There are few places in the United States more lovely than the Outer Banks. Vacation rentals in North Carolina are always a good idea, and when it’s over a holiday like Labor Day, life can be really nice out there.
While COVID-19 sidelined most everyone in 2020, events are slowly returning to normal as we begin to come out of that pandemic. With the Delta variant on the rise, businesses are starting to return to mask mandates, and there will be fewer events this Labor Day in the Outer Banks and everywhere else, but there will still be things to do and fun to be had.
Labor Day Dash 5k/1Mile
The OBX Running Company offers this annual Labor Day event that benefits Local Boy Scout Troop #117. Both races start at 8 am on Labor Day, Monday, September 6.
Racers can register online, though race day registration will be available. The adult registration fee is $38; teenage runners can sign up for $33; kids under 12 for $28; and military personnel and veterans for $35.
Since there isn’t a pre-race day check-in, racers should pick up race packets between 6:45 and 7:50 am on race day at the Start and Finish line at The Marketplace Shops in Southern Shores. While there are awards to the top three finishers in various categories, this is a fun race. Everyone gets a medal and a T-shirt, and refreshments after the race are available.
This event is a good, fun time for everyone, including people who aren’t world-class runners. The whole event is open to runners, walkers, and racers with strollers or service dogs.
WRV Outer Banks Pro
WRV stands for Wave Riding Vehicles, and that’s just fancy talk for surfboards. This World Surf League qualifying event came to Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head in 2009, and it’s become a late-summer staple in the Outer Banks.
This surf competition is one of the biggest on the east coast, so it always attracts some top-notch surfers. So if you’re visiting OBX for Labor Day weekend, you’re unlikely to be competing, but a day at the beach for a surf competition can be great fun.
More information, including an updated schedule as Labor Day gets closer, can be found at the WRV Outer Banks Pro’s website. The competition starts September 3 and runs through Labor Day. Surfing begins at 7 am each day and goes until 4 pm or until the waves die.
And even if you don’t watch the competition, Jennette’s Pier is a cool place to visit. The area includes fishing, some enormous indoor aquariums, and of course, the beautiful North Carolina beaches.
Speaking of Beaches
Okay, so it’s not so much a Labor Day event, but if your travel plans involve an Outer Banks Labor Day weekend, your travel plans surely include some time on the beach. There also may not be a better time to go, too. Since summer has wound down, you won’t deal with huge crowds, but it’s still warm enough for everyone in the family to enjoy time on the sand and in the water.
You can rent a Jet Ski, go surfing, even get in some kiteboarding. You can also just sit on your towel with a cooler and that epic beach read you haven’t gotten to this season. It’s hard to choose the best OBX beach, but:
- Nags Head offers many beaches, perhaps the most famous of which is Jennette’s Pier, mentioned above. There’s a lifeguard stand manned through Labor Day, so it’s suitable for even not-so-strong swimmers, plus shops and restaurants abound.
- Corolla is well-known in OBX for its wide beaches, some even offering trolleys to the beach from parking areas. This area is great for a relaxing Outer Banks Labor Day weekend.
- Kitty Hawk is the OBX beach everyone knows about because of the Wright Brothers. But it’s also a place offering areas with showers and bathrooms, ample parking, and lifeguarded beaches. Also, there are stretches of Kitty Hawk beach with no beachfront houses, so you have the option of hanging out at the beach late into the day and evening.
Hiking and Communing with Nature
Just like with the beaches, off-the-water activities are a bit easier as fall approaches. There’s excellent hiking and tons of wildlife to observe in places like the Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve, but you’ve also got the option for some physically taxing hikes that will take you through lovely country.
The Outer Banks is a beautiful place, and there aren’t many ways to soak it all up other than hiking, whether you’re blue-skying with your sweetheart or strapping on a backpack and sweating it up.
Outer Banks Labor Day
While the COVID-19 pandemic has limited many events worldwide, Labor Day weekend in the Outer Banks is still happening, and you can still have a great time. Plus, Labor Day is the perfect holiday for an Outer Banks trip since you’ll want a way to cap off the summer before your kids head off to school.
Find the perfect condo rental to enjoy your OBX holiday weekend with First Flight Rentals, where you can find oceanfront properties, condos for every budget, and the perfect jumping-off place for your Outer Banks Labor Day weekend fun.