Oriental is home to two SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSORS, Oriental Marina and Nautical Wheelers! The Spirit of Christmas is the perfect start for the Holiday Season. For more on this holiday event, go to http://towndock.net/happening.

Oriental celebrates the holiday with Spirit of Christmas ‘” on the second weekend in December ‘” on Friday and Saturday December 11 & 12. Among the Friday traditions ‘” the lighting of the Oriental Star at the Town Dock, caroling, a display of lighted boats, and the lighted small boat flotilla of canoes, kayaks and other motorless craft ‘” in recent years, lighted kayaks lent a cheery glow to the harbor as the paddlers approached. And as a backdrop to it all, luminaria line the streets on Friday night.
Highlights on Saturday include the SOC Parade ‘” at 1p again this year ‘” and live nativity at the Methodist Church, lots of open houses at businesses and booths for charities around town.
The opening night of Oriental’s Spirit of Christmas is Friday December 11 and it centers on the water and many lights upon it. For instance, there’s the lighting of the Oriental Star down by the Town Dock. But before that, there are two boat events you can take part in’¦
A lighted boat parade [see /?p=153931] will pass through Oriental’s harbor around 5p. Here’s your chance to make your boat shine. If you’d like your boat to be a part of this parade, contact Joe Valinoti at joesail1@gmail.com)

A bit later, comes Oriental’s newer tradition: the flotilla of lighted kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and any unmotorized dinghies. They’re a beautiful sight, the silhouettes at sunset and those twinkling lights appearing just over the horizon, as the paddlers work their way toward the Town Dock (after taking off from the Wildlife Ramp around 5p.) More small boats (motorless) welcomed ‘“ for more info, contact Larry Summers at 252-675-0467.

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