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Christmas on the Coast | Holiday recipe from Sam McGann of The Blue Point

By Victoria Bourne | Photograph by Rich-Joseph Facun | Illustration by Walt Taylor

November 27, 2020

Sam McGann, executive chef & co-owner of The Blue Point, Duck

For Sam McGann, holiday gatherings in the Norfolk home his grandfather built inspired a passion for Southern hospitality.

“I’ve always felt the most honest food you cook is the food you cook yourself at home – that either has memories from when you were growing up or something that you just do for your friends when you’re at home.”

His stuffing recipe originated as a whimsical garnish for The Blue Point’s oyster stew, but it reminded him of those holiday gatherings in Norfolk. Its origins are traditional, but “the vegetables, the wine-poached oysters, the butter dolloped on top, the splash of stock of some sort adds a personal touch to it.”

The fresh, just-toasted homemade croutons make this stuffing special, he says. The delicate seasonings and the fresh herbs give a flavor profile that makes the difference in a personal sense, that this is “my stuffing,” and not a prepared one.

Sam McGann’s oyster and southern sausage stuffing

SERVES 8
“Start the recipe with the croutons first,” McGann says. “Croutons, then sausage, then vegetables, then oysters and herbs.”

INGREDIENTS
Fresh Toasted Croutons
8 cups french bread, cubed (¾ inch)
and toasted
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon kosher salt
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with olive oil, seasoning and salt, coating evenly. Toast the bread on a sheet pan for 12-14 minutes or until
golden brown. Set aside.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup onions, small dice
1½ cups celery, washed, peeled and medium-diced
½ cup fennel, medium dice
½ cup carrots, small dice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 pint oysters in their liquor (whole, shucked and chilled).
½ cup chicken stock, white wine, or some combination of both
½ cup chopped fresh herbs – use parsley, sage, thyme and rosemary
6 ounces Southern breakfast sausage, rendered
(optional)
Fresh Toasted Croutons (recipe above)
½ stick salted butter, cubed
PREPARATION
Render the sausage in a skillet and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 F .
Grease 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic casserole dish at least 2 inches deep.
Heat the olive oil in a medium-wide sauce pan over medium-high heat.
Sauté the vegetables, stirring frequently, for 6-7 minutes until they are just soft. Season with salt and several turns of fresh-ground pepper.
Add oysters and liquor, plus chicken stock, wine or mixture. Simmer oysters on medium-high heat in stock until just cooked through – about 8-10 minutes.
Fold in herbs and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
In a mixing bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients, fold the wet mixture quickly in with Fresh Toasted Croutons, adding rendered sausage if
desired.
Place in casserole dish and dot top with butter.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Christmas on the Coast | Celebrating a second Christmas in Rodanthe

By Elizabeth Harris
Photography courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center, State Archives of North Carolina

November 27, 2020

A lot has changed on Hatteras Island over the past two centuries. Yet even as the island has evolved from a sparsely populated and remote outpost for fishermen, hunters and homesteaders into a major tourism destination, at least one vestige of its heritage remains: Old Christmas.

Those with lifelong ties to the northern Hatteras Island villages of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo typically celebrate Christmas with their families on Dec. 25 like everyone else. But about 10 or 12 days later, on the Saturday closest to Epiphany, aka Twelfth Night, they come together as a village to recognize Old Christmas.

“It’s something I’m going to carry on as long as I can do my part,” says Connie Midgett Page, who grew up on Hatteras Island but now lives in Chesapeake and returns to Rodanthe every year to celebrate the holiday.

Thanks to COVID-19, whether it will be held in 2021 remains to be seen.

“It hasn’t missed a year in more than 200 years,” Page says. “We would hate to miss a year, but we want to be safe.” She says they’ll make a decision at the end of November and will respect all North Carolina coronavirus pandemic requirements.

Phillip Rono, Chris Edwards and Wayne Edwards shuck and consume oysters during the Old Christmas Oyster Roast, Jan. 3, 1987. Drew Wilson Collection.

