Community Calendar

🐬 Fins Up Festival – An Outdoor Ocean Celebration!
📅 Sunday, September 6, 2026
🕛 12:00 PM – 9:30 PM
📍 Wrightsville Beach Brewery
6201 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403
Admission: $10 donation for guests ages 18 and older. Your donation includes one raffle ticket for our exciting 50/50 raffle!
Join Friends of Wrightsville Beach for the 3rd Annual Fins Up Festival, our end-of-summer celebration held each Labor Day Sunday in honor of Jimmy Buffett. This family-friendly festival brings together music, watersports, environmental stewardship, and coastal culture while supporting local nonprofit organizations dedicated to protecting our waterways and strengthening our community.
🌴 Festival Highlights
• 🎶 Live music featuring The Motos and Captain Mike & the Shipwrecked (Jimmy Buffett Tribute Band)
• 🌊 Kids' activities focused on coastal awareness and marine conservation
• ☀️ Free skin cancer screenings provided by Dermatology Associates
• 🛍️ Local vendors, artists, and artisans
• 🎁 Silent auction
• 🐠 Expanded exhibitor village featuring 35 nonprofit and community exhibitors
• 🍺 Craft beer and delicious food from Wrightsville Beach Brewery
Good vibes. Great music. A healthier coast. See you there!

Thursday morning music club meets at 10:30 on the second Thursday Oct. - May. Our upcoming meeting will feature Beverly Andrews and the Classical Carolina trio in the lovely chapel at first Presbyterian Church. Reception will follow.

The Friends of the New Hanover County Arboretum and the New Hanover County Cooperative Extension present the 30th annual Art in the Arboretum Show and Sale this year, inviting art lovers to immerse themselves in a weekend of creativity surrounded by the beauty of our 7-acre arboretum.

The festival runs through the weekend, on Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Explore the art displays, and enjoy food from local food trucks. General admission is $5, with tickets available at the gate. Admission is free for children 12 and under, military members with current ID, and current Friends of the Arboretum members.

Proceeds from this event support the Arboretum's projects and Cooperative Extension programs. A vital part of Extension’s horticulture program, the New Hanover County Arboretum advances horticultural knowledge and environmental stewardship through a diverse collection of trees, shrubs, and other plants. The arboretum serves as a living classroom for all residents, students, and green industry professionals, providing research-based education and practical training with an emphasis on plants adapted to the unique conditions of southeastern North Carolina.

The Friends of the New Hanover County Arboretum and the New Hanover County Cooperative Extension present the 30th annual Art in the Arboretum Show and Sale this year, inviting art lovers to immerse themselves in a weekend of creativity surrounded by the beauty of our 7-acre arboretum.

The festival runs through the weekend, on Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Explore the art displays, and enjoy food from local food trucks. General admission is $5, with tickets available at the gate. Admission is free for children 12 and under, military members with current ID, and current Friends of the Arboretum members.

Proceeds from this event support the Arboretum's projects and Cooperative Extension programs. A vital part of Extension’s horticulture program, the New Hanover County Arboretum advances horticultural knowledge and environmental stewardship through a diverse collection of trees, shrubs, and other plants. The arboretum serves as a living classroom for all residents, students, and green industry professionals, providing research-based education and practical training with an emphasis on plants adapted to the unique conditions of southeastern North Carolina.

Dip into History: Fondue Fundraiser Night at Little Dipper

The Historic Wilmington Foundation invites you to an evening of preservation, community, and delicious dining at The Little Dipper.

Whether you’re a fan of savory cheese, premium dippers, or decadent chocolate, your appetite will be helping us protect the historic charm of Wilmington. A portion of all proceeds goes directly to HWF’s mission to protect and preserve the historic irreplaceable architecture of the Wilmington region.

One night. One ridiculously good meal. One incredible cause.

Groove & Grub is back, serving up a Low Country Boil + BBQ mash-up with Chef Tito Ortiz of Rude Bwoys Jerk BBQ, cold drinks, big laughs, and the kind of community energy you can only find at DREAMS.

Infinite Spins will be keeping the party moving all night long, and trust us... you'll want to keep an eye on your inbox because our headlining band is dropping soon, and it's worth the wait.

Come for the feast. Stay for the music. Challenge your friends to one more dance. Meet someone new. Support something that matters.

Every ticket helps DREAMS Center for Arts Education provide free arts education, mentorship, and creative opportunities for local youth across Wilmington. So while you're piling your plate and dancing under the lights, you're also helping young artists discover what's possible.

Good grooves + Great grub coming your way this October...

Friday, October 23
DREAMS Center for Arts Education

Wilmington’s signature waterfront celebration, where the joy of play meets the beauty of the coast. Experience the grace of a coastal Carolina evening with scenic yacht tours, handcrafted cocktails, spirited auctions, and raffles brimming with local flair—all while supporting playful learning at The Children’s Museum of Wilmington.
Play doesn’t stop when we grow up, it brings us together.
Come aboard, raise a glass, and help make a lasting impact for the children in our community.

Celebrate 60 Years of Preservation with the Historic Wilmington Foundation!

Toast to six decades of preservation! Join the Historic Wilmington Foundation for an evening celebrating the community that keeps Wilmington’s irreplaceable history alive. Help us honor our past and raise funds to build a vibrant, inclusive future for the next sixty years!

Home Sweet Hope is a fundraising breakfast hosted by Family Promise of Lower Cape Fear, bringing together community members, local businesses, and supporters to raise funds for families experiencing housing instability in our area. The morning will include breakfast, guest speakers, and stories of inspiration as the community comes together to mark 30 years of changing lives in the Lower Cape Fear region. Proceeds from the event support Family Promise's mission to provide shelter, meals, case management, and pathways to stable housing for local families in crisis.

Home Sweet Hope will take place on December 1, 2026 from 7:30 am to 9:00 am at the First Baptist Activity Center. Sponsorship information is available at familypromiselowercapefearnc.org or by contacting Elizabeth Overton at development@familypromiselcf.org.

Thursday morning music club meets at 10:30 on the second Thursday Oct. - May. Our upcoming meeting will feature Beverly Andrews and the Classical Carolina trio in the lovely chapel at first Presbyterian Church. Reception will follow.