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These are all the tracks from the 2025 hurricane season, which officially ended Sunday. The US mainland was almost untouched, no hurricanes, just tropical storm Chantal back in July. Caribbean islands like Jamaica weren’t so fortunate, getting Cat 5 Hurricane Melissa in October.

Oriental History Museum’s newest exhibit Olde Christmas – Toys & Decor of Yesteryear opens today with a reception (and snacks) from 1-4p.

Tonight at the Brewery: Taqueria San Luis serves from 4-8p.

It’s What’s Happening in Oriental.

7:05a Brrrr. It’s 30 degrees. Thirty.

High today just mid 40s. Sunday promises warmer stuff.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

11:50a Thank you to all the thermally brave souls who came out for the Thanksgiving morning bike ride. TownDock Analytics estimates 150. A lotta smiles.

There is no shortage of Christmas music. But is there a Thanksgiving song?

Yup.

6:18a A partly sunny day ahead. Just might be right for a bike ride.

Here’s the Turkey Pedal route (it starts at 9a on Hodges by the town dock / Bean):

Most businesses in Oriental take Thanksgiving off… but not all.

Open Thanksgiving Day: Piggly Wiggly 7a – 1p, Provision Company 9a – noon, The Bean 7a – noon.

8:46a Astrologist Salty Celeste wanted Thanksgiving off. We said OK, but do a special two day Thanksgiving horoscope for the day before.

Be careful what you ask for:

Salty made it happen – Thanksgiving Horoscopes.

Your t-shirt wardrobe gets a chance today… sunny & mid 70s ahead. Cooler air coming: Thanksgiving day sunny & mid 50s, Friday just mid 40s.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

1:25p Spirit Of Christmas in Oriental is Dec 11-13. There’s lights, a parade, a flotilla.

And there are Spirit of Christmas Luminaria. It happens with help from folks like you.

Volunteers are needed for luminary creation, deployment, and retrieval, including trucks and trailers.

Here’s the schedule:

• Pre-lighting candles: Dec 9, 400 Ragan Rd, 12noon
• Luminary assembly & deployment: Dec 12, start at 400 Ragan Rd, 1 – 4p
• Luminary lighting: Dec 12, 5p
• Luminary collection: Dec 13, 8a

You don’t have to volunteer for each event. Find the one that works for you and be there. There are no sign up sheets, just show up and help. For more information, contact Marsha, 252-675-5142.

7:17a Planning to bake for Thanksgiving?

There may be an easy way out. Soon. The Gourmet Bake Sale 9a-1p today at St Peter’s.

If you need a pie, word is getting there by 9a can avoid a kerfuffle over a pumpkin pie shortage.

12:37p Giving Tuesday is Dec 2 this year. With Thanksgiving in the air, and that spirit of being thankful, TownDock is getting out ahead of the Dec 2 date.

It’s a 2025 updated list of local charities. If you’re giving this year, give locally.

9:50a It’s a new week, and Salty C delivers Pet Horoscopes.

There’s daily horoscopes for humans, too.

Sunny and low 60s today. Thanksgiving Day is forecast to be cooler, but sunny & dry.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station

7:56a Step up your game… thanksgiving stuffing from a bakery. Spotted @ Mariposa this morning:

10:12a Thanksgiving week in Oriental has arrived. Thanksgiving related happenings:

Today, Thanksgiving Community Dinner @ St. Thomas Episcopal Church. 3:30p, free, you’re invited.

Tonight, Community Thanksgiving Worship @ St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church, 7p, y’all are invited. Multiple area houses of worship join in an evening of ecumenical prayer and music. The Pamlico Chorale sings.

Tuesday, the Barbara Chasse Gourmet Bake Sale @ St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 9a – 1p. Pies and gourmet baked goods.

The Thanksgiving morning bike ride. Thanksgiving @ 9a, meet on Hodges St by the town dock / Bean. Not a Spandex event. Plaid & turkey hats are AOK.

Open Thanksgiving Day: Piggly Wiggly 7a – 1p, Provision Company 9a – noon, The Bean 7a – noon.