The origins of Old Christmas depend on who you ask. Some say it dates back to 1752, when the British Empire switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, forcing them to drop 11 days from the calendar year. Thus, Christmas Day changed from Jan. 6 to Dec. 25. People in remote areas of the New World – places like Hatteras Island – were the last to get the word about this change. It’s said when the Hatteras Island residents found out about the new calendar, they refused to recognize it. Eventually, of course, the islanders conformed, but they continued to recognize “old” Christmas in addition to the “new” Christmas.

Others say the custom is just a carryover from the island’s early residents of Anglo descent, who recognized Epiphany on Jan. 6. Whatever the reason, it is a uniquely Hatteras Island tradition that has been celebrated since the 1700s.

Old Christmas is held annually at the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Center in Rodanthe, just across N.C. 12 from the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site. (Chicamacomico is the historic name of Rodanthe, by the way.) It’s a loosely structured gathering, more like a family reunion than a religious observance. There’s no Facebook page for the event, and no one sends out a press release. It’s all word of mouth among the regulars and locals, but if anyone else shows up they’ll be welcomed.

“It’s all rather loosey-goosey, more like an in-gathering,” says Mary-Helen Goodloe Murphy, who’s lived in Rodanthe for decades. She always goes to take pictures for the newspaper but still doesn’t feel like a part of the official Old Christmas community.

Santa at Old Christmas. David Stick Papers.

The event begins in the early afternoon with an oyster shoot, a test of marksmanship in which the winners receive a half-bushel of oysters. As the day goes on, a feast begins. Outdoors, by the bonfire, there are roasted oysters and cold beer. Indoors, it’s scratch-made chicken and pastry, side dishes and homemade desserts. Guests pay an admission fee that covers
the cost of food.

The preparation of the homemade chicken and pastry, also known as pie bread, is customary. It’s a labor-intensive endeavor and they “make an awful flour mess,” Page says, but it’s a group effort and helpers are usually welcomed.

“It used to be my mother and her sisters-in-law, and before that it was their mothers,” Page says of the cooks. “One year my mother and the other women said, ‘This is it. We’re not doing the pastry anymore.’” Thus, the tradition was passed to a new generation. The women in the kitchen roll
out pastry by hand, cut it into thin strips, then add it to stewed chicken.

“Some say it would be easier to fix something like barbecue and hot dogs,” Page says. “But that’s not the tradition. It’s all fun, and we have a good time being together in the kitchen.”

The convention of chicken and pastry started because in the old days every family in the village had chickens. On the morning of Old Christmas, it’s said, young men would parade through the village, collecting donated chickens, as well as cakes and pies, from each family for the day’s feast.

In the older days, after the feast, Santa would arrive with stockings for the children. That tradition has passed, and these days a band starts up and everyone begins to dance. The highlight of the event, then and now, is the arrival of Old Buck.

The longest-running custom of Old Christmas, Old Buck is a comical makeshift bull. Two men crawl under a wood frame covered by a blanket, somewhat resembling a bovine body propelled by human legs and feet, and topped off with a horned steer’s head on a stick. Old Buck bumps clumsily into the room, knocking into people and chairs and causing a bit of ruckus, then is gone again until the next year.

Old Christmas Celebration with Old Buck, photo by Clay Nolen – David Stick Papers.

Old Buck is tied to a legend about a passing ship carrying a load of cattle. The ship wrecked off Hatteras Island during a storm, and all of the cattle on board perished but one. The bull that swam ashore lived among the free-roaming cattle on the island and sired many calves, for which the islanders were grateful. Old Buck, or Bucca, as the bull was known, was gentle enough to allow children to ride on his back and was beloved in the community. One day Old Buck wandered down the island and was shot by a hunter in Trent Woods. The saddened island residents then chose to honor the bull with his replica at Old Christmas.

Other traditions have fallen away. The earliest accounts tell of minstrels with painted faces, men dressed as women and women as men and girls spying their future husbands. Old timers remember being awakened by the eerie music of drums and fifes and everyone joining the procession that led to the feast.

