Do you enjoy good food and a relaxing island locale? Mark your calendars for October 5 through 7 and prepare to cross over on a ferry to the 10,000-acre pristine, preserved paradise known as Bald Head Island for their Roast and Toast on the Coast.
The three-day culinary festival celebrates this endearing island off the coast of North Carolina with live music, wine and beer tastings, and the best of Southern food and Southern living. If Roast and Toast on the Coast sounds appetizing to you in more ways than one, then read on to find out more about festival highlights and vacationing on Bald Head Island.
Related content: Bald Head Island Brings Unmatched Natural Beauty to North Carolina's Coast
Friday
Your Roast and Toast on the Coast adventure begins with an island-style Oyster Roast on Friday, October 6 evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Bald Head Island Club. Enjoy all of the oysters and trimmings you can eat along this seaside destination. Mingle, dance to the live music, and enjoy a tropical drink at the club's convenient cash bar. This evening under the stars will definitely lift your spirits and set the tone for a fabulous weekend!
Saturday
Start off your Saturday with a leisurely breakfast at Sandpiper Coffee and Ice Cream before 11 a.m. Their menu has classics like a breakfast burrito, two-egg meal with the usual fixings, and quiche as well as unique items like waffle pops and a sausage biscuit with egg, Fontina cheese, and jalapeno jelly.
Afterward, enjoy the light, breezy day and go on an island wildlife tour with the Bald Head Island Conservancy or explore the tamed woodland seascape by yourself in the Maritime Forest Preserve. If the ocean calls you for adventure, you can rent surfboards, kayaks, or paddleboards from the The Sail Shop or Coastal Urge .
Perhaps your morning fancy leans toward beach combing? Bald Head Island offers 14 miles of untouched sand and surf shoreline to explore! You can also get your land bearings at the Old Baldy Lighthouse and Smith Island Museum of History, the oldest lighthouse along the North Carolina coast. Climb up for a breath-taking bird's-eye-view of the island community and shoreline as well as exercise.
However you spend your morning, you’ll want to make sure you're back in time to attend the next highlight of Roast and Toast on the Coast: the Southern Living Inspired Community Open House. From 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m in Cape Fear Station, the open houses' hospitality and style will show you why Bald Head Island was recently named "Community of the Year" by Southern Living magazine.
Stay in Cape Fear Station after 5:00 p.m. for a wine and beer tasting followed by an amazing dinner prepared by pitmaster Matt Register of Southern Smoke. Your evening ends, or maybe just gets started, with a Massive Grass concert at 6:30 p.m. featuring a unique twist on bluegrass music you're bound to enjoy under the night sky.
Sunday
Between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Roast and Toast on the Coast one last time at the Bald Head Island Club and savor a delicious brunch before heading back to the mainland. Not eager too go back home (and away from this Southern island paradise) just yet? Spend some more time enjoying the great outdoors, peruse local shops like Bald Head Blues, or indulge yourself with your favorite spa service at at Island Retreat Spa and Salon. They also offer yoga classes!
Transportation
One thing you'll immediately appreciate on your trip is Bald Head Island's tranquility- it's as if you've traveled back to a time before the noise and pollution of urbanization. In fact, the island is so committed to conservation that cars are not allowed on Bald Head Island, but, fortunately, golf cart and bike rentals abound so you can easily get around and discover beaches, parks, museums, and more.
Related content: Transportation on Bald Head Island
Where to Stay
Experience the best of Bald Head Island by staying at Marsh Harbour Inn while attending Roast and Toast on the Coast. Not only does the inn provide gorgeous views overlooking the marina, but staying here also grants you access to amenities at the Bald Head Island Club including use of the pool, tennis courts, fitness center, and golf course.
Related content: Marsh Harbor Inn on Bald Head Island
Visiting Bald Head Island for Roast and Toast on the Coast is a must if you want to get away, enjoy amazing food, and relax without any distractions this fall. All aforementioned events require advance reservations, so you can purchase tickets online for the events you wish to attend or enjoy them all with an all-access bundle.
You can find even more great things to do on Bald Head Island by registering on 910area, your free guide to everything that Bald Head Island has to offer!
Cover photo courtesy of Adobe Stock Images
