On Friday, December 4, at 6 p.m., the "Light Up the Night" Christmas Parade leaves the Oceanana Pier and heads west in the ocean-side lane of East Fort Macon Road. When it reaches the Circle, it goes around the wrong way, along East Drive and out to Atlantic Boulevard. Twenty-six days later, the Town's "Smoke on the Water" bonfire is scheduled for the same block, 6 to 8 p.m. on December 30, with 201 West Atlantic Blvd. listed as the address.
Both of the Town's December nights end on the same few acres. Since August, Town Council has been working on plans for those acres: a permanent event stage on two town-owned lots beside the Circle Boardwalk, and a new bathhouse at the Circle beach access. This December, the parade and bonfire run through the space the Town plans to rebuild before the May 2027 Beach Music Festival.
The Parade Runs the Circle Backward, So Pick Your Side Early
The Town has posted the route and viewing instructions on its parade page, and they come down to a few practical points:
- Start: Oceanana Pier at 6 p.m., heading west in the southernmost lane, the one closest to the ocean.
- Where to sit: Chairs go along the ocean side of East Fort Macon Road, or around the Circle from the stoplight to the Water Plant and along Atlantic Boulevard.
- Parking: There's plenty of free public parking around the Circle. The bathhouse lot on Atlantic Boulevard is reserved for band staging, and the Town asks drivers to be courteous in commercial lots along Fort Macon Road and the Causeway. Shepherd of the Sea is first on its list of other places to park.
- After: Santa visits the Atlantic Beach Fire Department at 125 West Fort Macon Road, with free cookies, juice and hot chocolate. Photos with Santa are free if you bring your own phone or camera.
If you want to be in the parade, the Town's float registration form is open until noon on Thursday, December 3. The parade has some history behind it. WNCT's 2019 coverage called that year's parade the 13th annual and described lighted floats and boats.
The backward loop puts the end of the parade at the Circle's edge, on the Atlantic Boulevard side, right where the Town plans to build.
The Bonfire Uses the Same Block, Weather Permitting
"Smoke on the Water" is on the beach at the Circle and is a Town event. The last one landed in the new year. According to WCTI, the annual bonfire was held Friday, January 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. on the beach at the Circle. Robert McDuffy played live music, and Traveling Tom's Coffee Truck opened at 5 p.m. with coffee and hot cider. Admission was free, with no tickets required.
Check the Town calendar the week of December 30, especially if the forecast turns.
The fire is big. In 2022, WNCT reported that 386 pallets were set aside for it. The Town also sold s'mores kits and set smaller fires for roasting marshmallows.
The Lots Between the Boardwalk and the Street Come Next
These are the addresses involved, based on the Town's business directory and the Carteret County News-Times account of the August work session:
| Address | Today | In the plan |
|---|---|---|
| 117 Atlantic Blvd. | Tackle Box Tavern and The Bite at the Box | Neighbors the seating area |
| 119 Atlantic Blvd. | Davis Beachwear | Neighbors the stage side |
| 121 Atlantic Blvd. | Town-owned lot | Seating area |
| 131 Atlantic Blvd. | Owned by FMB Inc. | Center festival easement, stays private |
| 141 Atlantic Blvd. | Town-owned lot | Circular concrete stage with shade sails |
| 157 Atlantic Blvd. | Hang 10 Donuts | Same block |
| 201 W. Atlantic Blvd. | Crab's Claw, and the bonfire's listed address | Unchanged |
The two Town lots have a history. FMB Inc., the construction company owned by local developer Fred Bunn, bought most of the Circle properties from the Town in 2005. The Town bought the two stage lots back in 2023. The deeds give FMB the right to approve future building plans on them, so the stage design had to meet FMB's design standards. Errol Warren, Bunn's architect, drew the designs, and council had been reviewing them since January.
At the August 13 work session, council reached informal consensus on a layout. It put the stage at 141, near Davis Beachwear, and the seating at 121, near Tackle Box Tavern. The News-Times quoted Councilmember Harry Archer calling the approved design "a breakthrough that was a long time coming for AB." The Town Manager's memo for that session said the design would go to Bunn for approval, along with an agreement for him to sign. The next day, WITN reported that permitting was set to start and that Mayor Danny Navey hoped to finish by May 2027, with the Town looking into grants.
