Ocracoke Island celebrates July 4

Ocracoke staff report

Steve and Brandy Payment of Orlando, Florida, didn’t expect to win a prize in Ocracoke’s July 4 parade.

But the couple, in their first visit to this southern-most Outer Banks Island, captured top prize in the Walk ‘n Roll category as a pair of “Patriotic Unicorns” wearing rainbow-colored onesies – amidst a sea of red-white-and-blue — and riding a bike that Steve pedaled and Brandy sat behind.

The pair are on a camping excursion with the cool climes of Nova Scotia as their summer goal.  

They discovered Ocracoke by chance while searching for down-home-type places that had July 4 activities, and they had packed their unicorn onesies because you never know when you might need a silly costume.

Joining the parade was a last-minute decision, Steve said, and they thought that donning their costumes would make an impact.

“Steve and I always take on any opportunity to put on some kind of costume,” Brandy said. “Wearing a polyester costume in 90-degree weather probably wasn’t the smartest of ideas, but we had so much fun.”

They could see the surprise on spectators’ faces.

“(People) did not expect to see two unicorns riding a bike in the Ocracoke parade,” Steve said.

At one point, Steve said, they heard a mom say to her little boy, who was about five years old, “‘Look. They’re dressed up as unicorns.’ And the boy said, as deadpan as anything, ‘Well, that’s just silly.’”

“Gray Racing” of Clayton, Delaware, received an honorable mention in that category.

“Shell-ebrate” by Johny Gatlin’s “Island Crew” received first place in the Wheels category, and “Christmas in July Retired on Ocracoke” by Mary Ellen Piland received an honorable mention.

Ocracoke Seafood Company captured first place in Floats with Teeter’s Campground an honorable mention.

The Ocracoke Harbor Inn’s riot of pink in their “Being Flamboyant” float, featuring lots of pink flamingoes, was named Best in Show.

The Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department led off the parade closely followed by this year’s grand marshal Linda Gaskins Gaskill.

The 41-plus entries for the parade were the most ever in recent years.

One of the parade judges noted the playful spirit of the participants.

“Although only a handful were chosen winners in their categories, in truth, everyone who watched and cheered and participated won the prize of a bright dose of summer happiness,” she said.

The Sand Sculpture Contest had 21 entries in four categories, and the judges noted the joyous vibe of the families and kids creating art in the sand at the Lifeguard Beach.

“They were so happy to tell us their backstories,” said one judges, all of whom are anonymous.

Such as the 12 & Under Group team, “Team Potato,” who won their category with a depiction of the “Sliver Lake Monster.”

“The boy who led the group (Ford Sumner) looked us in the eye and was happy to tell us where they got the idea and the names,” one judge said.

The spokesman for the “Sunblock” sculpture, James Catto of Reston, Virginia, noted that his daughter came up with the idea of “a cartoon bottle of 3.5 trillion sunblock stomping on the sun.”

“Jellyfish” by a team that called themselves “The Jellies,” captured best in the 13 & Over Group category, and the judges noted it was interactive, as anyone could stand inside the giant jellyfish and take a photo.

Alma Heller of Nelly Ford, Virginia, captured the 12 & Under Individual honors and the Byrd Family of Lenoir, N.C., captured Best in Show with their “Teeterville” sculpture.

While the judges for the parade judge all of the categories, everyone on the beach gets to vote for Best in Show of the sand sculptures.

The week’s activities were supposed to kick off with a fireworks show July 2 by Pyrotecnico, but a forecast of a thunderstorm that evening prompted officials to cancel the show.

According to Dare County Fire Marshal Steve Kovacs, a specific forecast for Ocracoke gave a 90% chance of thunderstorms and high winds Wednesday (July 2) into Thursday.

“For the safety of our residents and visitors of Ocracoke, we made the decision to cancel the fireworks show,” said Albert O’Neal, Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department (OVFD) chief. “It’s disappointing, but we feel that given the high probability of a storm, this was the best option.”

The decision to cancel was made after a meeting among staff of the National Park Service, the OVFD, Hyde County and the Ocracoke Civic & Business Association (OCBA), which coordinates the events. The forecast had been correct as the heavens opened with a prolonged deluge late that afternoon and into the evening.

The weather cleared the next day, and a few hundred visitors and residents came to the Berkley Barn for the Ocracoke Square Dance, led by Philip Howard and accompanied by Molasses Creek.

A community beach fire at the Lifeguard Beach concluded the holiday events.

“Some people said they come every year and that this is their favorite activity,” said Debbie Leonard, who represented the OCBA.

Despite the storm that canceled the fireworks, OCBA chair Bob Chestnut was happy with the events.

“The Fourth of July is the most important holiday on the island for our economy,” he said. “It’s important that we make it special for the visitors because of the effort it takes to get here, particularly when some wait hours for the Hatteras ferry. When they make that effort to get here, we have to make sure they get their money’s worth.”