It’s said a member of the Payne family always beat the island drum, but there are conflicting legends as to how the drum came to the island.

Elvira Payne, Old Christmas drummer, 1957. Aycock Brown Papers.

Writer Charles Whedbee’s story is that a Scottish sailor was found clinging to the drum in the sea after his ship went down in the Great Autumn Storm of 1758. He was rescued by a man named Payne. The Scot married into the community and left the drum to the Payne family when he died. However, Brad Payne, who was the drum beater in the 1950s, said he was told the drum was used by a company of militia on the lower banks of Kinnakeet (now Avon) and lingered on the island after the militia moved on. However it arrived, the same drum is brought back every year.

For a long time, the surfmen at Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station organized Old Christmas. According to lore, people gathered at the station, where Capt. Ben Midgett would shoot apples off the head of Surfman Thomas Payne with a .22-caliber rifle. Today’s oyster shoot, started by a surfman as a test of skill, dates back to the lifesaving station days.

By the mid-1920s, children were very much involved in the celebration. There were pageants, candy pulls, poem recitations, songs and more. The festivities had moved from the lifesaving station to the schoolhouse (now the community center), and included a square dance and a more raucous performance by Old Buck, with people trying to jump on his back. Once, people say, upended tacks were used to deter this practice.

Nora Herbert, John Herbert and Herbert Midgett, Dec. 4, 1967. Aycock Brown Papers.

For decades, it’s said, Old Christmas also had a tradition of hard drinking and brawling among the men. The men would settle any old grudges and disputes, thus starting the new year “with a black eye and a clean slate.”

These days, the event is much more family-oriented. And while it is a holiday intended for longtime local families, newcomers and visitors are welcome. As Barbara Garrity-Blake wrote in a National Park Service-published history of the island, “Old Christmas has the feel of dropping in on someone else’s family reunion, not only because most of the attendees are kin, but also because some of the customs are foreign, if not inscrutable,
to the visitor.”

The event brings closure to the holiday season. Anyone is welcome to participate in the oyster shoot, pay for and enjoy a dinner and dance to the music. If you go, though, be sure to be as friendly as these Hatteras Island folks. Pitch in to help, maybe with cooking the chicken and pastry, moving chairs for the band, listening to the old-timers tell the stories and cleaning up when it’s all said and done.

Want to go?
Due to COVID-19, at publication time no one was sure what would become of Old Christmas 2021. It may be cancelled or it may be held in a reduced fashion outdoors only. If any of the celebrations do occur, they’ll be held on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, at the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Center in Rodanthe. The festivities typically start around 1 p.m.

Christmas on the Coast | Holiday drinking, elevated

By Josh Seaburg | Photograpy by Keith Lanpher

November 27, 2020

In my family, eggnog was the holiday drink of choice. My grandmother served it every Christmas in weighty, ceramic goblets that otherwise sat unused for most of the year. One version for adults, another for the kids. It was always store-bought, never made from scratch.

But even before I was old enough for the high-test version, I looked forward that unique milky vanilla flavor and nutmeg and cinnamon bouquet. Now, of course, I have my choice of liquor, but I still cherish those goblets and their matching tray.

Whether it’s the taste of an espresso martini or the smell of mulled wine, holiday drinks are as much about the memories they evoke as they are the festive blush they produce. So to help this season, we’ve collected some of our favorite seasonal recipes, thrown in some home bartending tips and topped it all off with gift ideas for the drinker in your life.

The holidays may feel a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create some new memories so maybe give that made-from-scratch
eggnog recipe a try.

– Victoria Bourne

A SOLID BOTTOM SHELF

Any person with a quality home bar game can tell you that while having high-dollar hooch is nice, it’s equally important to keep a good supply of less expensive, quality alcohol at your disposal. Whether you’re trying to avoid burning through that rare bottle of bourbon or you simply don’t want to waste the good stuff on mixed drinks, a solid bottom shelf is a must.

Here is a good working list of options for quality juice that won’t break the bank. All are generally available at your area ABC store. (Prices are for 750 ml. and may vary.

