For 50 years, Kitty Hawk Kites has been serving the Outer Banks and beyond. What began as a business venture to teach people how to hang glide has become an Outer Banks staple, with 28 stores up and down the East Coast offering premier retail and outdoor recreation experiences. They host more than 25 large-scale events throughout the year celebrating all of the wonderful things that make the Outer Banks special and bringing the brilliance of kite flying and hang gliding to everyone here on the beach. For years, Seaside Vacations has happily partnered with Kitty Hawk Kites to help you make the most of your Outer Banks vacation experience. Whether you're exploring our exclusive discounts with Kitty Hawk Kites, or attending a co-sponsored event, you really can't go wrong with this partnership! Check out some of Kitty Hawk Kites' unforgettable events happening this year and plan to make memories with us and Kitty Hawk Kites!
We'll see you at the beach!
Outer Banks Fly Into Spring Kite Festival
April 3 - Apr 4, 2026
Celebrate National Kite Month and the start of Spring with Kitty Hawk Kites! Experience the sights of our massive 30-to-100-foot kites flying high over Jockey’s Ridge State Park on Friday, April 3rd, and Saturday, April 4t,h starting at 10:00 AM.
Easter Eggstravaganza
April 4, 2026
Join us across the street from the dunes outside Kitty Hawk Kites on Saturday to take your picture with the Easter Bunny, and let your kids join in the fun during our annual Jockey’s Ridge Crossing Easter Egg Hunt! We will be hosting small-scale Easter Egg Hunts on Saturday, April 4th, starting at 10:30 AM. You can invite your friends and family to participate with special prizes included! Each Easter Egg Hunt will be 15 minutes, with a $7 registration fee for each participant. We highly recommend registering ahead of time.
Schedule for Saturday, April 4th
- 10:30 am to 1:15 pm – Easter Egg Hunt – pre-registration strongly encouraged
- 10:30 am to 1:15 pm – Pictures with the Easter Bunny!
Sweep the Beach Trash Art Contest
April 1 – April 20, 2026
Kitty Hawk Kites is teaming up with Dare Arts Council to create the Outer Banks ‘Sweep the Beach’ Trash Art Contest! In conjunction with Earth Day, we ask artists to create work from the trash they have collected from our beaches and sounds. After submission, the artwork will be placed on our TrART Walk at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing. Submissions will be placed on (or around) March 30th. Until April 21st, pieces will be adjudicated and voted on for varying prize categories. Select pieces will be collected and moved to Jockey’s Ridge State Park for Earth Fair OBX, April 22nd, where winners will be announced at the Kitty Hawk Kites booth in Jockey’s Ridge State Park parking lot at 3:45 pm. Find out more HERE!
Salty Tails of Love Adoption Day
April - August, 2026
Salty Tails and Kitty Hawk Kites are teaming up to support our local Outer Banks SPCA with the Salty Tails of Love Adoption Day. Each month, join us at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing from 10:00 am – 12:30 pm and drop off goods to donate to the local SPCA or help a furry friend find a forever home at our event, or go into any Kitty Hawk Kites location and purchase Salty Tails merchandise to help support and spread awareness! With each purchase of a Salty Tails hat or shirt, $1.00 will be donated to the Outer Banks SPCA/Dare County Animal Shelter to help support their cause.
Come to Jockey’s Ridge Crossing to help a furry friend find a fur-ever home on these dates:
- April 8th
- May 27th
- June 24th
- July 8th
- August 26th
Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular
May 14 - May 17, 2026
The Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular will be held from May 14th to May 17th. We invite pilots from all over the country come together for a four-day event at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, NC, and the Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg, NC (see full schedule here). They will have gliders from Wills Wing and Moyes and new Flytec equipment to demo.
Kitty Hawk Kites Kiteboarding KickOff Weekend
May 29 - May 31, 2026
Head down to Waves Village Watersports Resort in Rodanthe for a full weekend of clinics, picnics, family games, and more! This is the kick-off to the 2026 Kiteboarding season that you can't miss.
Annual Rogallo Kite Festival
June 12 - Jun 13, 2026
Kitty Hawk Kites invites you to join us and fly a kite at the Annual Rogallo Kite Festival to celebrate Francis Rogallo and his many accomplishments. Enjoy the sights of 30-100 foot kites as they fly over Jockey’s Ridge State Park while learning to fly a kite!