By September 10, Town Manager John O'Daniel's memo to council included updated renderings and split the stage project in two:
- Phase I: Build the stage, plus the seating area on the east parcel if time allows, before the May 2027 Beach Music Festival.
- Phase II: Lay pervious pavers across the sandy parts of 121 and 141 Atlantic Blvd. and the center festival easement.
The Cullipher Group was preparing a proposal and cost estimate for the site plans needed for the CAMA permit application. The memo called that session "the last opportunity to make changes to the design" before the Town started spending money on site plans.
The stage is also the last piece of a three-phase cleanup. In March 2025, S.F. Ballou of Morehead City won a $74,500 contract to replace two cobblestone alley walkways. The Circle Bathhouse was remodeled later in 2025.
The Bathhouse Is Being Redesigned for Bigger Crowds
Even after the 2025 remodel, visitors complained that the bathhouse was too small, and that pushed the Town toward a full rebuild. On July 29, Stroud Engineering of Morehead City proposed $165,100 for design, engineering, permitting and construction management. That scope would have replaced and relocated the facilities, expanded restrooms from eight to 12 or 16, added septic capacity and added parking. Council held off because of the cost.
Staff then asked Stroud whether the price could come down and asked Cullipher for a competing proposal. Stroud suggested approving the work in phases, starting with survey, septic design and architectural work. It also noted that if a state stormwater permit turns out not to be needed, its estimate would drop by $13,200. The September 28 council agenda asked council to let the Town Manager approve Cullipher Group's proposal, not to exceed $103,000. That breaks down to $85,000 for design and permitting, $17,000 for bidding and contract administration, and $1,000 for miscellaneous costs. The project covers a new bathhouse, an updated septic system, a review of the parking lot layout and new beach access walkways.
That puts two separate efforts on the Circle at once, the stage and the bathhouse, and both are aimed at the same crowds that turn out for the parade and the bonfire.
Between Circle Nights, the Calendar Moves to Fort Macon
Between now and the bonfire, most of what's on the island calendar is at the other end of East Fort Macon Road. Fort Macon State Park's off-season programs through the end of the year:
- Beach Scavenger Hunt: Monday, November 16, 10 to 11 a.m. A ranger-led beach walk that meets at the Fort Visitor Center.
- Small Arms Demonstration: Wednesdays, 10:30 to 11 a.m., on November 18 and 25 and December 2, 9, 16 and 30. Blanks are fired on the fort's parade ground.
- Natural Side of Fort Macon: Thursday, November 19, and Thursday, December 17, 10 to 11 a.m. A slow walk over trail and beach that starts in the visitor center lobby.
- Astronomy with the Crystal Coast Stargazers: Friday, November 20, and Friday, December 4, 6 to 8 p.m., at the beach access and bathhouse parking area, weather permitting.
The December 4 stargazing night is on the same evening as the parade, so you'll have to pick one. The regional Crystal Coast events calendar also lists a Santa Beach Run/Walk at Fort Macon the next morning, Saturday, December 5, at 8:30 a.m.
The Atlantic Beach Fire Department, which hosts Santa after the parade, is also holding a Red Cross Blood Drive on Tuesday, November 24, from 2 to 6 p.m.
There's one goodbye on this side of the bridge. AB Kitchen, the family-owned bistro at 299 Atlantic Blvd., has announced it will close for good on Monday, November 16 when its lease runs out, after five years in business. The weekend of November 14 and 15 is the last chance for a meal there.
The night after the parade, the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum run the Friends Holiday Flotilla on Saturday, December 5. Boats leave the Morehead City waterfront around 5:30 p.m., go around Radio Island and into Taylor's Creek, and should reach Beaufort around 6:30 p.m. You can watch for free from the waterfront in either town.
Our team at Linda Rike Real Estate works from Morehead City, just across the bridge, and we'll keep following the stage and bathhouse as they go through permitting. If you own near the Circle, or along the parade route on East Fort Macon Road, and want to talk about how these projects may affect your block, Contact Us.
