This week the Free Movie In The Park will be “Under The Boardwalk” on June 10th.

Join us for “Moonlight Movies” in Town Center Park. Make a magical memory under a beautiful Ocean Isle Beach night sky with your entire crew! Bring a comfy chair or blanket and enjoy your favorite family-friendly films projected onto a 16ft screen on the Amphitheater stage. No matter where you are, every spot has a great view! A variety of food vendors will also be on site with yummy snacks and treats for purchase. Moonlight Movies is a great way to relax with your friends and family in an inviting outdoor setting.

The Plot:

A community of land hermit crabs living beneath a New Jersey beach boardwalk often plays host to a group of sea hermit crabs who come onto land for vacation, even though the two species cannot stand each other. Armen, a timid land crab, is reluctant to go out and socialize afraid of the water due to the way his parents died in a storm when he was a child. His rotting shell, inhabited by a fun-loving organism named Anemone, is the only reminder of them.

Three muscular crabs, Armen’s friends Bobby, Manny, and Jimmy, take him to a club owned by his uncle Bruno. There, the crabs get into a fight with an arrogant sea crab named Mako when Armen inadvertently bumps into Ramona, a tourist sea crab he had developed a crush on earlier. The land crabs are evicted as a result, and a frustrated Armen leaves on his own.

While sulking by the seashore, Armen is confronted by Mako and his goons, who hassle him and steal his shell. Ramona intervenes, but she and Armen are swept away by a high tide that devastates the land crab civilization.

Armen ends up at the far end of the beach above the boardwalk, where he is captured by a human collector and given an artificial shell to be sold as a pet. While in captivity he reunites with Ramona, and together they escape and look for a way to work their way back home. During their journey while enjoying the attractions at the pier, they share their insecurities: Armen’s fear of doing anything beyond staying in his shell, and Ramona’s desire to escape her overbearing mother, Val, who expects perfection from her.

Armen and Ramona’s disappearances intensify the rivalry between the land and sea crabs, largely because Mako fabricates a story claiming Armen tried to steal Ramona from him. Bobby begins second-guessing his tendency to use physical force against his enemies and while searching for Armen he encounters and befriends Ramona’s deaf sister, Shelly, who is in turn searching for Ramona. When Bobby walks her home, Val misunderstanding his presence angrily sends him away. Later, when he tries to break up a violent fight between his friends and Mako’s gang he accidentally snaps off Mako’s right arm.

Mako vows revenge and falsely claims that Armen is dead, presenting Armen’s shell and a shell-shocked Anemone as proof. The land and sea crabs declare war

As Armen and Ramona fall in love, two crabs they met at the pier begin judging their relationship, making Armen hesitant about his feelings, much to Ramona’s distress. Eventually, Ramona begins to dehydrate and collapses. Armen carries her toward the water, pushing past the fighting land and sea crabs, who stop battling when they see Armen risking everything to save her.

Armen conquers his fear of water and submerges Ramona into the sea. She awakens, kisses Armen and together they return to the surface now a couple, much to the delight of his friends. Armen is praised for his heroism, Mako is exposed as a liar, and the land and sea crabs work past their differences.

Mako gives Bobby a new shell as a peace offering, and Armen gives his own shell to an older crab named Curly who needs it more, finally letting go of his past. The film ends with the two crabs playing in the surf amidst their happy joint communities while fireworks light up the Jersey sky, wishing summer would never end.

From May 20 through August 19, enjoy free family friendly movie nights under the stars on a 16 foot screen at the park’s amphitheater stage. Movies begin at dusk, around 7:15–7:30 PM. Food trucks open at 5:30 PM, and free parking is available.

Bring a chair or blanket, relax with friends and family, and enjoy food from food trucks. Face painting by @vickiepaints will also be available throughout the evening.

Please remember that smoking, vaping, alcohol, illegal drugs, and glass containers are not permitted.

VENUE DETAILS
Town Center Park – 11 E. 2nd Street
Admission is FREE
Parking is FREE
Food Vendors available
Movie begins after sunset

Pets, smoking, vaping, alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, and glass containers are prohibited on park grounds and in parking areas.
For additional Park Rules & Regulations, please refer to the Town Center Park page.

