September 2022 Issue
Island Life NC Magazine highlights the lifestyle and beauty of the islands of Coastal North Carolina with stories of its people, history and places to visit!
What's New on Island Life NC
Beaufort Pirate Invasion
The 2022 Beaufort Pirate Invasion Festival and Pirate Encampment will be held on September 23-25, 2022. Calling all buccaneers! Parlay with pirates all weekend long at the annual Beaufort Pirate Invasion, taking place in the charming coastal town of Beaufort, North Carolina. This year’s event will…
Wilmington Wine & Beer Walk
On Saturday September 24, 2022, the Wilmington Wine & Beer Walk invades Downtown Wilmington once again. Don’t miss out on this popular sampling tour of downtown’s finest venues! Tickets are on sale now. The event is from 1:00 – 6:00pm. Tickets are $16 each or a limited…
Food & Drinks
RECIPE: Vidalia Onion Dip
We look forward to fall and football season especially because of this dip. It’s cheesy without being too heavy, it’s perfect for a casual Sunday…
RECIPE: Corn Fritters with Spicy Honey
The saying “Once you pop you just can’t stop” was probably about this recipe before they hijacked it for a chip slogan. Crispy, crunchy perfect…
Front Porch Bourbon Lemonade
Summer days are quickly sailing by, but here in the south, it’s the best time to sit on your front porch and kick back with…
Recipe: Clams Casino
Those of us who are blessed to be living here on the North Carolina coast know that one of the best things about life by…
Recipe: Clam Chowder
Here’s a recipe for a tasty Clam Chowder perfect for a hearty meal for lunch or dinner. Made ahead, this chowder is the perfect solution…
Recipe: Pasta & Clam Sauce
Here is a simple, classic recipe that you will want to turn to again and again after a great day walking on the beach or…
Festivals And Events
Buxton Woods Nature Walk
For those who want to explore aspects of a barrier island beyond the beach, try one of the hiking trails found within Cape Hatteras National…
Sunset at Sunset Festival
Held the first Saturday in October each year, Sunset at Sunset is the Town of Sunset Beach’s Community Block Party. The 15th Annual Sunset at…
Beaufort Pirate Invasion
The 2022 Beaufort Pirate Invasion Festival and Pirate Encampment will be held on September 23-25, 2022. Calling all buccaneers! Parlay with pirates all weekend long…
Wilmington Boat Show
Come to Wilmington, NC for the Wilmington Boat Show September 30th – October 2nd, 2022 in downtown Wilmington at the Convention Center. In addition, the…
Wilmington Wine & Beer Walk
On Saturday September 24, 2022, the Wilmington Wine & Beer Walk invades Downtown Wilmington once again. Don’t miss out on this popular sampling tour of downtown’s…
U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament
Granddaddy of King Mackerel Tournaments: Forty two years ago a small group of community leaders met and decided that they needed an event to showcase…
Fort Fisher Summer Concerts
Enjoy family-friendly free Friday Summer Lawn Concerts at the Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area. Close-by to Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, enjoy the outdoors…
Ol’ Front Porch Music Festival
If you love great music you will want to be in Oriental, North Carolina on Sept 30, 2022 through Saturday Oct 1 for the Ol’…
Oak Island Live & Local: Market + Music Series
While Summer may be winding down, and everyone’s focus turning from sandcastles to schoolbooks, that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop! If you’re dreading…
Continue Reading Oak Island Live & Local: Market + Music Series
Fall Fun Fest
It’s time for the Craven County Jaycees’s Annual Fall Fun Fest in New Bern, NC! We’ve got thrill rides, kids rides, live entertainment, wrestling, crafts,…
Arts
New Bern ArtWalk
Celebrate Fall during New Bern’s Art Walk on Friday, October 14 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, to participate in the festivities at the local…
Wilmington’s Fourth Fridays
Wilmington’s Fourth Fridays Art Walk is a self-guided tour featuring exhibitions of various artistic genres including oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, photography, wood, metals, ceramics, mixed…
Sydney Long: Creative Changemaker
Sydney Long is the brains (and the hands!) behind Sun Vow Jewelry, a collection of laid-back, luxury pieces inspired by the sea. Sydney was born…
Oak Island Arts Festival
The Oak Island Arts Festival will be held on Saturday, September 3, 2022, 9 am to 4 pm and will feature more than 140 artists…
Special Feature
Our Sea Turtles: A Practical Guide
Our Sea Turtles: A Practical Guide Blair and Dawn Witherington intimately reveal the lives of sea turtles in Our Sea Turtles: A Practical Guide to the Atlantic and Gulf from Canada to Mexico. The book’s pithy, well-organized sections are lavishly illustrated. It is a guide…
It’s Sea Turtle Hatching Season
It’s Sea Turtle Hatching Season and the Turtle eggs in the nests are starting to hatch. It is an exciting miracle of nature to experience. Loggerhead turtles are the primary visitors to the North Carolina Coast, but occasionally a leatherback, a green sea turtle, or…
20 Facts You Might Not Know About Sea Turtles
Sea turtles live in waters all around the world (except for the planet’s extreme north and south regions) and live as long as 80 years. There are seven species of sea turtles, and six of them—green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback, loggerhead, and olive ridley—are listed as threatened or…
Continue Reading 20 Facts You Might Not Know About Sea Turtles
Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center