GIN: Beefeater London Dry ($19.99)
With gin, look for versatility. London dry styles lend themselves to a wide range of drinks, from a casual gin and tonic to the most meticulous martini. Beefeater finds itself with a few more botanicals than some of its contemporaries, and the slightly higher proof helps it stand out, whatever the application.
Honorable mentions: Tanqueray London Dry Gin, Junîpero Gin

TEQUILA: Espolòn Tequila Reposado ($28.99)
Quality tequila at a reasonable price can be hard to come by. The savvy consumer knows to look for a 100 percent agave label, but there are other standards of production that help separate good ones from the pack. Espolòn is lightly aged, 100 percent agave tequila that hits all the marks; it’s delicious in cocktails and pleasant to sip on its own (or to shoot, if that strikes your fancy).
Honorable mentions: Lunazul, Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila

BOURBON: Evan Williams Black Label ($13.99)
Evan Williams makes a number of great bourbons, but this one works well in all manner of cocktails, at a price suited for heavy pouring.
Honorable mention: Wild Turkey 101

SCOTCH: Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch Whisky ($34.99)
Monkey Shoulder is a delightful blended scotch that combines whiskies from three distilleries, including the heavy hitters Glenfiddich and Balvenie. Such a pedigree makes for a complex sip that satisfies a scotch
drinker without having to dip into single malt costs.
For the smoke lover, Laphroaig Select Scotch Whisky at $44.95 meets an exceptional dollar-to-peat-smoke ratio.

VODKA: Ketel One ($26.99)
Good enough to be premium and priced right to be replaceable, Ketel One is a family-made product that often surprises people who haven’t revisited it for a while.
Honorable mentions: Smithworks American Made Vodka, Deep Eddy Vodka

RUM: Plantation 3 Stars ($19.99)
This delicious light rum is made of spirits from three islands – Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad. This trifecta makes for rum that doesn’t get lost in drinks like rum and Coke, tiki cocktails or blender drinks.
Honorable mention: Flor de Caña Extra Dry

RYE: Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond ($24.79)
Rittenhouse Rye has been the stuff of legend in the state, to be found only on the back bars of diligent restaurants. Now its producer, Heaven Hill Distilleries, has ramped up production to match demand, and this exceptional whiskey has started popping up on ABC shelves again. Despite its low price, Rittenhouse has earned its street cred. This bottle also makes an excellent gift for any whiskey lover.
Honorable mention: Old Overholt Bottled-in-Bond

VERMOUTH: Dolin Rouge, Dolin Dry ($14.29)
The only selection that requires a trek to a wine shop, but your martinis and Manhattans will thank you. Dolin vermouths are produced in Chambéry, France, and bring a soft accent to drinks that call for it. Remember: Vermouth is fortified wine, and must be kept in the fridge after opening.

Photograph by Corey Miller

EGGNOG HISTORY, MYSTERY, METHOD

Eggnog is one of the world’s oldest mixed drinks, but America made it a Christmas tradition.

It’s a descendant of “posset”– a wine or ale-based drink, warmed with milk and spices – that was enjoyed by the British aristocracy throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Eventually, it hopped the pond — George Washington is said to have been an enthusiast – and distilled spirits found their place as the main ingredient. The drink is believed to have been dubbed “eggnog” in a poem by Jonathan Boucher around 1775.

Eggnog is typically a blend of aged spirits, whole egg, cream or milk (or both) and nutmeg. Though it’s known mostly as bringer of holiday cheer, it used to be a year-round tipple. Jerry Thomas, the father of cocktails and author of the first cocktail book, said it wasn’t until the late 1800s that eggnog was relegated to its place in the yuletide season.

These days, eggnog is most often consumed out of a grocery-store carton and spiked with whatever is hiding in the back of the liquor cabinet – the liquid equivalent of a fruitcake.

But the homemade stuff is infinitely better, and surprisingly easy to make.

The main objection that people have to making eggnog has to do with food safety and consuming raw eggs. But it turns out that homemade eggnog can be even safer than the commercial product, given a little bit of time and care.

