The 43rd NC Holiday Flotilla takes over Wrightsville Beach from Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 29. The NCDOT has announced that at 5 a.m. the following Monday, Nov. 30, its contractor Balfour Beatty will fully close West Salisbury Street from Pelican Drive to Lookout Harbor Way. Crews will tear down the bridge over Lees Cut and build a new one, and NCDOT's announcement says no cars or pedestrians will be allowed through the work zone.
That stretch of road is expected to stay closed until the new bridge is finished, which NCDOT puts at summer 2027. That makes Thanksgiving weekend the last time this year's holiday events run on the road layout the island has always had. The two big November events, the Taste of Wrightsville Beach and the Flotilla, both happen before that closure.
Two dates, two days apart
The Flotilla has been held at Wrightsville Beach since 1983, according to the Wilmington and Beaches visitors bureau, and it is still run by volunteers. Its weekend always follows Thanksgiving. This year that puts the Saturday parade on Nov. 28, two days before the announced closure.
NCDOT says the Nov. 30 start depends on finishing the utility relocation that is already underway. It also says drivers should expect lane closures on and off along West Salisbury Street in the weeks before the full closure. So the Flotilla falls in the window when the road is still open but already has work crews on it. The NCDOT project page is the place to check for any change to the date.
Here is how the three weeks line up:
- Sat., Nov. 14: Taste of Wrightsville Beach, 5 to 8 p.m.
- Fri., Nov. 27: Flotilla kickoff and the Town's Christmas Kickoff & Tree Lighting
- Sat., Nov. 28: Day in the Park, then the boat parade and fireworks
- Sun., Nov. 29: Flotilla awards ceremony
- Mon., Nov. 30, 5 a.m.: West Salisbury Street scheduled to close at Lees Cut
The Taste comes first
The 13th annual Taste of Wrightsville Beach is on Saturday, Nov. 14, two days after this post goes up. It runs 5 to 8 p.m., rain or shine, under a tent in the Bluewater Waterfront Grill parking lot. WECT reported that the evening will have more than 35 tasting booths for local food, beer and wine. Celebrity and public judges will give out awards, and there will be live music and a charity silent auction.
Tickets cost $100 for adults and $25 for children. All net proceeds go to Weekend Meals on Wheels of New Hanover County, which delivers meals and weekend visits to homebound seniors who aren't covered by weekday delivery programs. Parking is limited to nearby public areas, so organizers recommend a taxi or rideshare. With work crews possibly closing lanes on West Salisbury Street that month, that advice makes even more sense this year.
Friday night opens the weekend
Captains meet at 5:30 p.m. at Wrightsville Yacht Club. At 7 p.m., Bluewater Grill hosts the Kickoff Party, with live music from Spare Change, snacks and a cash bar. Tickets are sold through the official Flotilla site.
Starting at the same time as the captains' meeting, the Town of Wrightsville Beach holds its Christmas Kickoff & Tree Lighting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Wrightsville Beach Park, according to the Town calendar. The tree lighting is open to the public. It runs until 7:30, half an hour after the Kickoff Party starts, so if you want to do both, you'll have to leave the park early or get to Bluewater late.
Saturday runs from the park to Banks Channel
Day in the Park runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wrightsville Beach Park, 1 Bob Sawyer Drive. The visitors bureau listing says the festival has more than 100 arts and craft vendors, an antique car show, a large children's play area with inflatables, and festival food. Spectators get in free. Official Flotilla merchandise is sold at the Flotilla Tent.
After the vendors pack up there's a gap of about two hours. The sponsor viewing tent opens at 5 p.m., boats begin lining up at the same time, and they leave at 6 p.m. The route rules in the 2026 boat entry form explain where the boats go:
- Staging: the Intracoastal Waterway north of the drawbridge onto Wrightsville Beach
- The turn east: south on the ICW, under the Heide Trask Drawbridge, then east through Motts Channel
- The long run: into Banks Channel and down its full length to the Coast Guard Station near Masonboro Inlet
- Judging: the reviewing stand is at Atlantic Marine Marina, and boats must pass within 100 feet of it without stopping or turning
- Pace: steady no-wake speed, each boat within 200 feet of the one ahead, about 55 minutes start to finish
Boats aren't allowed to spin or turn anywhere on the route, so a boat you watch from any spot along Banks Channel looks the same as it did to the judges. Spectators can vote by text for both the People's Choice and Crowd Favorite awards once the parade starts. The entry form says text votes sent before 6 p.m. don't count. Fireworks follow the parade.
The awards ceremony, presented by REDIX, is at 10 a.m. Sunday. Last year's top prize, the Billy Baggett Best In Show, went to Captain Josh Reda's boat, Chaos.
Monday at 5 a.m.
The parade begins with boats going under the Heide Trask Drawbridge, and that bridge is part of what changes after Thanksgiving. WECT reported that once active construction starts at Lees Cut, the drawbridge will open only on the hour to help keep island traffic moving. The drawbridge isn't being replaced, and WilmingtonBiz reported that NCDOT was working with the Coast Guard to cut down on openings during construction.
The Lees Cut bridge is the first of three spans in the project. The others are the longer West Salisbury Street bridge over Banks Channel and the Causeway Drive bridge over Banks Channel. When Lees Cut reopens, crews move to the Banks Channel bridge on West Salisbury Street. According to WECT, town and state officials have said at least two travel lanes in each direction will stay open for the whole multi-year project. They have also arranged for police, fire and EMS crews to be stationed on both sides of the work zones at all times.
The Loop is the change walkers and runners will notice. At an Oct. 5 community meeting, the Wrightsville Beach Bridge Replacement Committee said access to The Loop will be restricted once Lees Cut construction begins, and the Town said it will share blockage dates as they become available. Committee chair Neal Andrew told WECT:
"I feel it's important to make sure my neighbors, my friends, and business owners are as prepared as possible for the upcoming work that will be disruptive, but we are trying to minimize those disruptions."
The new Lees Cut bridge will have one 12-foot travel lane in each direction, two 6-foot bike lanes, and a 12-foot multi-use path on its south side. It's due in summer 2027, and the 2027 Flotilla is the first that could run with it open. NCDOT sends project updates to anyone who signs up on its project webpage.
If you're planning around the bridge work for something bigger than a parade, like a renovation, a sale or a winter on the island, the team at Tory Kuehner Group follows the Wrightsville Beach project timeline closely and is glad to talk it through. When you're ready, start with our instant home valuation.