Here Is The Complete Summer 2026 Schedule Of Free Movies:

Movies begin as the sun sets at Town Center Park!

The post Free Movie: Under The Boardwalk appeared first on OceanIsleBeach.com.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE HAS BEEN PLAYING IN THE SOUTHEAST FOR OVER 30 YEARS. Their reputation is one of quality, professionalism and above all, entertaining.

A CD or video can not reproduce the energy they deliver at a live performance. From the silky smooth voice of Gene Pharr, to the tightness of the rhythm section, to the flowing lines of the horn section, they put on a performance everyone will remember. In fact, more than half their bookings are from referrals or people that have been to an event they have performed. Check ’em out. You won’t be disappointed.

Musical Styles:

Motown, Soul, Oldies, Beach, Variety Jazz, Swing, Big Band and Classical.  Refreshments are on sale to help fund the events, so be sure to bring a little cash. All concerts are FREE! 

All concerts take place at Town Center Park, 11 East 2nd St. on Ocean Isle Beach, and best of all they’re FREE!

Join us every Friday night from 6:30 pm to 8 pm!

The Town of Ocean Isle Beach has announced the full concert line-up for the 2026 Peggy Hughes Summer Concert Series! *Heading to the Summer Concerts? Free parking is available at Town Center Park (11 E. Second St) and 5 W. Third Street after 5pm (concert days ONLY). Parking is also available at the Museum for $5.00. Link for PARKING MAP (2 page document) Link for Parking Info FAQS  

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Free Movie In The Park: Hotel Transylvania: Transformania

This week the movie will be the movie “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” on June 3rd.

Join us for “Moonlight Movies” in Town Center Park. Make a magical memory under a beautiful Ocean Isle Beach night sky with your entire crew! Bring a comfy chair or blanket and enjoy your favorite family-friendly films projected onto a 16ft screen on the Amphitheater stage. No matter where you are, every spot has a great view! A variety of food vendors will also be on site with yummy snacks and treats for purchase. Moonlight Movies is a great way to relax with your friends and family in an inviting outdoor setting.

The Plot:

During the 125th anniversary celebration of Hotel Transylvania, Dracula plans to retire and leave the hotel to his daughter Mavis and her husband Johnny. After overhearing the news, Johnny enthusiastically shares his renovation plans, prompting Dracula to lie about a “monster real-estate law” that prohibits humans from owning the hotel. Disheartened, Johnny accepts his exclusion.

Van Helsing offers to help by using a special ray that transforms humans into monsters and vice versa. Johnny becomes a dragon-like creature, but when Dracula tries to reverse the transformation, he accidentally turns himself human and breaks the ray’s crystal. Van Helsing instructs them to retrieve a replacement crystal from the Cave of the Reflexión in South America to undo the effects.

Meanwhile, Dracula’s friends Frank, Wayne, Griffin, and Murray are transformed into humans after exposure to the ray. Mavis and Ericka confront Van Helsing, who reveals the ray’s effects are unstable and irreversible if not cured in time. They join the others in traveling to South America.

On their journey, Dracula and Johnny grow closer, but tensions rise when Dracula confesses he fabricated the real-estate law. Hurt, Johnny mutates further and flees. Mavis finds him and leads him to the cave, but the crystal initially fails to reverse the transformation. Dracula allows Johnny to capture him and expresses his acceptance of Johnny as family. This helps Johnny regain control, and Mavis successfully restores him.

Everyone is returned to normal, but the hotel is destroyed by Van Helsing’s pet, Gigi. Dracula decides to let Mavis and Johnny rebuild the hotel. One year later, it reopens with a modernized design.

From May 20 through August 19, enjoy free family friendly movie nights under the stars on a 16 foot screen at the park’s amphitheater stage. Movies begin at dusk, around 7:15–7:30 PM. Food trucks open at 5:30 PM, and free parking is available.

Bring a chair or blanket, relax with friends and family, and enjoy food from food trucks. Face painting by @vickiepaints will also be available throughout the evening.