The Rockefeller University in New York conducted experiments on eggnog safety in 2008 and 2009 at the request of National Public Radio’s Science Friday program. After noting that only about one in every 20,000 eggs is likely to be contaminated by salmonella, they made a batch of a traditional, alcoholic eggnog recipe and spiked it with 1,000 times the normal amount of salmonella in a contaminated egg. They put samples into a petri dish and waited. After three weeks, the eggnog was completely sterile, or free of bacteria. They also found that homemade, alcoholic eggnog developed significantly less bacteria than the nonalcoholic, grocery-store version when both were incubated at body temperature.

The benefits of aging eggnog extend beyond health, though – it tastes better as well. The flavor of aged nog versus unaged has been compared to the difference between a just-ripe and still-green banana. It produces a sharper alcoholic bite around the six-week mark, so make a couple batches and blend them at different ages for best results.

EGGNOG FOR ONE
2 ounces spirit of choice – this can be aged rum, whiskey, brandy or a blend. Just make sure it’s at least 80 proof
3/4 ounce whole milk
1/2 ounce heavy cream
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 whole egg
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake without ice to incorporate the egg. Add ice and shake again. Strain into a glass without ice, and garnish with grated nutmeg.

EGGNOG FOR A GROUP OR TO AGE
(makes about 2 quarts)
16 ounces spirit of choice, blends encouraged
3 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
6 ounces simple syrup
8 eggs
Crack eggs into a mixing bowl. Whisk, or mix with a stand mixer on low until incorporated. Add simple syrup, then milk, cream and spirits and continue mixing until thoroughly combined. Serve immediately out of a punch bowl, garnished with grated nutmeg. To age, keep eggnog in a well-sanitized, airtight container in the refrigerator. Eggnog will keep indefinitely, but it will start to show some complexity at about two weeks.

MULL IT OVER WITH SPICED WINE FOR YOUR HOLIDAY

As far as holiday drinks for a crowd go, it doesn’t get easier or more festive than mulled wine. Warming beverages and adding spices is no new feat – the first recipe in its current form was published in 1390, alongside recipes for versions made with cider and ale.

Like most drinks with a lengthy history, there are nearly infinite variations on mulled wine from cultures across Europe and elsewhere, but certain core aspects that are consistent. Fruity red wine, like a medium body pinot noir or Spanish garnacha, coupled in varying quantities with warm spices like cloves, cinnamon and allspice, a little added sugar and a garnish of oranges make up the foundation. Vanilla, ginger and cardamom often make appearances as well. This lack of rigor means experimentation is key –raiding the spice aisle can lead to a house recipe that you can share with (or closely guard from) your friends and family.

Get away from the dated “throw it all in a Crock-Pot” method of production by making a shelf-stable spice syrup. This avoids the two worst things about making mulled wine: waiting for it to steep and burning off all the precious alcohol. And don’t forget to use a decent wine.It doesn’t have to cellar-worthy, but it’s best to avoid that bottom-shelf bottle at the grocery store.

MULLED WINE SYRUP
(approx. 12 servings)

Ingredients
5 ounces sugar by weight
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin
8 cloves
1 pod star anise
3 pods cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of one lemon
6 ounces water
2 bottles red wine
1 orange
1 apple

Method
In a bowl, combine sugar, ginger and lemon peel. Muddle the peels and ginger and allow to rest.
Meanwhile, toast the cloves, cinnamon, anise and cardamom in a small saucepan until fragrant. Immediately add water to the pan and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and immediately stir in sugar mixture until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
Strain, and store in a neutral container in the refrigerator for up
to one month.
To turn this into a finished product, add two bottles of fruit-forward
red wine to a pot with an orange and an apple, both thinly
sliced.
Heat on medium until the wine is warm, about 130 F. Be careful not to overheat it – alcohol evaporates, and therefor becomes highly flammable at 172 F. Keep your batch away from any open flames.
Once the wine is at the desired temperature, add your spice syrup and serve. Not unlike the spices you choose to use, garnish options are many – clove-studded orange slices, cinnamon sticks and lemon wheels, among others. For a little extra warmth, an ounce of brandy may be a welcome addition as well.

