The N.C. 4th of July Festival Beach Day is a full day of activities on Oak Island designed for the whole family. If sand sculpture building, volleyball, bocce ball contests sound like fun then you will really enjoy Beach Day. But the fun doesn’t stop with the contests, there is also evening entertainment and shag contest.
Held annually on July 1st (unless it falls on a Sunday -then it is observed on the Saturday), the celebration combines the merger of the Towns of Yaupon Beach & Long Beach into the Town of Oak Island with the celebration of our Independence Day festivities. Beach Day activities are organized and sponsored by the Oak Island Recreation.
The Shag Contest is organized by the Society of Brunswick Shaggers. What is shag dancing? The “Carolina Shag” originated along the area between Myrtle Beach, SC and Wilmington, NC in the 1940s and is still popular today. A couple’s dance, the Carolina Shag, a descendant of the Carolina Jitterbug, is performed while enjoying beach music. Registration for the Shag Contest is from 6:00p.m.-6:45p.m. at Middleton Park Extension Soccer Field. The Shag Contest will be held during the band’s break around 7:00p.m. in Middleton Park Extension. Free to enter but registration form required.
Learn More Here: https://www.nc4thofjuly.com/beach-day
HISTORY
BEACH DAY Commemorates the July 1, 1999 merger of the Towns of Yaupon Beach & Long Beach into what is today known as the Town of Oak Island. It is held each year on July 1, unless that falls on a Sunday, in which case it is observed on the Saturday.
Beach Day is filled with fun and family-friendly activities organized by the Oak Island Recreation Department; with events held in collaboration with the North Carolina 4th of July Festival, as part of the larger schedule of activities hosted throughout the week to commemorate our Nation’s Independence Day.
FIREWORKS & TRAFFIC INFORMATION
The Oak Island Police Department will be blocking off certain streets and intersections throughout the day to accommodate the unloading of fireworks, and after the fireworks display to allow for the smooth flow of traffic away from the area.
SE 58th Street will serve as the “Dividing Line” for travel off the Island:
- Those WEST of E 58th St. should use the Swains Cut Bridge (Middleton Ave).
- Those EAST of E 58th St. should use the Barbee Bridge (Long Beach Road).
PLEASE NOTE: There will be NO EVENT-SPECIFIC PARKING. All public parking spaces (including the Town Decal spaces), will be available as first come, first serve. For a detailed visual on the street closures and traffic patterns, please click on the images below:
4th of JULY FESTIVAL INFORMATION
For the full schedule of this year’s activities, just click on the Festival logo below, or visit www.nc4thofjuly.com.
400′ in the air! Brought to you courtesy of the Oak Island UAS division (with a little help from Director Sousa himself!):