Please remember that smoking, vaping, alcohol, illegal drugs, and glass containers are not permitted.

VENUE DETAILS
Town Center Park – 11 E. 2nd Street
Admission is FREE
Parking is FREE
Food Vendors available
Movie begins after sunset

Pets, smoking, vaping, alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, and glass containers are prohibited on park grounds and in parking areas.
For additional Park Rules & Regulations, please refer to the Town Center Park page.

Here Is The Complete Summer 2026 Schedule Of Free Movies:

Movies begin as the sun sets at Town Center Park!

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The Plot:

PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIE takes audiences on an epic comedy adventure through a sprawling imaginative universe in the first-ever feature film inspired by the beloved, award-winning PLAYMOBIL® role-play toys. Packed with humour and excitement the film combines endearing and hilarious characters, thrilling adventure and breathtaking scenery in this originally animated heart-warming tale.

When her younger brother Charlie (Gabriel Bateman) unexpectedly disappears into the magical, animated universe of PLAYMOBIL®, unprepared Marla (Anya Taylor-Joy) must go on a quest of a lifetime to bring him home. As she sets off on a fantastic journey across stunning new worlds, Marla teams up with some unlikely and heroic new friends – the smooth-talking food truck driver Del (Jim Gaffigan), the dashing and charismatic secret agent Rex Dasher (Daniel Radcliffe), a wholehearted misfit robot, an extravagant fairy-godmother (Meghan Trainor) and many more.

Through their vibrant adventure, Marla and Charlie realize that no matter how life plays out, you can achieve anything when you believe in yourself! Featuring the voices of Anya- Taylor Joy, Jim Gaffigan, Gabriel Bateman, Adam Lambert, Kenan Thompson, Meghan Trainor and Daniel Radcliffe.

From May 20 through August 19, enjoy free family friendly movie nights under the stars on a 16 foot screen at the park’s amphitheater stage. Movies begin at dusk, around 7:15–7:30 PM. Food trucks open at 5:30 PM, and free parking is available.

Bring a chair or blanket, relax with friends and family, and enjoy food from food trucks. Face painting by @vickiepaints will also be available throughout the evening.

Please remember that smoking, vaping, alcohol, illegal drugs, and glass containers are not permitted.

VENUE DETAILS
Town Center Park – 11 E. 2nd Street
Admission is FREE
Parking is FREE
Food Vendors available
Movie begins after sunset

Pets, smoking, vaping, alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, and glass containers are prohibited on park grounds and in parking areas.
For additional Park Rules & Regulations, please refer to the Town Center Park page.

Here Is The Complete Summer 2026 Schedule Of Free Movies:

Movies begin as the sun sets at Town Center Park!

The post Free Movie: “Playmobil: The Movie” appeared first on OceanIsleBeach.com.

Shine is an energetic and interactive party band in the Triangle which will get you out of your seat and onto the dance floor at weddings, special events, private parties, and more!

Refreshments are on sale to help fund the events, so be sure to bring a little cash.

In case of inclement weather visit the Ocean Isle Beach Recreation Department’s Facebook page for concert updates.

All concerts take place at Town Center Park, 11 East 2nd St. on Ocean Isle Beach, and best of all they’re FREE!

 

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On June 9 at 5:30 p.m. join Mike Tift, Director of the UNCW Marine Mammal Stranding Program, a collaborative team of scientists and students that responds to sick, injured, and deceased whales, dolphins, seals, and other marine mammals along the North Carolina coast. The program combines hands-on conservation work with internationally recognized research focused on marine mammal health, biology, and environmental change.

On June 11 at 1 p.m., join Spencer Wall, Education Specialist for Ocean Connections, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring conservation awareness and public action for our world’s ocean through education. He will lead guests on an unforgettable 45-minute journey into the fascinating world of marine mammals. Discover the amazing lives of seals and sea lions, gain insight into animal welfare, and explore how we care for these incredible creatures every day.

The post World Ocean Day Beach Sweep appeared first on OceanIsleBeach.com.

The post World Ocean Day Weeklong Celebrations At Museum appeared first on OceanIsleBeach.com.