Annual Wright Kite Festival
July 17-18, 2026
Take flight where flight first began with Kitty Hawk Kites at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Enjoy a walk up to the Wright Brothers Memorial statue, and around the hollowed grounds where Wilbur and Orville took their historic first flight in 1903, then come join Kitty Hawk Kites for some fun flying a kite!
Moby Festival at Whalebone
July 24 - Jul 25, 2026
Make your way down to Whalebone Junction in Nags Head and get ready to celebrate with the participating stores in the Whalebone shopping center. Get ready for a fun scavenger hunt and be entered in to win a prize from Kitty Hawk Kites! Stop by Benny Tesoro's, grab a drink from Lost Colony Brewery, and get ready to spend the day with Kitty Hawk Kites as you enjoy all that Whalebone Junction has to offer!
Annual Outer Banks Watermelon Festival
August 6, 2026
Games, music, food, and LOTS of watermelon. What more could you ask for in a summer celebration? Join Kitty Hawk Kites for a summer bash you won’t want to miss. Splash tank, corn hole, toy demos, face painting, and tons of watermelon competitions, including seed spitting, watermelon eating, and a watermelon ice cream eating competition, just to name a few.
Outer Banks Pirate Festival
August 13-14, 2026 (Date Pending)
Ahoy Mateys! Get ready for a swashbucklin’ good time as Kitty Hawk Kites hosts the Outer Banks Pirate Festival. Pirates will be camped out at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing. Come learn the vast history of pirates on the OBX, and participate in Scallywag school for the little ones to see if they have what it take to be a pirate!
Outer Banks Kite Festival
September 11-12, 2026
The Outer Banks Kite Festival brings some of the nation’s best kite fliers right here to our backyard. Come out and join us for 2 days of kite-flying fun for the whole family. Enjoy massive display kites flying high, and participate in stunt and power kite lessons given by pros.
Outer Banks Kayak Fishing Tournament
September 26-28, 2026 (Dates Pending)
Get ready for a fun and exciting fishing tournament focusing on fishing from your kayak! All fish must be caught from the watercraft. Stay tuned for more details, but you can expect fantastic prizes in multiple species divisions, cookouts, raffles, and more!
Annual Outer Banks Brewtag
October 24, 2026
A celebration of flight and beer, OBX Brewtag contestants will be competing to see who can launch and fly an empty 1/6 keg barrel the furthest.
Want to compete? The sky’s the limit as to how creative your homemade flying contraption can be! Individuals and teams are welcome.
Admission to the event is FREE for everyone! A rather crafty selection of local and regional beer and food will be available for purchase that day. This family-friendly event will also feature plenty of activities for the kiddos!
Hangin' With Santa
November 27-28, 2026
Come spread the holiday cheer with Kitty Hawk Kites and the Jockey’s Ridge Crossing crew. Free visits and pictures with Santa are just a few of the fun and festive things going on. Not to mention all the amazing holiday sales!
Share all your Christmas wishes and have your picture taken with Santa at Kitty Hawk Kites at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing in Nags Head on Friday, November 27th, from 10 AM – 2 PM, and Saturday, November 28th, from 1 – 4 PM. Have some fun with Santa’s elves and try out classic toys straight from the workshop on the second floor of Kitty Hawk Kites!
Kites with Lights
November 28, 2026
Come spread the holiday cheer with Kitty Hawk Kites and a kite light show on Jockey’s Ridge!
Be sure to make it out on Saturday, November 28th from 4 – 7 PM for a light display like no other. Kites with Lights, at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, features large 19-to-30-foot kites decked out in the spirit of the holiday season! At 5 PM, enjoy the lighting of the Jockey’s Ridge State Park Solar Christmas tree out on the dunes directly across from Jockey’s Ridge Crossing. Warm beverages and baked goods are available across the street at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing. All donations benefit the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge.
PLAN YOUR NEXT OBX GETAWAY TODAY!
Book your stay today in one of our cozy vacation rentals and explore all the best and brightest that the Outer Banks has to offer. Give our wonderful Guest Services Team a call today at (866) 884-0267 or take a look at our available rentals to get started planning your next historic adventure to the Outer Banks.
And don't forget about our layaway plan, which makes booking your dream vacation easier than ever. So don't wait. We're booking Outer Banks vacation rentals year round and we're excited to help you create memories to last a lifetime. We're here to help make your OBX vacation fun, exciting, and hassle-free. Give us a call today! Be sure to provide accurate information and make any necessary payments.
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We’ll see you at the beach.
