OCRACOKE, N.C. (WNCT) — The Ocracoke Island Waterfowl Festival is returning for the fifth year on Saturday.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Berkley Manor. The festival is presented by the Ocracoke Island Decoy Carvers Guild.
“You’ll find new carvings, wood carvings. You’ll find antiques. There’s raffles, there’s bake sales,” said John Simpson, president of the Ocracoke Island Waterfowl Festival and Ocracoke Island Decoy Carver’s Guild.
He said that 32 tables will be set up with artists from Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
“It’s going to be a feather-oriented setup there. No fish carvings, things of that nature,” said Simpson.
The festival highlights the historical importance of waterfowl and decoy carving in the area.
“Waterfowl is something that’s been here for a long time. Decades and decades and decades,” Simpson said. “A lot of folks here they’ve had past where some of their ancestors carved decoys.
“It was a livelihood for a while and then of course, obviously, things change. Now, it’s people still use but they’ve gone to a different route. There’s plastic and decoys where the carving part now is mostly hobby folk art,” said Simpson.
He said that festival-goers should confirm ferry reservations to and from the island before heading out. Click the above video to find out more.