What’s Happening to Earth’s Coral Reefs, June 30

The Museum’s Sandbar Lecture Series is designed to inspire curiosity about regional history, coastal ecosystems and diverse wildlife. Local subject matter experts facilitate lively and interactive presentations about various fascinating topics for all visitors.

All one-hour Sandbar lectures are free with Museum admission: $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for children ages 3-12. The Museum is open from 4:00 p.m. to 7 p.m. for lectures.

The Museum of Coastal Carolina is located at 21 East Second Street in Ocean Isle Beach, NC.

Admission is free for members. Non-member all-day admission effective March 31, 2022 is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors (62+), $8 for children (3-12), and free for age 2 and under.

For more information, call 910-579-1016, visit www.museumplanetarium.org, or like us on Facebook.com /MuseumCoastalCarolina

The post Museum’s Sandbar Lecture: Sharks, Marine Mammal and Coral Reefs appeared first on OceanIsleBeach.com.

• Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Touch Tank Feeding, 11 a.m.
• Monday: Biofact Bingo, 1 p.m.; Creation Station, 3 p.m.
• Tuesday: Sea Tales, 11 a.m.; Sea Turtle Adventures, 1 p.m.; Aquatic and Land Turtles, 3 p.m.; Sandbar Lecture Series, 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: Tidal Treasures: Seashells, 1 p.m.; Beachology with Sea Bottle Craft, 3 p.m.
• Thursday: Shark Smarts, 11 a.m.; Wild Whales, 1 p.m.; Hoppers and Leapers, 3 p.m.; Snakes Alive 6 p.m.
• Friday: Biofact Bingo, 1 p.m.; Creation Station, 3 p.m.

The post Shark Smarts, Sea Tales and Touch Tank Feedings appeared first on OceanIsleBeach.com.

Rip currents are strong, narrow currents extending from shore to distances of hundreds of feet offshore, sometimes a quarter mile. They occur on beaches when moderate to large waves continually pile up water as the waves break on shore. The excess water returns to sea via the simple process of gravity but it occurs within narrow “squirts” that generally range from 20 to 100 feet wide and possess offshore-oriented currents of three to eight feet per second.

Rips typically extend from the shoreline, through the surf zone and past the offshore line of breakers. They are not generated in the absence of breaking waves.

Steep beach profiles are more likely to generate strong rip currents than near-horizontal beaches. In rip-prone areas, these energetic features can occur frequently although their position may vary according to incident wave direction, alongshore currents and winds. Although rip currents are not caused by tides, water level at the beach can impact rip current generation and intensity, with rip current velocities often increasing as water level decreases.

Undoubtedly, the strongest rip currents are generated by large waves that have long wavelengths (distance between crests). Under such conditions, all swimmers should beware before entering the water. Look for dips in the alongshore sand profile as rip currents often originate in these natural, offshore channels. They also may be ephemeral, forming quickly and lasting a few hours or sometimes days before dissipating.

With practice, anyone can become skilled at spotting rip currents; the higher the vantage point the better. Look for a line of foam, weed or surface debris moving outward from shore. It may be associated with a difference in water color and/or a choppy area situated between incoming, breaking waves.
Rip currents cause horizontal flow only. They do not cause “undertow”. Conversely, when waves break on the beach, the offshore return flow occurs at the seafloor, sometimes causing a standing person to lose his/her footing – thus the perilous description of being towed under.

If a swimmer is suddenly swept offshore by a rip current, all he/she needs to do is swim parallel to shore for 20 to 50 feet in either direction and the crisis will be averted. Note that even the strongest of Olympic swimmers are unable to swim against a rip current but an average beachgoer can easily swim perpendicular to, and out of the narrow, offshore current. When out of the rip, the swimmer should wave to people on the beach that he/she is safe, then swim to shore at a comfortable pace, unopposed by the offshore flow a short distance away.

