August features a vibrant lineup of waterfront summer concert series, local anniversary celebrations, and important coastal safety and environmental updates across both Oak Island and Southport.
Live Music \& Summer Concert Series
Both communities host major, recurring weekly outdoor concert series throughout the month, featuring free admission and family-friendly environments:
- Southport Summer Concert Series: Held every Thursday from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM outdoors at Franklin Square Park. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs:
- August 13: Tropical rock with Latitude Adjustment.
- August 20: Rock and blues with The Doorsmen.
- August 27: Acoustic folk/rock with Honey and Bones.
- Oak Island Bands by the Beach: Hosted on Friday evenings from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Middleton Park:
- August 14: Billy Joel tribute with the 52nd Street Band.
- August 20 (Special Thursday Show): Classic rock with Rivermist (rescheduled).
- August 21: Local favorites Hood\’s Creek.
- August 28: High-energy rock with The Conspiracy.
- Waterfront \& Pier Venues: Local establishments are hosting dedicated single shows:
- Brown Dirt Cowboys (August 12): Performing at 5:00 PM at Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill in Southport.
- Dos Eddies (August 16): Live pier deck performance at 6:00 PM at Ocean Crest Fishing Pier in Oak Island.
- Nowcat (August 20): Playing Americana and jam rock at 6:00 PM at Duffer\'s Oak Island Country Club.
- Bitter Pines (August 22): Acoustic favorites at 5:00 PM at The Haven Southport.
Community Events \& Interactive Classes
- Franklin Square Gallery 50th Anniversary Kick-Off (August 23): This landmark event runs from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Franklin Square Gallery in Southport, celebrating half a century of local art with live music, snacks, and community socialization.
- Legendary Fishing Class (August 18\–19): A specialized instructional workshop hosted by Ocean Crest Fishing Pier starting at 9:00 AM, teaching advanced coastal angling techniques.
- Outstanding Oak Island Scavenger Hunt (Daily): A family-friendly indoor activity running daily at the Oki Coffee House.
Environmental \& Safety News
- Southport Water Quality Advisories: State officials issued recreational water quality advisories warning swimmers to avoid two locations due to elevated bacteria levels. Affected areas include the public kayak launch at Cottage Creek (West West Street) and the Cape Fear River beach area next to the municipal pier (South Davis Street).
- Oak Island Floodwater Pumping \& Beach Survey: Following heavy downpours, Oak Island municipal crews initiated emergency pumping of standing floodwater from streets into the ocean surf near Crowell Street to preserve emergency road access. While the temporary precautionary swimming advisory has since been lifted by the state, the town is concurrently deploying land and water crews to launch its annual beach monitoring survey.
