Southall and Jive Mother Mary
Fellow Texan Lyndon B. Johnson was in the White House when Billy Gibbons (guitar-vocals), Frank Beard (drums) and the late Dusty Hill (bass-vocals) formed ZZ Top in Houston. The band, with Gibbons, Beard and bassist-vocalist Elwood Francis, hits the outdoor stage at Morris Farm Market in Barco, North Carolina on Oct. 2.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the trio burst onto the scene in 1973 with the rip-snorting, blues-based “La Grange” and “Tush,” which led to heavy airplay on FM album-rock radio stations and sold-out concert tours.
The group became more widely known in the early 1980s when they incorporated synthesizers and dance beats into their sound, which led to a string of hits that included “Legs,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “I Thank You” and “Sleeping Bag.” The accompanying videos further raised their profile on the emerging MTV.
Gates open at 5 p.m. with music starting at 5:30 p.m. It’s lawn seating, so bring a chair or blanket.
Morris Market Farm is at 3784 Caratoke Highway in Barco, about 45 minutes south of Norfolk. Tickets are $78.10 to 165.55 (fees included). For more information, go to morrisfarmmarket.com.
Halloween International Film Festival
The sixth annual edition of the spooky event runs Oct. 2-4 at the historic Pioneer Theater (opened in 1918) in downtown Manteo. The festival will feature six feature-length films, as well as 22 shorts (10 to 30 minutes).
“We want to celebrate and support independent filmmakers,” said festival curator Matt Artz, who lives in Kill Devil Hills.
One word of caution: Though the films are not rated, the subject matter may be too intense for children.
One highlight is sure to be the world premiere of “GroupChat,” with the British filmmakers conducting a question-and-answer session after the showing.
“Shell,” starring Kate Hudson and Elisabeth Moss, also should be a standout. Both films will be shown on opening night.
The Pioneer Theater is at 109 Budleigh St. Tickets are $20 per day or $50 for a three-day pass. Films start at 3 p.m. each day. For more information, go to filmfreeway.com.
Duck Jazz Festival
The 16th annual event takes place Oct. 11-12 at Town Park (lawn seating) in Duck, and it’s free.
Don’t let the word “jazz” fool you, as in previous years the festival features artists from various camps (blues, Latin, rock and rhythm-and-blues). The Town of Duck proclaims “Let’s Groove” on its website.
Smooth-jazz guitarist Adam Hawley kicks off the event at 4 p.m. Oct. 11.
Music will be coming from two stages on the second day starting at 11 a.m. (gates open at 10 a.m.) with a lineup that includes Shayna Steele (jazz, soul and blues vocals), Gerald Veasley (jazz-fusion bassist) and Brass Queens (New Orleans-style jazz) on the main stage.
And the rhythm is going to get you at 5:25 p.m. when percussionist Tito Puente Jr. and his band kick it into high gear with their Mambo and Latin-flavored dance music.
First Flight High School Honors Jazz Band, the David Esleck Trio and the Hot Lanes will perform on the Amphitheatre Stage, starting at 12:10 p.m.
Town Park is at 1200 Duck Road. For more information, go to townofduck.com.
Outer Banks Seafood Festival
Stews, shrimp burgers, gumbo, tuna bites, bacon-wrapped scallops, dips and chowders are among the items on the menu at the 13th annual seafood-palooza on Oct. 18 at the Soundside Event Site in Nags Head.
There will be off-site parking at Nags Head Elementary School at 3100 Wrightsville Ave. and the Ark Church at 113 Villa Dunes Drive in Nags Head. Free shuttles (9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.) will run from both locations.
More than 9,000 people usually flock to the festival, which also features live music and activities for kids. Fourteen restaurants will be participating this year. There will be a shrimp cooking demonstration, as well as a cast net/crab pot competition and a mullet toss.
Performers include the Patriot Band, First Flight High School Chorus, Colton James and the No More Room Band.
The Soundside Event Site is at 6800 S. Croatan Highway (M.P. 16 on U.S. 158). Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $20 (food and beverages are not included). For more information, go to outerbanksseafoodfestival.org.
Bluegrass Island Music Festival
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder headline the 14th annual event, running Oct. 16-18 at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo.
The three-day festival features 15 artists playing various styles of bluegrass.
Known for his traditional high-lonesome vocals and lightning-fast mandolin playing, Skaggs’ resume is downright gaudy. The 71-year-old singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Grand Ole Opry and Musicians Hall of Fame; he’s had a dozen No. 1 singles and four No. 1 albums on the Billboard country charts, and Skaggs has collaboratedwith artists ranging from Bruce Hornsby to Stephen Curtis Chapman.
Other performers at the outdoor festival (lawn seating, so bring a chair or blanket) include Rhonda Vincent (known as the “Queen of Bluegrass”), Dan Tyminski (the singing voice of George Clooney in the 2000 movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”), and countrysinger Pam Tillis (“Maybe It Was Memphis,” “Shake the Sugar Tree,” “Mi Vida Loca”).
Food trucks and arts and crafts vendors will on site at 1 Festival Park in Manteo. Gates open at 11 a.m., with music starting at 12:30 p.m.
A three-day pass costs $311.64 and single-day tickets range from $105.33 to $126.38 (fees included for both). For more information, go to bluegrassisland.com.
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