Drownings from rip currents occur when a swimmer is carried offshore, becomes fatigued and incapable of staying afloat. Swimmers are not pulled beneath the surface by rip currents, even far offshore. The combination of swimmer exhaustion and panic give rise to drowning, often within 200 feet of shore and in sight of terrified onlookers.
If ocean swimmers are educated about rip currents, in-water panic can be eliminated. Understanding the need to swim perpendicular to the offshore current is a simple solution for swimmers of all skill levels. Educate people who are about to enter the surf when you visit the beach on rough days. You may save their life by doing so.

The United States Lifesaving Association, in partnership with NOAA’s National Weather Service and National Sea Grant Program, is raising awareness of the dangers of rip currents.
Additionally, the Weather Service issues a Surf Zone Forecast in many beach areas for prediction of wave strength and a Rip Current Outlook to advise swimmers of risk on area beaches.

Scott E. McDowell has a doctorate degree in ocean physics, is a licensed captain and author of Marinas: a Complete Guide available at www.scottemcdowell.com. Contact him at scott@scottemcdowell.com.

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Summer is the perfect time to relax and get lost in a great book! Whether you’re working on your tan, spending a rainy afternoon indoors, or just kicking your feet up on a back porch, a good book is an essential for summer!

Click Here To Browse All Our Complete Selection Of Great Beach Reads!

Check out some of our favorite summer beach reads:

The Lowcountry Summer Series by Mary Alice Monroe: 

Where the Rivers Merge: A Novel by Mary Alice Monroe (Hard Cover)

From New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes her highly anticipated Where the Rivers Merge, the first of two epic and triumphant novels celebrating one intrepid woman’s life across multiple generations in the American South.

Read More & Buy It Here!

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey

“New York Times bestselling author and southern sensation Kristy Woodson Harvey” (Good Morning America) presents a touching novel about eternal love and the places we call home.

Read More & Buy It Here!

Beach Town: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews

Told with Mary Kay Andrews inimitable wit and charm, the New York Times bestseller Beach Town is this year’s summer beach read!

Read More & Buy It Here!

You Can’t Drink All Day if You Don’t Start in the Morning by Celia Rivenbark

If you’re looking for a hilarious beach book, this is it. Celia Rivenbark is the author of the bestselling classics We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier, and Bless Your Heart, Tramp.  Complete with a treasure trove of Celia’s genuine southern recipes, You Can’t Drink All Day if You Don’t Start in the Morning is sure to appeal to anyone who lives south of something.

This collection of essays features gut-busting stories including: Why Miss North Carolina is too nice to hate, How Gwyneth Paltrow wants to improve your pathetic life, Get yer Wassail on: It’s carolin’ time, Airlines serving up one hot mess, Action figure Jesus, and many more!

Also by Celia Rivenbark:

The Mailbox by Marybeth Whalen

One of our favorite books The Mailbox is centered on a real landmark on the coast of North Carolina (Bird Island/Sunset Beach NC), The Mailbox blends intriguing folklore and true faith.  

Also by Marybeth Whalen:

The post Best Beach Reads appeared first on OceanIsleBeach.com.

The Plot:

THE CROODS is a prehistoric comedy adventure that follows the world’s first family as they embark on a journey of a lifetime when the cave that has always shielded them from danger is destroyed. Traveling across a spectacular landscape, the Croods discover an incredible new world filled with fantastic creatures – and their outlook is changed forever.

From May 20 through August 19, enjoy free family friendly movie nights under the stars on a 16 foot screen at the park’s amphitheater stage. Movies begin at dusk, around 7:15–7:30 PM. Food trucks open at 5:30 PM, and free parking is available.

Bring a chair or blanket, relax with friends and family, and enjoy food from food trucks. Face painting by @vickiepaints will also be available throughout the evening.

Please remember that smoking, vaping, alcohol, illegal drugs, and glass containers are not permitted.

VENUE DETAILS
Town Center Park – 11 E. 2nd Street
Admission is FREE
Parking is FREE
Food Vendors available
Movie begins after sunset

Pets, smoking, vaping, alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, and glass containers are prohibited on park grounds and in parking areas.
For additional Park Rules & Regulations, please refer to the Town Center Park page.

Here Is The Complete Summer 2026 Schedule Of Free Movies:

Movies begin as the sun sets at Town Center Park!

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