Bald Head Island's Thanksgiving holiday events run November 26 to 29, 2026, and the biggest gathering of the weekend is on Saturday, November 28, at Old Baldy. From 4 to 7 p.m., hundreds of luminaries will light the path to the lighthouse and through the Village Chapel gardens. The Chapel Choir will sing carols, and dozens of decorated Christmas trees will be up for bid. The evening is free and open to all ages.
Those trees start as 3-foot artificial tabletop trees that the Old Baldy Foundation gives out bare. Volunteers bring the lights, ornaments, garland and treats, and the finished trees are due back at the Old Baldy Gift Shop by 4 p.m. on Friday, November 20. For anyone on the island who wants a part in the holiday, the real deadline is six days before Thanksgiving.
A Bare Tree, a Stocking, and Six Days of Lead Time
The Old Baldy volunteer sign-up page offers two options: one undecorated tabletop tree, or one standard stocking to fill. After signing up, volunteers pick up a tree or stocking at the gift shop during regular November hours. Themes are encouraged but optional. The Foundation suggests extras around the tree, such as children's storybooks, surprise gifts, gift cards or miniature bottles of alcohol.
What a tree brings in depends on how well it is decorated. All auction proceeds go to the Foundation's work preserving Old Baldy Lighthouse and teaching the history of Bald Head Island and the Lower Cape Fear River. A tree with a clear theme and a gift card tucked under it gives bidders more to compete over than a string of lights alone.
The auction opens to bidders as soon as the trees come in.
| Auction milestone | Date and time |
|---|---|
| Decorated trees and stockings due at the Old Baldy Gift Shop | Friday, November 20, by 4 p.m. |
| Online bidding opens | Friday, November 20, 5 p.m. |
| In-person bidding at the lighthouse | From the weekend before Thanksgiving through November 28, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Luminary Night bidding | Saturday, November 28, 4 to 7 p.m. |
| Online bidding closes | Saturday, November 28, 8:45 p.m. |
Old Baldy is closed Sundays and Mondays, so there is no in-person bidding on November 22 or 23. Your next chance to see the trees in person is Tuesday, November 24, a good day to go if family arrives early in the week.
The Week Fills In Around the Lighthouse
The rest of the week leads up to Saturday. The island's calendar runs from a beach gathering on Tuesday to the club and dining events in the middle of the weekend, then to the lighthouse.
Tuesday, November 24. Howl at the Moon is back at Beach Access #39, 188 Station House Way, from 4 to 6 p.m. Maritime Market hosts, with bagpipe music, soup from Chef Taylor and a bonfire if the weather allows. Guests bring an appetizer to share and their own drinks. On a week when many households have guests on their first night, a potluck on the sand with a group howl at moonrise is a simple first outing.
Thursday, November 26. The Bald Head Island Club serves its Thanksgiving Day Feast from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are at 910-477-5010. Club dining is for members and registered Guest Pass holders.
Friday, November 27. The day has several overlapping events:
- Winter Wonderland and the Posh Pet Parade at the Bald Head Island Club, 301 S. Bald Head Wynd, from noon to 8 p.m. Information at 910-457-7300.
- A Continental Cuisine prix fixe at AQUA at the Shoals Club, 100 Station House Way, on November 27 and 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Reservations at 910-454-4888.
- The Smith Island Art League's annual exhibition and sale at the Bald Head Association Center, 111 Lighthouse Wynd, on November 27 and 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday evening also has a listing that bears on the auction. Bald Head Island Limited's events calendar lists Light Up the Holidays Old Baldy Lighthouse Benefit, a show and sale of decorated artificial Christmas trees at the Bald Head Island Club on Salt Meadow Trail off South Bald Head Wynd. It starts at 5 p.m. on November 27, with proceeds going to Old Baldy Foundation programs and further details still to be announced. Old Baldy's own auction pages describe in-person bidding at the lighthouse. If you plan to bid on Friday night, check with the Foundation first.
Saturday, Hour by Hour
Saturday, November 28, is the busiest day of the weekend, and several of its events overlap:
- 8:30 a.m. The Bald Head Island Conservancy's Turtle Trot 5K starts promptly at 700 Federal Road. Prizes go to the top male and female finishers in each age group. Island pricing is listed at $50 for adults and $35 for children 10 and under, and registration includes a themed T-shirt and age-group medals. You can register through the Conservancy's calendar.
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trees are on view for bidding at the Old Baldy Lighthouse and Smith Island Museum, 101 Lighthouse Wynd.
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The art league sale continues at the Association Center, a short walk up Lighthouse Wynd from Old Baldy.
- 4 to 7 p.m. Luminary Night. Old Baldy plans living historians telling stories from the island's past, carols from the Chapel Choir, luminary walks, the tree auction and lighthouse climbs.
- 6 p.m. Tree winners are announced, according to The Inn at Bald Head Island's holiday events guide.
- 8:45 p.m. Online bidding closes.
The Turtle Trot is in the morning and the luminaries come out at dusk, so most of the day is open for a family dinner.
The Luminary Night page lists the event's cost as free. Regular admission to Old Baldy is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 3 to 12 and free for children under 3, and on a normal visit the lighthouse closes at 3:30 p.m. If someone in your group plans to climb that evening, ask Old Baldy beforehand whether the climb has its own charge.
Old Baldy's Visit Us page also lists its Thanksgiving Day closure as November 27. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, this year, so confirm the 2026 holiday hours before planning a midweek trip to the gift shop.
Getting Guests There
None of Saturday works unless your guests make the ferry. The Bald Head Island ferry asks passengers to reserve at least three hours before travel, arrive 40 minutes before departure and be in the boarding line 15 minutes before. Departing luggage should be ready 45 minutes before the boat leaves. A few numbers to give guests:
- Fares. A general round trip is $23, children 3 to 12 ride for $12, and children 2 and under ride free. A same-day "no-frills" round trip without tram or luggage service is $14, enough for a guest coming over just for Luminary Night.
- Parking. The General Lot at Deep Point is $13 per day, across the street from the terminal.
- Luggage. Bags need a contact name and phone number on the tag. Fees may apply to items over 50 pounds or 50 quarts, to oversized items such as bikes and kayaks, and to anything beyond three items per ticketed passenger. A cooler packed with a homemade side dish can count toward that limit.
The ferry's schedule page links a printable winter schedule. Check it directly for holiday-week departure times, especially for a guest leaving Saturday night after the luminaries.
If you want a part in Saturday, now is the time to sign up. Pick up a tree from the Old Baldy Gift Shop during its November hours, decorate it at home and return it by 4 p.m. on November 20. When your family walks up the lit path on November 28, one of the trees they bid on could be yours.
David and Suzanne Wray keep up with the island's calendar as well as its market. If you're hosting this Thanksgiving and want to talk through Bald Head Island ownership over coffee, David Wray welcomes you to request a private consultation with David & Suzanne Wray.
