Dare County announces Faire, passport program, other events celebrating United States’ 250th birthday
- Corinne Saunders
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
The American flag (Photo by Anthony Leone)
By Corinne Saunders
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MANTEO — The “Land of Beginnings” is gearing up for a series of events this year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The main event in Dare County, the A250 Faire, is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, from 1-9 p.m. at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.
“The A250 Faire will be Dare County’s signature event commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary,” Dorothy Hester, Dare County public information director and A250 Committee chair, told county commissioners at their Monday morning meeting in Manteo.
“It will be free and family friendly and is co-sponsored by the National Park Service Outer Banks Group,” Hester said. “We have two presenting sponsors: Southern Bank and the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.”
Planned programming involves local musicians, living history demonstrations, storytelling sessions and more, according to Hester.
“The celebration will culminate in a grand finale production that brings together community groups in a shared presentation, so we’ll tell our history with live music and performances on stage,” she said.
Dorothy Hester, Dare County public information director and A250 Committee chair addresses the Dare County Board of Commissioners meets the morning of Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Manteo. (Screenshot of Dare County meeting livestream)
Organizers have invited local, state and federal elected officials, along with ceremonial guests such as Miss America, according to Hester.
“Welcoming these distinguished representatives reflects the significance of our county’s role in America’s early history and it adds a meaningful presence to the event,” she said.
Vendor applications for the Faire opened last week, with five categories available, Hester said.
There are 40 spaces available for arts and crafts vendors, 40 spaces for nonprofits, 20 spaces for retail businesses, 15 spaces for food vendors and five spaces for breweries, wineries and distilleries, according to information on the county’s A250 website.
“Priority’s being given to vendors from Dare County and our neighboring counties to reinforce our goal of showcasing local talent, businesses and organizations,” Hester said.
The county already received about four vendor applications by Monday morning, according to Katelin Kight, assistant public information director and co-chair of the A250 Committee’s marketing and outreach subcommittee.
“It’s going to be quite popular,” Kight predicted.
Jeff Schwartzenberg, community engagement manager at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and the other marketing and outreach subcommittee co-chair, stressed the importance of volunteers.
“There’s lots of great opportunities for our community at large to get involved,” Schwartzenberg said. “We’re really excited about publicizing and promoting what’s to come this year.”
Brenda Shore, chair of the schools and youth subcommittee, told commissioners on Monday that they have engaged public, charter and private schools, along with church groups, Boy Scouts groups and more.
“Part of our focus is to make sure that existing national and state resources are available to the teachers, parents and students,” Shore said.
The other part focuses on creating programs involving participation, she continued. Educational grants will be available to teachers “to support the instruction of A250 history and events,” and for “the development and preparation of patriotic music.”
Children can participate in a patriotic art show and a student essay contest responding to “a standard patriotic subject,” Shore said.
Kight noted that there will be a blog on the “Of the People, By the Sea” page of the A250 website to share the “living history of Dare County,” to which people can submit photos and historical local family tales.
She said a monthly newsletter will cover all event happenings, and the first one went out Monday morning.
“Each month, we will have a passport location spotlight,” Kight added. “This one had the launch of our passport program, so it listed all of them.”
The passport program
The self-guided Dare A250 Passport Program runs through Nov. 18, which is GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Day.
Passport locations include Dare County sites of historical significance, from Buffalo City in Manns Harbor to the Southern Shores flat tops to the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station in Rodanthe. All 13 sites are listed here.
At each stop, people can scan a QR code and complete a short digital form to receive a digital stamp, “building their passport while learning about the county’s lasting contributions to American history—and earning commemorative certificates along the way,” according to the website.
A special GIS map with even more historical locations, photographs and information is available at https://gis.darecountync.gov/a250.
Meanwhile, events that tie into the yearlong celebration can still be submitted for consideration for inclusion on the Dare A250 website event page.
The first event listed on the website is the Kelly’s Annual St. Patrick’s Parade, which takes place on March 15 from 1-3 p.m., on South Virginia Dare Trail in Nags Head from Bladen Street to Driftwood Street.
A Dare A250 float will join the 35th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade—the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the state—according to the website, which encouraged other participants to incorporate A250 into their float decorations.
The Town of Duck 4th of July Parade and Community Celebration the morning of Friday, July 3, and Independence Day Celebrations at Island Farm in Manteo on Saturday, July 4, are the other currently listed events.
(Screenshot from the Dare A250 website)
The A250 Committee formed following the Nov. 4, 2024, proclamation by the Dare County Board of Commissioners. A list of committee members is available here.
“From the site of the first English settlement to the birthplace of powered flight, Dare County is proud to be part of America’s story,” the website says. “As the ‘Land of Beginnings,’ we invite you to celebrate our shared history, heritage and the enduring spirit of freedom that continues to define us.”
The website notes, “This project was supported through a grant from America 250 NC, a program of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.”
The county received a $10,000 state grant for general marketing efforts, according to Hester.
Additionally, Dare County allocated $50,000 for local A250 efforts, $22,000 of which is included in the budget for the Faire, Hester said in an email response to Outer Banks Insider.
The county received a $25,000 grant from the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau specifically for the Faire, and the sponsorships the county is seeking are also for the Faire, she said.
“The [Faire] budget is a work in progress and the final version will depend on income,” Hester said. “At this time, it’s at $120,000.”
Tess Judge is serving as treasurer for the Faire, and all donations and sponsorships are being coordinated through the Outer Banks Community Foundation, she said.
For more information about Dare County’s 250 celebrations, visit https://www.darea250.org.
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