Week of April 8, 2024 - April 14, 2024

  • Saturday, April 13th 7:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Wilmington

This spring, get your family and friends together and join our family as we run (or walk) to help those living with kidney disease. The event takes place at Mayfaire Town Center in Wilmington, North Carolina offering a flat course for the 1 Mile and 5K events. There is a virtual option if you cannot join us in person. The popular finisher medals and awards will be back.

Week of April 15, 2024 - April 21, 2024

  • Monday, April 15th
Southport

Enjoy an on-foot exploration of the heart of Southport while meeting and mingling with active locals and visitors alike at this event that corresponds with the annual Southport Spring Festival. The Southport-Oak Island Kiwanis 5k Run and Walk is a lightly competitive run / walk to the finish line that winds through the heart of town, and presents plenty of stunning waterfront and area views along the way.

  • Saturday, April 20th
Wilmington

Get active while enjoying the start of the beautiful spring and summer weather that the Port City is known for by attending the always fun and highly energized Healthy Kids Day. Celebrating its 13th year in 2024, this annual event has a focus on getting outside, getting active, and having a ball that will resonate with kids of all ages, and which will show just how much fun exploring Wilmington can be.

  • Sunday, April 21st 9:30 AM
Carolina Beach

Get ready for a run that is decked out in all the colors of the rainbow at this annual race that goes to benefit a local cause. The Tinted Turtle Trot 5K and 1-Mile Run is an engaging event that is infused with plenty of color, and which gives participants a fine opportunity to explore the terrain of Carolina Beach while having a ball with fellow active members of the local community.

Week of April 22, 2024 - April 28, 2024

  • Wednesday, April 24th 7:30 AM
Kure Beach

Discover a beautiful little corner of the globe while celebrating Earth Day by participating in this engaging run, jog or walk that explores one of the prettiest sections of Kure Beach. The 5K Race for the Planet begins and ends at the Fort Fisher Aquarium, and the no-pressure race is a fun way to uncover all the beauty of this southernmost strip of coastline in the Cape Fear region.

  • Saturday, April 27th
Sunset Beach

Discover some of the prettiest terrain that Sunset Beach has to offer with more than 600 runners from all across the region and the country with this annual running event that puts the small town of Sunset Beach on the map. The Run Sunset Beach event features a variety of races that range from a mile-long Fun Run to a half marathon, and which boasts some of the most scenic courses that coastal North Carolina has to offer.

Week of May 6, 2024 - May 12, 2024

  • Thursday, May 9th - Saturday, May 11th
Wilmington

Explore the beauty of riverfront Wilmington and literally miles beyond by participating in the annual WILMA Dash & Health Fest. This fun event that combines an all-female 5K run and walk with a health and fitness-oriented after party is a great way to ring in the summer season with a focus on friends, fitness, and overall health for visitors and locals alike.

Week of September 30, 2024 - October 6, 2024

  • Saturday, October 5th 11:00 AM
Wrightsville Beach

Celebrating its 30th year in 2024, the annual Bark in the Park is a playful competition that pits high flying canines of all varieties in a number of competitions that will delight participants and their human spectators alike. Featuring a number of activities, and absolutely free to the public, Bark in the Park is a great outing for family members of all varieties, and especially the furry ones who love to make new friends and show off their stuff at one of the coolest parks in Wrightsville Beach.

Week of October 14, 2024 - October 20, 2024

  • Saturday, October 19th
Wilmington

Known as one of the most-watched and most intense competitions in the Cape Fear area and miles beyond, the Ironman 70.3 North Carolina puts athletes of all ages to the test with an incredible course that requires endurance and massive feasts of strength. Featuring a swim, bike ride, and run, this "point-to-point-to-point-to-point" event will wow spectators from all across the Cape Fear region with its incredible course, and incredible athletes who participate.

Week of November 11, 2024 - November 17, 2024

  • Sunday, November 17th
Wilmington

Ties up your laces and get ready for one of the biggest running and fitness events that the Cape Fear area has to offer! The annual Battleship Half Marathon, 10K and 5K is a popular running event that attracts active visitors from all across the county and beyond, and which provides a perfect opportunity to explore the local landscape of the southern N.C. coastline while enjoying a little competitive fun.

Victory Beach Vacations

Visitors who are on the hunt for the postcard-perfect vacation rental in the heart of the Carolina Beach or Kure Beach area will find an enticing selection and plenty of friendly customer service when they rent through Victory Beach Vacations. Based in Carolina Beach in the coastal Cape Fear region, Victory Beach Vacations has more than 100 vacation rentals in all shapes and sizes to ensure that every vacationing family can find their dream home away from home on the beach.   When you book your Cape Fear getaway with Victory Beach Vacations, the fun doesn’t end when you leave the beach, it continues with an array of privately-owned properties outfitted with all of the amenities needed for a fabulous beach vacation.   Jenna Lanier, General Manager, explains that her family first opened the rental and property management business in 2002. At the forefront of Victory Beach operations is Lanier’s mother, Caroline Meeks. Meeks is both the Broker in Charge and co-owner with husband, Buck Meeks, who manages the Field Services team with Lanier’s husband, Scott.   For nearly 20 years, the Victory Beach team has worked tirelessly to establish a network of top-of-the-line rental properties for Cape Fear visitors to enjoy. “As far as our properties go,” explains Lanier, “they are all updated, well-furnished and appointed. “We have always performed post-cleaning inspections and since the pandemic, have put freshly laundered duvets over all of the comforters between rentals.”   Lanier emphasizes how important the guests experience is “we strive to give our guests a relaxing, stress free, memorable vacation.” This emphasis on customer service has led to Victory Beach Vacations having a 4.8 Google rating with over 300 reviews by happy owners and guests.In addition to Victory Beach’s superior sanitation practices, the company offers properties for every type of visitor. Choose from luxury oceanfront houses and condos to more reasonbly priced 2nd row properties with oceanviews. Many properties include pools and hot tubs as well, perfect for outdoor entertaining, and many are dog friendly.   Lanier also notes that all properties are within walking or driving distance to Pleasure Island’s main attractions – Carolina Beach and Kure Beach. The former, as described by Lanier, is the more commercialized of the two destinations and features a boardwalk, outdoor dining options and a plethora of weekly activities including fireworks, live music, amusement park pop-ups, and movies under the stars. Kure Beach offers a more residential feel with its fishing pier, intimate restaurants and family favorite, North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.More water fun awaits, too. “There is a harbor and a canal that feed into the intercoastal. We have several properties on the harbor so guests can bring their boat, kayak, [or jet ski] and travel between islands,” says Lanier.   A stay with Victory Beach Vacations is an annual pilgrimage for most. “A large percentage of guests are previous guests. Some even reserve the same property for the next year as they’re checking out,” Lanier says. “It’s almost like it’s their personal vacation home.”   Even before guests arrive at their vacation destination, the Victory Beach Vacations’ website greets them with a live beach cam and exquisite aerial footage of both Carolina and Kure Beaches. See for yourself by scanning the QR code and call Victory Beach Vacations at 910.458.0868 to book your Cape Fear getaway. Start making your memories today! —Grace Silipigni