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What's Happening Downtown
From intimate watercolor classes to our big events like the NC Potato Festival, check out the event calendar to see what's happening now in Elizabeth City Downtown or scroll down for more information about our annual sponsored events.
Downtown Events
Add your local event by clicking the blue "Add an event" button and then creating an account with Events.com. All local events will display across all Events.com calendars within the area.
Planning Help
Elizabeth City Downtown Inc. and its partner organizations offer the below calendar & events list for planning purposes. If you are a partner organization or feel your large event (50+ people) should be on the list, please let us know by emailing us at assistant@elizabethcitydowntown.com or click the "Enter Your Event" button below. This list is for public events only--we do not list weddings, funerals, birthdays, etc.
Annual ECDI Events
Every First Friday of the month, many art studios and businesses in downtown Elizabeth City are open from 4:00 pm until 7:00 PM-ish for our First Friday ArtWalk! Guest artists along with food and music abound as businesses remain open later and the downtown streets come to life.
The annual TarWheel Cycling Event takes place in April on a scenic, flat countryside course through the beautiful Pasquotank & Perquimans Counties in northeastern NC. You have the option of 33, 64, or 100 mile ride, starting on the waterfront in downtown Elizabeth City.
The annual NC Potato Festival is a fun-filled, family festival that celebrates one of our largest crops. Enjoy rides and games, live music, potato-oriented activities, a cornhole tournament, an car & bike show, free french fries, and bushels of FUN for the whole family!
Legends & Lore Scavenger Hunt
Legends & Lore is an annual clue-based scavenger hunt for adults built around a local legend. Participants are given clues and directed around the Downtown area.
Classic American films are shown on a large screen with Elizabeth City’s beautiful waterfront at Mariners’ Wharf Park as the backdrop. Held on eight consecutive Tuesdays at dusk during the months of June and July.
A series of free outdoor festival-style concerts Tuesday evenings from August-September. Held on the water at Mariners' Wharf Park.
Bring your kids to Downtown Elizabeth City on the Saturday before Halloween for some Trick or Treating in the central business district. Participating Businesses will be handing out candy (while supplies last). Costumes are encouraged!
The Holiday Celebration & Grand Illumination is always the official start of the holiday season in Elizabeth City! The community comes together throughout the season for caroling, hot cocoa, whispering your gift wishes into Santa’s ear, and many other activities.
A national initiative started by American Express, this day brings attention to the importance of shopping local. ECDI and individual small businesses organize a day of fun experiences, from holiday music to decorated window displays, Santa Claus visits, and SALES!
Gordon Sheet Metal Tree Lighting
For nearly four decades, the Gordon family has carried on a beloved holiday tradition by suspending a lighted metal Christmas tree high above Downtown Elizabeth City from a crane at the historic Gordon Sheet Metal Quonset Hut. The annual lighting of this iconic tree has become an unofficial signal that Christmas has arrived, bringing a little extra holiday magic to Downtown.
Arts of the Albemarle in partnership with ECDI hosts the Lights of the Albemarle Lantern Parade, a community celebration of creativity, light, and imagination held annually on New Year's Eve in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The parade of lantern bearers weaves through Downtown Elizabeth City. All may participate as lantern bearers, parade walkers, or observers.