When Karen Beasley saw the need to preserve and protect the Sea Turtle nests and the nesting females and hatchlings along the 26 miles of coastline on Topsail Island she wanted to take action. Karen and a group of fellow volunteers started the Topsail Turtle Project.…
Continue Reading Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center
Life on the Coast
The NC Coast’s Own Nicholas Sparks
You can’t beat curling up with a book from North Carolina author Nicholas Sparks – except if you’re doing it in one of his coastal…
New Bern ArtWalk
Celebrate Fall during New Bern’s Art Walk on Friday, October 14 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, to participate in the festivities at the local…
Paddlers Set Off On 120-Mile Journey Up NC Coast
The Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club (WBOCC) is teaming up with the North Carolina Coastal Federation to paddle the entire coastline of North Carolina. The…
Continue Reading Paddlers Set Off On 120-Mile Journey Up NC Coast
Poplar Grove Farmer’s Market
The Farmers’ Market at Poplar Grove provides an opportunity for local growers and producers to sell their goods directly to consumers. The market strives to…
Beaufort Double Decker Bus Tour
Experience Beaufort’s national registered historic district atop the Beaufort Historical Association’s vintage 1968 English double-decker bus as local narrators entertain you with facts and folklore…
How to Find Sand Dollars
Even the most seasoned beachcomber is excited and pleased to find a whole, intact sand dollar on the beach. A common sand dollar is another…
HOME & Garden
It’s Front Porch Season
It might be a stereotype of the South to see people sitting on their front porches, but here in the south, we know the front porch is the first glimpse into…
Ken Buckner Beach Prints For Home Decor
We found these local beach prints perfect for decorating a home at the beach. These Giclee museum quality prints by Artist, Photographer Ken Buckner are perfect for the island living lifestyle.…
Best Fall Blooming Bulbs to Plant Now
The leaves are beginning to turn and drop, but you can still enjoy some vibrant colors in your garden. Fall is a great time for planting bulbs, they sprout fairly quickly…
Plant Your Fall Garden
Summer days are winding down and it’s time to think about your fall harvest. It’s time to get those fall crops in the dirt so they’ll be blooming and mature before…
Top Tomato Growing Tips
Tomatoes are an integral part of summer in the south. There’s nothing like picking a ripe tomato off the vine. Whether you make a delicious tomato sandwich, tomato pie, or toss…
Preserve Your Summer Fruits And Vegetables
During World War II many Americans, Canadians, Brits and even Australians were encouraged to plant (more…)
History
It’s Fall Ya’ll! What is the Fall Equinox?
The days may be getting shorter, the temperatures may be dropping slightly, and a blanket of leaves may be covering your once-green…
The NC Coast’s Own Nicholas Sparks
You can’t beat curling up with a book from North Carolina author Nicholas Sparks – except if you’re doing it in one…
What Is Haint Blue?
Newcomers to the South are confronted with a lot of terms and ideas that may seem foreign to them. They may be…
Sydney Long: Creative Changemaker
Sydney Long is the brains (and the hands!) behind Sun Vow Jewelry, a collection of laid-back, luxury pieces inspired by the sea.…
Travel
Old Baldy Lighthouse
The Bald Head Lighthouse, affectionately known as Old Baldy, is North Carolina’s oldest surviving lighthouse. (more…)
Sand Dollar Island, North Carolina
Beachgoers often comb the shores searching for Sand Dollars, nature’s version of buried treasure. These flattened sea urchins that populate our oceans make for fun collectibles for vacationers and beach…
Island Life NC Picks
Nicholas Sparks’ New Book, Dreamland
Nicholas Sparks’ latest book, Dreamland, is in stock and ready to ship on September 20, 2022, read about it and pre-order the book from the Island Life NC Store Here.…
Sydney Long: Creative Changemaker
Sydney Long is the brains (and the hands!) behind Sun Vow Jewelry, a collection of laid-back, luxury pieces inspired by the sea. Sydney was born and raised chasing seagulls and…
The Island Art Of Miller Pope
These local beach prints perfect for decorating a home at the beach. These Giclee museum quality prints by Artist & Author Miller Pope are perfect for the island living lifestyle.…
Holden Beach’s “Olden Holden Bike Tour”
The “Olden Holden Bike Tour” is a great way to get some exercise, see the sights, and learn a little bit of Holden Beach History. So, grab your two wheeler,…
How To Share An Article Or Recipe
If you’d like to share an article or a recipe with a friend just do the following: 1) Click on the Email Icon (looks like a tiny…
How To Hunt for Shark’s Teeth
We all want to leave the beach with a little sun on our skin, a dose of salt and vitamin D and a piece of treasure to take home with…
Coastal Living
Climb Bodie Island Lighthouse
Take a walk through a piece of history at the Bodie Island Lighthouse. The Bodie Island Lighthouse is open to climbing Wednesday- Saturday From April 27th though early Fall. First climb begins…
Learn to Fish for Crabs
Crabbing is a fun and easy way to spend a few hours at the beach. What makes crabbing unique among the different kinds of fishing is how easy it is—it’s a great…
The Beach Zones
 The beach zone extends from the low-tide water level to the “foot” or base of the primary dune. At first it seems to be without life, except for an occasional gull…
North Carolina’s Best Kayaking Spots
North Carolina is home to 17 river basins many of which connect to the biggest waterways in the States, such as the Mississippi, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean. Getting…
