Southport Magazine

After Labor Day weekend, it seems we all breathe a bit easier. We’ve survived another summer proper and can look forward to fall, or what we like to call “local’s summer.” The Town of Oak Island started its Live & Local fall concert series a few years ago, and now the Town is debuting a new event to bridge the gap between the summer and fall festivities. 

The inaugural Sunset on Summer Music Festival is an all day event featuring music and children’s activities. Food trucks will be on site and tasty adult beverages from various breweries and distilleries will be available for purchase. Sunset on Summer is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, at the Middleton Park fields, SE 46th Street and Dolphin Drive. 

“It’s just something to bring the community together as we close the summer season,” Oak Island town manager David Kelly said. “It also leads into our Live & Local series we have in the fall.”

Sunset on Summer kicks off with children’s activities from 11 am to 2 pm. The event will feature three bands — The Band of Oz from noon to 2 pm, Landslide (a Fleetwood Mac tribute band) from 3-5 pm, and 20 Ride (a Zac Brown tribute band) from 6-8 pm. A DJ will keep the music flowing in between the bands, and the splashpad will be open in between the bands as well. Sunset on Summer will conclude with a fireworks display shortly after 8 pm.

“We wanted to start something for our community to show our appreciation and to bring our locals and guests together and bring another great summer to an end,” Kelly said. 

“It will be great to see families and friends coming out and spending some time enjoying the music, food, and refreshments.” Kelly also complimented town staff for all the hard work they do to provide community engagement events which “showcase the great place where we live, work, and play.”

The Town’s Live & Local Series, featuring live music and arts and crafts vendors, will kick off later in September, so check next month’s issue for that schedule.