BOOZY GIFTS FOR THE LUSH IN YOUR LIFE

Gift giving can often be complicated, especially for someone who enjoys a good drink. It’s easy to get lost in a world of jiggers and shakers, bottles and glasses. Here are a few selections to help you make the holidays great for your favorite bartender, be it a hobbyist or a stone-cold pro.

Drinking Distilled: A User’s Manual | Jeffrey Morgenthaler has long been a source of no-frills advice. His long-running blog offered bartenders great inspiration during the early days of the cocktail renaissance. His first book – succinctly titled The Bar Book – is a fabulous overview of the steps of cocktail making and why things are done with exacting care. In Drinking Distilled he takes the concept a step further by exploring the hows and whys of drinking culture. His opinionated prose covers a broad range, including toasting, how to care for the teetotaler in your group, and the best glassware for tasting spirits. (Spoiler alert: It’s not a snifter.)

No matter how much you think you know, there’s something new in this tippling tome for every bon vivant.

1792 bourbons | The Barton Distillery in Bardstown, Ky., has been producing outstanding bourbon since 1879. Barton was struck by tragedy in 2018: One of its larger warehouses collapsed, taking thousands of barrels of bourbon with it. The 1792 brand is large enough to survive, though for a while the offerings will likely become scarcer.

Its lineup includes myriad limited offerings, most of which make it through to the Virginia ABC shelves. The 1792 Full Proof bourbon, bottled at 125 proof, is a sleeper hit, sure to delight any bourbon enthusiast, while the Sweet Wheat expression offers a delicious and unique entry to the spirit for
a less experienced drinker. For this year, however, start your people off with the basic Small Batch.

Get one of these beautiful bottles at a price and quality worth doubling up on: one to drink, and one to hide away.

Ceramic flask | Whether it’s to smuggle a sample of some fine spirits or a pre-batched cocktail, a high-quality flask should be a staple of every serious imbiber’s collection. Stainless steel flasks are easily found, if a touch inelegant. Glass flasks are much less common, since they’re transparent – and fragile.

This handsome specimen from Misc. Goods Co. offers a stylish alternative. It’s made in Louisville, Ky., so you know the makers put it through the proper field tests. It closes with a cork, which makes for either a quiet opening when sipping in silence, or a satisfying yank with the teeth for drinking whiskey the cowboy way. Made with quarter-inch ceramic, it holds an impressive 11 ounces – easily enough to share. Consider batching a cocktail to take on the run. Just pop the cork, and pour over ice.

Josh Seaburg is a bartender, brand ambassador and educator who has established several award-winning cocktail programs in the Tidewater area and taught seminars at events across the country.

Editor’s note: This collection was curated from columns that originally ran in Distinction magazine, which is published by Virginia Media, a Tribune Company.




Christmas on the Coast | Holiday Happenings 2020

November 27, 2020

The holidays will definitely feel different this year.

Many traditional customs, gestures and events may be affected by concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. There will be little or no hugging, handshaking, talking face-to-face with Santa, caroling in neighborhoods and gatherings of family and friends.

So, now more than ever, we need a little Christmas cheer. And towns and organizations in northeastern North Carolina have come up with creative ways to help with that.

Though many major seasonal events like parades and festivals have been cancelled, there will be plenty of things to do and see for children and adults.

Here are a few offerings that we hope will bring smiles to faces, even ones covered by masks.
– John Harper

Courtesy photo

SATURDAY, NOV. 28

KITES WITH LIGHTS
This annual event begins at 4 p.m. Saturday and features a dozen or so 19- to 30-foot brightly decorated kites, which will light up the sky over Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head.

The park’s rolling sand hills will come alive with the sound of Christmas music, and you’ll have plenty of room to social distance in accordance with the state’s regulations regarding COVID-19.

Another highlight of the event is the 5 p.m. lighting of the park’s solar Christmas tree.

