[EXPIRED] November and December in Elizabeth City, NC, AICW Dismal Swamp Route
Elizabeth City, the friendliest-to-boaters community on the Waterway and a big supporter of the Arts, is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR located at the southern end of the Dismal Swamp Canal Route.
From the Director
November-December 2015
Spark your creativity and celebrate the holidays in Elizabeth City! In November, we live up to our reputation as the “Harbor of Hospitality®” as locals open their hearts and doors to a variety of artists. This week, painters from all over arrive in Elizabeth City for SPLASH, to celebrate, create, learn and share their art (see /?p=153440). Visit downtown while they are in town and soak up and be energized by the creative buzz that will be flowing all around.
We’re also gearing up for the holiday season with many events that will fill you with awe, beginning with the Elizabeth City Holiday Celebration where you can indulge in nostalgic holiday activities. Looking for the perfect gift for someone on your holiday shopping list? Find it at one of our locally-owned downtown shops on Small Business Saturday or at the Art for the Masses shopping extravaganza. In our EC Profile, we invite you to be enchanted by writer Bland Simpson and his wife Ann, when they come to town to share tales from their latest book in early November. Come be inspired and enjoy this holiday season with us! We look forward to seeing you.
Happy travels,
Christina Rehklau
Director, Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Make it a Hometown Holiday in Elizabeth City, N.C.
If you’re longing for the warmth of an old-fashioned, hometown holiday, put Elizabeth City on your wish list. Now through December, our city offers a stocking full of family-friendly events and experiences. Come for the day, or stay for the night, our “Harbor of Hospitality®” is sure to please with these seasonal treasures:
November 27 | Elizabeth City Holiday Celebration
Join us at 6 p.m. on Main Street for the lighting of our downtown holiday lights. Caroling, hot cocoa, hay/sleigh rides, cookies and more!
November 29 | Ballet for Young Audiences presents “The Nutcracker”
Follow Clara on a magical journey to a land where mice battle soldiers, a Nutcracker comes to life and the Sugarplum Fairy dances in the land of sweets. At Arts of the Albemarle‘s Maguire Theatre.
December 4 – 5 | Elizabeth City Holiday Home Tour
Embrace the holiday spirit by taking a tour of beautifully-decorated historic homes, Dec. 4 (6:30 – 9 p.m.) and Dec. 5 (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.). Check Arts of the Albemarle for tickets and info.
December 5 | “A Polar Express Adventure”
See the film and delight in the Albemarle Railroad Club’s miniature-scale train display as the Polar Express climbs to the North Pole. At the Museum of the Albemarle.
December 5 | Elizabeth City Christmas Parade
Floats, fun and an appearance by Santa come together for a holiday parade, Elizabeth City-style! At 5:30 p.m. through our downtown area.
December 9 | Virginia Symphony Orchestra Holiday Brass Ensemble
The Virginia Symphony Orchestra and their Holiday Brass Ensemble present an evening of holiday spirit at Arts of the Albemarle‘s Maguire Theatre.
December 10 -13 | “Miracle on 34th Street”
A young girl’s belief in Santa Claus sets the stage for this entertaining holiday play at The College of The Albemarle Performing Arts Center .
Small Biz Saturday and Art for the Masses, Nov. 28
We have two amazing reasons to head to Elizabeth City on Saturday, Nov. 28. First, it’s Small Business Saturday. Held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the annual promotion encourages seasonal shoppers to patronize businesses that are small and local. In Elizabeth City, we have fabulous shops that fit the bill, offering original artwork, eclectic home décor and furnishings, to jewelry, apparel and artisan-made wares.
Second reason to visit: Art for the Masses, also Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the old Super 10 Store on Main 
Street. Presented by Arts of the Albemarle, this is a juried show of local artists who are selling their original, quality artwork at affordable prices just in time for the holidays. No item will be more than $200, so this is a great chance to purchase a masterpiece for someone you love (or for yourself!).
And when you’ve worked up an appetite from all that shopping, be sure to stop in one of Elizabeth City’s charming independently-owned restaurants for coffee, lunch or dinner. Supporting local businesses is a great way to embrace the spirit of the season! Our downtown friends and neighbors look forward to seeing you Nov. 28!
EC Spotlight: Author and Musician Bland Simpson Spotlight
Elizabeth City is filled with talented people, many of whom are inspired to paint, sing, write, act or create by nature of our striking location on the Pasquotank River and Albemarle Sound. Author and musician Bland Simpson is one 
such individual. He grew up in Elizabeth City and has written six books chronicling life on and near the water here in North Carolina’s northeastern pocket.
Simpson is a Kenan Distinguished Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a long-time pianist for the Tony Award-winning string band The Red Clay Ramblers. He and his wife, Ann Cary Simpson, a conservationist and photographer, have just published their third book together, Little Rivers and Waterway Tale: A Carolinian’s Eastern Streams (see /?p=153217). The tome is filled with stories of those who have lived and worked on the “little rivers” that define North Carolina’s Sound Country as it meets the Atlantic.
Meet the authors, Nov. 6 from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m., at a book-signing event at Page After Page (111 S. Water Street, Elizabeth City) – and immerse yourself in the Simpsons’ water-inspired world.
Elizabeth City is the “Harbor of Hospitality®,” located in Northeastern North Carolina on the Intracoastal Waterway, halfway between Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks. Situated on the Pasquotank River, the city has six National Register Historic Districts and is home to the Museum of the Albemarle, The Center at Arts of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City State University Planetarium, Port Discover Hands-on Science Center and one of the largest U.S. Coast Guard air stations in the Continental United States. Nature-based travelers are drawn to the area’s proximity to Dismal Swamp and the abundance of outdoor recreational offerings. For additional information, call Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-866-ECity-4U (1-866-324-8948) or visit DiscoverElizabethCity.com. For up-to-the-minute info on happenings and events visit View from the Harbor blog.
Be the first to comment!