Virginia Dare Faire | OBX Events

Spend your Saturday morning celebrating Virginia Dare's 425th birthday! On Saturday, August 18th, The Lost Colony and their neighbors at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site are inviting everyone to come celebrate for FREE! The celebration commemorating the birth of the first English born child in the New World will be at The Lost Colony, the National Park Service Visitors Center, and The Elizabethan Gardens. The Lost Colony is promising this year's event to be "over-the-top" and planned attractions include: a bounce house, jugglers, stilt walkers, dunk tank, Indianinvasions, giant puppets, field games, face painting, games of chance, rock climbing wall and more! On top of all the games and activities, party goers will be tempted with popcorn, snow cones, and a candy shoppe. The Faire is being held on the large lawn by the Lost Colony administrative offices. The party starts at 11:00am and ends with ice cream and cake at the gates of The Elizabethan gardens at 1:00pm. Click here for a map to the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. In honor of Virginia Dare, regular admission to The Elizabethan Gardens is reduced. Special celebratory general admission: $4.25 andenjoy 25% off on selected plants. The Virginia Dare Rose will be highlighted in this sale. Load up the car, head on out, and spend your Saturday morning at the beach's biggest birthday party!*** JUST RELEASED INFORMATION ***Born to Ananias and Eleanor Dare on August 18th, 1587, Virginia Dare was the first child born to English parents in the New World. Her birthday has been remembered and celebrated annually on Roanoke Island since 1937. At this year's Virginia Dare Day on Saturday, August 18th, activities will be taking place on the grounds at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and at The Elizabethan Gardens. The National Park Service will offer special programs to help visitors better understand the role the date of August 18th plays in the history of the Lost Colony. All programs are free and are 25-minutes in length: 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. - The Birth and Baptism of Virginia Dare: This program will explore why these are important events for our country. Meet at the Earthen Fort. 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. - August 18th 1590: The Governor & Grandfather Returns: John White returned to Roanoke Island three years to the day of the birth of his granddaughterVirginia Dare. What did he find when he arrived? Why did he leave so quickly? Meet at the visitor center auditorium. 12 p.m. & 3 p.m. - What Happened to Virginia Dare?: There are multiple theories on the fate of Virginia Dare. Join us for a discussion. Meet at the visitor center auditorium. The Elizabethan Gardens and staff from The Lost Colony will be offering a variety of activities taking place at the parking area near and within The Elizabethan Gardens itself. For more information on those activities, please checkwww.thelostcolony.org and www.elizabethangardens.org. Kids are also invited to participate in the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site Junior Ranger Program. By completing a booklet and attending programs, kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge! Junior Ranger booklets are free and available at the visitor center. The Fort Raleigh National Historic Site Visitor Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A 17-minute video about the Roanoke Voyages will also be shown throughout the day.