Family events in Brunswick County, NC

Enjoy a weekend of local shopping, great food, and live music at the Wilmington Summer Market & Festival. This three-day outdoor event on the riverfront features vendors and artisans selling handmade crafts, jewelry, home décor, and specialty items, plus family-friendly activities and entertainment throughout the weekend.

Rourk Branch Library presents a hands-on exploration of fossils, shark teeth, and seashells with Dr. Ashley Oliphant, including a dig activity. The program is intended for children in preschool through fifth grade. Registration is required for children who plan to participate.

Stop by the Museum of Coastal Carolina for a Touch Tank Feeding where you can gently interact with resident sea creatures with help from staff and trained volunteers. Watch volunteers feed animals such as horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, sea stars, and more, and learn about what makes them special.

Settle into the Planetarium’s comfortable seats for an immersive dome film experience. “The Sky Tonight!” offers a live tour of the night sky and highlights what’s happening across our solar system.

Celebrate America 250 with screenings of Laser Freedom, a memorable, family-friendly tribute to veterans and active military. It offers a shared experience for all ages that honors those who serve.

Set sail for a 90-minute sunset cruise on the Cape Fear River aboard The “Wilmington,” featuring live music. Boarding begins about 15 minutes before departure, and you can grab drinks and snacks from the onboard full bar. It’s a great all-ages outing for date night or quality time with family and friends.

Rising Stars Week 9 is a full-day performing arts camp for kids ages 7 to 10. Campers will have the chance to sing, dance, and act while building confidence, creativity, and stage skills. The week also includes hands-on activities inspired by classic and modern Disney movies, with art projects like sketching characters, designing magical scenes, creating murals, and more.

Get up close to marine life in the museum's touch tank with guidance from staff and trained volunteers. Gently feel the sea creatures and watch as volunteers feed them. This hands-on encounter is a favorite among visitors.

Rourk Branch Library offers a free program that welcomes students in grades 3 to 5 to begin learning Spanish in a relaxed, encouraging setting. Participants build confidence and curiosity as they explore basic words and everyday phrases through short videos, lively songs, and bright flashcards that support clear pronunciation and understanding. Playful games and matching exercises make practice enjoyable while reinforcing comprehension. Guided conversations provide chances to speak and listen from the start, helping children develop practical communication skills. The library requests registration for this and other youth programs.

This event offers an introduction to sea turtles along the North Carolina coast. It highlights nesting females that come ashore on beaches from the Outer Banks to Ocean Isle Beach and shares accessible information about these animals and their connection to the region.

Sea turtles often get the spotlight, but this event highlights Terrene Turtles and their role in nearby ecosystems. Discover what defines these turtles and why they are important members of the local environment.

Enjoy an immersive planetarium program featuring an engaging live tour of the night sky and a guided look at the solar system. Settle in for a relaxing dome film experience in the planetarium’s comfortable seating.

This kids-focused marsh adventure offers an introduction to several ways to catch local critters. It’s a hands-on crabbing and fishing experience designed for kids to learn and try their hand at the activity together.

Celebrate the close of the season at Town Center Park with an ocean-inspired end of summer party featuring games, treats, crafts, and other playful activities. Friends and families can enjoy hands-on fun and create lasting memories together. This event is free and open to everyone.

Experience the Touch Tank feeding at the Museum of Coastal Carolina. With support from staff and trained volunteers, you can gently touch resident sea creatures while learning about them. Trained volunteers will also feed the animals, including horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, sea stars, and more. The session runs from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Take a closer look at seashells and the small wonders left by the tides. This event encourages fresh appreciation for shoreline finds that are often overlooked, turning everyday beach discoveries into true treasures.

Unwind in the planetarium’s comfortable seats for an immersive dome film experience. You’ll enjoy “The Sky Tonight!” with a live tour of the night sky and a guided look at the solar system. Perfect for anyone who wants a fun, relaxing way to explore space.

Moonlight Movies, presented by the Town of Ocean Isle Beach Recreation Department, features family friendly films at the amphitheater in Town Center Park on a 16 foot outdoor screen. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, relax with friends and family, and enjoy food available from onsite vendors. Free admission and parking are available, and @vickiepaints will offer face painting throughout the event. Screenings begin at dusk, with start times adjusting as the season changes. Please note that smoking, vaping, alcohol, illegal drugs, and glass containers are not permitted.

Join in an interactive family program exploring the world of sharks. You’ll learn where sharks live off the coast of North Carolina, what they eat, and what makes their anatomy unique. There will also be myth-busting about whether sharks really eat people, plus safety tips for enjoying the ocean. The program ends with a fun shark craft where you design your own shark jaws.

Explore the world of whales with a focus on fascinating facts, including that dolphins are toothed whales. Wild Whales provides an opportunity to learn more about these remarkable marine mammals.

Join a kid-friendly introduction to catching critters in the marsh. The session will cover several methods for crabbing and fishing, giving families a fun, hands-on way to explore the outdoors together.

Hop on over to the Hoppers and Leapers family program to learn all about frogs and toads. You’ll explore how toads hop and how frogs leap, plus discover the differences between them and learn what frogs and toads eat and what makes them amphibians through interactive activities and discussion.

This installment of the Southport Concert Series brings Latitude Adjustment to Franklin Square Park for a free, family friendly performance. Organized by the City of Southport in partnership with Up Your Arts and Cape Fear Radio, the series celebrates live music in a welcoming outdoor setting and is dependent on favorable weather. Attendees can spread out with picnic blankets or chairs and enjoy time on the lawn for a little dancing. Support from sponsors and community partners helps keep the arts thriving in Southport. Coastal 523 food truck is participating throughout the season.

This long-running program offers close, in-person viewing of a variety of snakes. Participants have the chance to encounter these reptiles at close range.

Laser Taylor Swift is back at the planetarium with a mix of Taylor Swift's latest tracks and signature hits, creating a music-focused experience that spans recent releases and well known favorites.