On May 13, the Town of Nags Head and Dare County Arts Council are celebrating the grand opening of Dowdy Park by creating a free, fun-filled day for families to enjoy. The park is now a public gathering space owned by the Town of Nags Head. The grand opening will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
During the grand opening, the 28th annual Artrageous Kids Art Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Artrageous is presented by PNC Bank.
This year’s Artrageous will offer more than 20 high quality, inclusive kids’ art activities including metalsmithing, painting, blacksmithing, stained glass making, a healing arts village and more. Artrageous will also feature performances by Nags Head Elementary percussion and chorus, Red In The Water, Paperhand Puppets brought to the Outer Banks by the Children and Youth Partnership, Atlantic Dance Studio, Mustang Music School, and Sensi Trails.
“Artrageous is one of the most fun, free educational events that PNC sponsors,” said Jim Hansen, PNC regional president for Eastern Carolinas. “Kids of all ages love to see craftsmen at work and enjoy a broad array of arts and cultural activities. We are pleased to be part of Dowdy Park’s grand opening.”
At 11 am, the Town of Nags Head, Dowdy Park Funders, and students from neighboring Nags Head Elementary School will officially open the park with a ribbon cutting.
“Nags Head Elementary School is honored to be part of the Grand Opening of Dowdy Park,” said Nags Head Elementary School Principal Dr. Adrienne Palma. “Under the direction of art teacher Cindy Wise, the entire student body is involved in creating decoration for the ribbon that will be used for the ribbon cutting ceremony.”
From 4-8pm, children and adults are invited to bring their beach chairs and blankets to watch Dowdy Park come alive with hula-hoops and a concert with music by Hatteras Island’s “folkadelic” Blurky’s Quirky Friends and Norfolk, VA’s rock n’ roll band Major and the Monbacks.
“Trillium is so excited to officially open the playground in Nags Head and continue making a positive impact on the community,” said Leza Wainwright, CEO of Trillium Health Resources, one of the park’s funders. “With these new updates, children of all abilities can better enjoy play time with their peers, and family members who use mobility devices can participate in outside play together. We strive to strengthen the bonds within the community, and this park helps reinforce our similarities rather than highlight our differences.”
The day will be complimented by over 20 local artists selling their creative goods, including photography, jewelry, prints, metal works, fiber, and more. A variety of local restaurants will also be selling culinary art inspired meals all day.
Families planning to attend the Grand Opening of Dowdy Park are encouraged to walk, carpool and ride their bikes. Parking is available at Nags Head Elementary, the YMCA, Beach Mart Central Square and at the Bonnett Street Beach Access. Handicap parking will be available at Dowdy Park.
Volunteers interested in being part of the event can contact Dare County Arts Council Programs Director Fay Davis Edwards at dareartsprograms@gmail.com or call (252) 473-5558.
A special thank you to Trillium Health Resources, the Dare County Tourism Board, North Carolina Parks and Recreation, and the Outer Banks Community Foundation for their help in creating a park for all ages and abilities. Dare County Arts Council would like to extend appreciation to Artrageous Presenting Sponsor PNC Bank, Corporate Sponsors Southern Insurance Agency and The Bryan Cultural Series, and Business Sponsors Surf Pediatrics, Joe Lamb Jr. Realty, Stan White Realty, Midgett Insurance, and Super Wings.
For more information about the grand opening, contact the Town of Nags Head at (252) 441-5508.
Dowdy Park sits at the corner of South Croatan Highway and Bonnett Street in Nags Head.
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
Dare County Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to supporting the arts in Dare County. DCAC programming is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council.
The Town of Nags Head, North Carolina, is located on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a chain of barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean, 90 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia. A unique resort community, Nags Head takes pride in its clean water, low density of development, and abundant open spaces. Its 11 miles of oceanfront and 6.5 square miles of area are home to a year round residential population of 2,800 and a summer population of approximately 40,000.