Outer Banks Pridefest is celebrating 15 years of Pride on the beach with a weekend of drag, live music and LGBTQ+ community Sept. 11–13.
The weekend begins Friday, Sept. 11, with the Out at Sea Sunset Cruise aboard the Crystal Dawn. The cruise departs Pirate’s Cove Marina at 5 p.m. for a two-hour trip around Roanoke Island. Later that night, Delighted Tobehere takes the stage at Good Winds Restaurant in Rodanthe for “Big Delighted Energy,” beginning at 10 p.m.
The centerpiece is the free, family-friendly OBX Pride Festival, taking place Saturday, Sept. 12, from noon to 6 p.m. at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo. According to OBX Pridefest, the waterfront celebration will feature live bands, drag performances, food and craft vendors, games, face painting and more.
This year’s headliner is Gigi Monroe, who won Charlie Brown’s Drag Idol contest in 2005 and is known for celebrity impersonations including Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton, Lady Gaga and Cher.
Seven-foot-tall New York City-based Southern queen Delighted Tobehere will emcee the festival. Saturday’s lineup also includes drag king Roy Farenheit, K2 Russo, The Storyweavers, Someone’s Sister, Artificial Intelligence and all-female cover band Not Those Girls.
After Saturday’s festival, the free Together We Shine Celebration runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Old Tom’s in Manteo, featuring live music by Jade Loving, karaoke, light fare and drawings. Night owls can continue to the official afterparty with DJ Steven Pack at Basnight’s Lone Cedar Cafe in Nags Head.
Pride weekend wraps Sunday with the Big Gay Drag Brunch at Jennette’s Pier, featuring Delighted Tobehere, Gigi Monroe and more.
Visitors looking to make a weekend of it can also find a guide to LGBTQ+-friendly Outer Banks restaurants, shops, accommodations and other businesses on the OBX Pridefest website. For the complete 2026 schedule, tickets and Pride guide, visit obxpridefest.com.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
