A Queer Local’s Guide to LGBT+ Travel on the Outer Banks

By Out on the Outer Banks on May 08, 2023

Category: Art & Culture

The LGBTQ+ community on the Outer Banks is growing and active, and visitors can feel at home during Pride Month, at annual events, and in local LGBTQ-owned spaces.

For an LGBT+ traveler, the Outer Banks might not reveal its queer side right away. As someone queer who grew up on these small barrier islands, I can say that LGBT+ residents do live here, and LGBT+ visitors are arriving more often. The Outer Banks offers plenty for every kind of traveler, including LGBT+ people. It is a distinctive, beautiful vacation spot that is more diverse and welcoming than many people expect. Throughout the year there are LGBT+ events, a gay beach, and LGBT-owned and LGBT-friendly businesses, along with the attractions that bring people here from around the world: three National Parks, Jockey’s Ridge, a mini desert, and deep local history.

The Outer Banks is especially recognized for wide, clean public beaches that offer a break from busy cities and crowded shorelines. It has a faraway feeling while still being reachable by car from many major cities. Visitors will find 150+ miles of open coast, relaxed seaside villages, abundant natural scenery, and yes, LGBT+ offerings too. It’s an ideal destination for a friend group or family looking for an easygoing beach atmosphere.

LGBT+ Gathering Places and Events

Because the local LGBT+ community is spread through smaller pockets along the island chain, there is not one single central hub where everyone meets. LGBT+ people are part of the broader community and mix naturally with everyone else.

Still, the Outer Banks hosts several LGBT+ events across the year that help bring people together. Previous years have included drag shows, drag brunches, and LGBT+ dance nights. Looking forward, a month-long LGBT+ art event is already scheduled for June, along with the annual Outer Banks Pridefest, now going into its thirteenth year.

For nightlife seekers, there are no gay bars here, and there really are not nightclubs in general. On the Outer Banks, much of the fun is outside and by the water. That is part of what makes these beaches different from other well-known beach destinations. If drinks are on your agenda, there are laidback bars and breweries, and beach drinking is allowed.

Outer Banks Pridefest

Outer Banks Pridefest is the largest and most consistent LGBT+ event on the Outer Banks, held each September. David Miller founded it in 2011 after wanting to create LGBT+ events on the Outer Banks similar to the ones he had known while living in Key West and other places.

Outer Banks Pridefest fills a full weekend and usually includes programming such as drag shows, drag brunch, dance night, a sunset booze cruise, and a main festival with food, vendors, and entertainment throughout the day. In 2022, the weekend opened with a tea dance party on the South Nags Head Fishing Pier, a memorable location for the celebration.

People travel to Outer Banks Pridefest from across North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., and farther away. Skilled drag performers are often brought in from the Hampton Roads region of Virginia or from elsewhere in North Carolina. Outer Banks Pridefest has also welcomed queens from outside the area, including Lady Bunny. Harpy Daniels, the U.S. Navy’s first official drag queen, headlined in 2022.

The main festival happens at Roanoke Island Festival Park in downtown Manteo, a charming historic waterfront district with shops, restaurants, art galleries, and other local stops. For Pride events, the Outer Banks provides a striking setting.

Dare Arts Pride Month

Dare Arts Pride Month is a new LGBT+ event planned for 2023 and running through the full month of June. It begins on June 2nd with a First Friday celebration in downtown Manteo. First Fridays take place every month from April through October, when shops, restaurants, and galleries remain open later than usual. The streets fill with crowds, vendors, and live music. Dare Arts hosts an Art Walk as part of First Friday.

From June 2nd-June 30th, Dare Arts will present Outside Straight Lines in its gallery. This month-long visual arts exhibition will showcase local and regional LGBT+ community artists. Additional events and entertainment tied to the LGBT+ art exhibition are being planned for First Friday and throughout Pride month.

Gay Beach

LGBT+ people have been gathering on Outer Banks beaches for decades. Beginning in the 1970s, the original gay beach was at Coquina Beach on Bodie Island, where performers from The Lost Colony spent their days off. LGBT+ locals joined in, forming a group that eventually grew to around 150 LGBT+ people meeting every Sunday during the summer.

Those gay beach gatherings faded in the early 2000s after several important members moved away from the Outer Banks, but the custom returned years later. Today, a growing mix of local gays and visitors meets during the summer at a Roanoke Island beach. It is a small, tucked-away soundside location near The Lost Colony theatre, and on some days the group relocates to the ocean in Nags Head.

For more exact details about meetups, join the Facebook group OBX Gay Daze and follow Out on the Outer Banks on Instagram at (@OutontheOBX).

LGBT-Owned and LGBT-Friendly Businesses

There are several LGBT-owned businesses on the Outer Banks, and local businesses are broadly LGBT-friendly. Two favorite restaurants are The Blue Point and Eventide, both partially LGBT-owned with Jamie Raskin as co-owner. The Blue Point is a fine dining restaurant that has long been known as one of the best restaurants on the Outer Banks, while Eventide is a smaller, less widely known spot serving wine, beer, cheese boards, and sandwiches. Both sit along the beautiful Duck boardwalk.

Other LGBT-owned businesses have also been featured on the Out on the Outer Banks Instagram, including Ascension Studio in Kill Devil Hills. Ascension Studio offers yoga and meditation classes, reiki, tarot card readings, and more. It is part of the “OBX Compound,” which also includes a crystal shop, co-op, and juice bar.

Outer Banks Brewing Station is especially LGBT-friendly and regularly hosts Outer Banks Pridefest events. It is the most club-like venue the Outer Banks has at the moment, offering different entertainment depending on the night. Jack Brown’s and Swells’a are also favorite spots, both welcoming and hip. Ashley’s Espresso Parlour is another cool, LGBT-friendly place for a daily iced coffee.

When to Visit and Where to Stay

September is the strongest choice for LGBT+ visitors because that is when Outer Banks Pridefest takes place. September beaches are even quieter, rental rates drop, and the ocean reaches its warmest temperatures. June through August is also a good time, particularly for families, but visitors should expect to reserve months ahead and pay higher prices.

For easy access to major attractions, businesses, and the gay beach, Kill Devil Hills or Nags Head are recommended. Still, every Outer Banks town has its own character, so the best choice depends on the kind of trip you want. For a more remote feel and larger beach houses, consider Duck. For adventure, drive the Highway 12 scenic byway and take the ferry to Ocracoke Island for the day. There you’ll encounter a village with a small artist community and plenty of intriguing pirate history.

Any part of the Outer Banks is a wonderful place to spend time, and it is exciting to see more LGBT+ travelers discovering it. For a relaxed vacation destination surrounded by natural beauty, this is absolutely a place worth visiting. Everyone is welcome on the Outer Banks.

About the Author

Out on the Outer Banks highlights the OBX as an inclusive and LGBT-friendly place to live and vacation. More blog posts and the online shop can be found at OutontheOBX.com. Out on the Outer Banks also shares information about local businesses, events, attractions, and more on Instagram (@OutontheOBX) and Facebook.