Warm beverages will be served at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing shopping center, directly across from the park.

TIME: 4-7 p.m.
COST: Free, but donations will go to Friends of Jockey’s Ridge
WHERE: Jockey’s Ridge State Park, 300 W. Carolista Drive, milepost 12.5
on the U.S. 158 Bypass, Nags Head
INFO: KittyHawk.com

FRIDAY, DEC. 4

FIRST FRIDAY ARTWALK AND LIGHTED BOAT PARADE
It’s Christmastime in Elizabeth City. On Dec. 4 starting at 4 p.m., check out artwork and artists’ demonstrations at various locations (mostly on Main Street) downtown. There will be food and music, too.

The Lighted Boat Parade, which was named one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s top-20 events of the month, will circle the harbor at Mariners’ Wharf at 7 p.m. You can watch from Mariners’ Wharf Park, Veterans Park, Moth Park and Waterfront Park. Kids can grab red and green glow sticks at Wharf Park to light up the night sky.

TIME: 4-7 p.m. Artwalk; 7 p.m. Lighted Boat Parade
COST: Free
WHERE: Downtown Elizabeth City
INFO: ChristmasInElizabethCity.com

SATURDAY, DEC. 5

CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY
Ride a pony. Have a socially distanced visit with Santa Claus. Take a wagon ride. Sip on hot chocolate.

They’re all part of the 7th annual Christmas in the Country at Southern Hope Animal Rescue and Education in Shawboro.

“We’re all decked out for the holidays,” says Janessa Lockwood, the executive director of the 10-acre farm off U.S. 158 east of Elizabeth City.

Hope’s mission is adopting or fostering animals, mostly horses. There are 28 horses on the farm, along with chickens, pigs, donkeys, goats and ducks.

Tours will be offered and there is a petting pen. Lunch will be available.

TIME: Noon-4 p.m.
COST: Admission is free, but there are some fees.
WHERE: Southern Hope Animal Rescue and Education, 146 White Horse
Drive, Shawboro
INFO: Facebook page

VARIOUS DATES

TOWN OF MANTEO CHRISTMAS
Like many events, the town of Manteo’s traditional holiday celebrations have been affected by concerns about COVID-19. The parade and festival are off, and there will be no tree lighting ceremony, but you can get your glee on with several seasonal offerings.

“We still want to enjoy the spirit of Christmas,” says Michele Bunce, the town’s program manager.

Streets downtown will be brightly decorated, as usual. Santa Claus will ride a firetruck through downtown and various neighborhoods on Friday, Dec. 4 (late afternoon) and Saturday, Dec. 5 (morning).

There will be home and wreath decorating contests with prizes ($100 gift certificates). Photos should be submitted on the town’s Facebook page, and Bunce also encourages residents to post videos of holiday singing and
dancing on the page.

The giant Christmas tree on the waterfront will be all aglow, and a mailbox for letters to Santa will be next to the tree.

TIME: Various
COST: Free
WHERE: All over town
INFO: ManteoNC.gov or the town of
Manteo’s Facebook page

Courtesy photo

NOV. 27-30; DEC. 1-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-23, 26, 28-30 AND JAN. 2, 8-9, 15

WINTER LIGHTS
Enjoy scents, sounds and lights at the 10th edition of Winter Lights at the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo.

“It thrills us that families and friends look forward to Winter Lights as a part of their holiday traditions,” says Carl Curnette, executive director of the gardens.

More than a million lights will adorn the 10-acre botanical gardens known for its lush landscape and wide assortment of shrubs, trees and flowers. Pine needles carpet the winding paths through the illuminated winter wonderland, and an open-air fire will crackle on the Great Lawn.

Musical groups will perform on select Friday and Saturday evenings of the glow show in “bubble-like” tents along the walkways in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines.

TIME: 6-9 p.m.
COST: $11 for adults; $6 to $9 for children
WHERE: Elizabethan Gardens, 1411 National Park Drive, Manteo
INFO AND TICKETS: 252-473-3234, ElizabethanGardens.org