Twelve dollars buys two spot fish, hushpuppies, French fries and coleslaw at the NC Spot Festival this year. The festival sets up at 14221 US Highway 17 in Hampstead, and Visit Pender describes the spot as the field south of the Hampstead Women's Club, where it has been held for years.
The rest of Hampstead's late-fall calendar runs the same way. The festival, the Kiwanis Turkey Trot and the Christmas tree lighting are each run by a committee, a civic club or the county parks department, and they're held on a field or in a public park. The newer piece is a place to eat before or after. Since mid-2025 the town has had Oyster Creek Landing, one commercial address with several sit-down options. This September its newest restaurant opened under a father and son who both live in Hampstead.
A Field on US-17, Most Novembers Since 1963
The festival's own history says the first one was held in 1963, and the idea came up at a community oyster roast. It hasn't run every single year. WWAY reported in 2022 that the festival was coming back after a two-year break. The money it raises goes to the local fire department and to Topsail-area schools in Pender County. That's the main reason the dinner line exists.
The fish is worth a sentence too. Spot, Leiostomus xanthurus, is a small saltwater fish in the croaker family. Coastal Review describes it as plentiful along the North Carolina coast, and fall is when anglers have long gone after it. A festival built around it is built around the most local fish there is.
This year's festival runs Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8. Visit Pender lists 9 a.m. Saturday through 6 p.m. Sunday. One older event listing gives an earlier Sunday close, so check the festival's Facebook page before a late Sunday visit.
What to know before you park:
- Admission is $5, and children 6 and under get in free.
- No pets and no coolers. Lawn chairs are welcome.
- Spot dinner is $12 for the full plate described above.
- Inflatable rides are $20 for all day.
- Beyond the food, the North Carolina Festivals listing mentions fireworks, live beach music and more than 100 vendors. It doesn't name performers.
Saturday Has Competition Up the Road
Nov. 7 has a second big event. Scotty McCreery and Lonestar headline Holly Ridge Live, an outdoor show presented by Shoreline Events NC at 417 Kraft Street in Holly Ridge. WWAY reported in July that gates open at noon and the show begins at 2 p.m., while the Visit Pender listing shows 4 to 11 p.m. If you're going, check your tickets or Shoreline Events NC for the arrival time.
So two big events share the same Saturday on US-17 north of Hampstead. If you want both, either schedule lets you spend the morning at the spot field and the afternoon in Holly Ridge. If you'd rather skip the concert crowds, Sunday at the festival is the simpler choice.
Oyster Creek Landing Became the Dinner Address
Before 2025, dinner after a Hampstead event usually meant driving to one standalone restaurant on the highway. Oyster Creek Landing changed that. It was Double Dimension LLC's first Hampstead project, and it opened with a grand opening in late May 2025, according to WilmingtonBiz. W.M. Jordan Company, which managed construction, describes three buildings totaling 31,030 square feet, with shops and restaurants on the ground floor and office suites above.
The food tenants grew one at a time. P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille, Tiny'z Tavern and Bubba & Finn's were on the opening-weekend roster. Port City Daily reported Drift Coffee's plans for the center in March 2025, and Drift was still there this fall. In September 2026, Seoul Sushi opened its second brick-and-mortar location at 43 Shuckin Street. Seoul Sushi started as a food truck before opening in Wilmington's Cargo District, and it's known for rice bowls, sushi, wings and Korean barbecue.
Sang and Adam Woo own and run the restaurant. Adam Woo told Port City Daily that Hampstead felt like a natural choice because both he and his father live there. He explained why:
"We believe that Hampstead is looking for more diversity in the food sector, and we believe we can add on a different variety of food that Hampstead locals can look forward to having."
That's why one parking lot now matters for festival weekend. The spot plate covers the traditional meal. Fifteen minutes later, you can have a coffee, a burger, a tavern seat or a sushi roll, all in one place.
A Spot Festival Saturday, in order:
- Coffee at Drift Coffee in Oyster Creek Landing.
- Gates open at the spot field at 9 a.m., with $5 cash ready and the cooler left at home.
- A $12 spot plate for lunch, eaten from your own lawn chair.
- Inflatables for the kids if the $20 all-day band is worth it to you.
- Dinner back at Oyster Creek Landing, either Korean barbecue at Seoul Sushi or a table at P.T.'s or Tiny'z Tavern.
Kiwanis Park Holds the Rest of the Season
After Nov. 8, most of the calendar moves to one spot, Hampstead Kiwanis Park at 586 Sloop Point Loop Road.
| Date | Event | Where | Run by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 5, 5:30 p.m. | Salt and Stem ribbon cutting | 16090 US Highway 17 | Greater Topsail Chamber listing |
| Sat.–Sun., Nov. 7–8 | NC Spot Festival | 14221 US Highway 17 | NC Spot Festival committee |
| Sat., Nov. 21, 8–10 a.m. | Hampstead Kiwanis 2026 Turkey Trot | Hampstead Kiwanis Park | Hampstead Kiwanis |
| Fri., Dec. 4, 5:30–7:30 p.m. | Hampstead Christmas Tree Lighting | Hampstead Kiwanis Park | Pender County Parks and Recreation |
Salt and Stem, a full-service florist, holds its ribbon cutting on US-17 the Thursday before the festival, according to the Greater Topsail Chamber's calendar. The Turkey Trot listing gives a two-hour morning window on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Event listings put the tree lighting on the first Friday in December and name Pender County Parks and Recreation as the organizer. The county's own 2026 calendar is the place to confirm details as the date gets closer.
The park will become a bigger hub over time. Pender County is planning and designing the Country Club Drive multi-use path, a 3.91-mile route that would connect Kiwanis Park with the Topsail Schools complex as part of the East Coast Greenway. The county held a public session on it at the Hampstead Annex on April 1, 2026. The path isn't built yet, so walking or biking to the tree lighting on it will have to wait for a future December.
For anyone keeping track since the August look at Hampstead's fall weekends, the dates have settled. The spot field takes the first weekend of November, Kiwanis Park takes the Saturday before Thanksgiving and the first Friday of December, and Oyster Creek Landing is open for dinner on all of them.
If you're wondering how being near Kiwanis Park, Oyster Creek Landing or the planned Country Club Drive path affects what your home is worth, Happy Clark can walk you through it. Request a complimentary home valuation or schedule a private consultation, and we'll go over your Hampstead street block by block.