12:21p Mom Nature is being a bit too generous with the unpleasant weather supply today. That said, the rain is forecast to be less likely this afternoon.

It’s a busy weekend ahead.

Jorge Pease has been creating a campground in Whortonsville for a couple years. Today Jorge invites all for an Opening Party for Hidden Orchard campground, a space for RVs and tent camping. Even if it is wet out there, there is a huge roof to hang out under… where life will be dry. Free burgers 2:30p – 4:30p (or until) today. BYOB.

Jasmine Tasty Thai food truck at the brewery today. Saturday Mariposa Bakery & Wine bar is open (Sat, Sun & Mon mornings 7-10a (bakery) and evenings 3-8p (wine bar). The bakery is featuring holiday deserts: Pumpkin, apple & pecan pies.

A Food Drive for PCFLO Saturday. The Pamlico Poker Run combines driving and gaming. Wine tastings Saturday, 2 and 3p at Nautical Wheelers: Andy Woolgar leads the tastings. Taqueria San Luis food truck Saturday at New Village Brewery.

Sunday Hoff n Finch play at Casa Que Pasa (also called the Taco Tower). A free Community Thanksgiving dinner Sunday at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Sunday evening 7p is a Community Thanksgiving Worship at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church, featuring the Pamlico Chorale.

Find it all in TownDock’s What’s Happening.

8:37a Kinda odd weather today. It’s a warm front moving through, which will deliver warmer stuff Saturday. Sunday and Monday will be beautiful autumn dry.

Any rain today is more likely before noon ~ 1pish.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Oriental Weather Station

On the Neuse today almost calm, winds to maybe 5 knots. Saturday not much more, 10 knots.

• Neuse River Marine Forecast

This past Tuesday was the monthly town meeting… TownDock’s Laurie Stahlmann was there:

The last town meeting for the existing town board shown above (Commissioners Litzenberger, Overcash and Winfrey and Mayor Belangia. Commissioners Crosser and Price were absent).
The meeting included: A favorable report from Cindy Randolph, CPA on the annual audit, a road repair reserve fund was approved, plus a request for Oriental residents on Broad Street to string up holiday cheer.

Coming next week, a complete report on Tuesday’s town meeting.

3:22p Oriental Rotary has a Poker Run this weekend. They tried to have one back in October, but we got rains and flooding and hints of divine punishment. It was rescheduled for another day.

That day is this Saturday, high noon, starting at Town Hall in Minnesott Beach. It’s open to any type of car, motorcycle, or motorized vehicle with at least two wheels. More info on the Pamlico Poker Run here.

We’ve run this before. It’s too silly not to run again. Here’s what it looks like at a Poker Run start:

1:10p Sometimes, a pastor is just a regular human. Anne Sims writes in (in a non-pastoral role):

Do your best to put visions of an axe throwing pastor aside.

8:44a Here’s the agenda for tonight’s town meeting. The meeting is at 6p, Oriental Town Hall.

Just in case you have other entertainment plans, TownDock reporting crew will be at the meeting.

Didn’t freeze last night… the overnight low was 35.

Sunny & 60~ish today, then highs near 70 for the rest of the week.

Deep introspection. Opportunities expand. Intuitive insights.

It’s all in today’s Salty Celeste horoscopes.

4:22p Freeze warning if effect for tonight. It may sneak just below freezing… the forecast low 31.

11:07a The Wednesday Night sail goes on hiatus for the cooler months, returning in spring.

However, Open Sailing on Monday’s continues all year. Open Sailing at Bow to Stern means sailing friendly Cape Dory Typhoons. Today is an example of a perfect November day for a sail.

Jim Edwards writes in:

Oriental’s Town Board meets Tuesday Nov 18, 6p at Town Hall.

A new board was elected on Nov 4, but that board doesn’t begin their new duties until the Dec 9 meeting, when they will be sworn in.

Earlier Tuesday, a most different endeavor. You’ll learn to paint.

Folk art artist Charlie Frye invites y’all to painting class at Nautical Wheelers, 2-4p. Charlie will lead and inspire you in folk art painting, while the Wheelers keep pouring wine. Read on…

9:02a The bluegrass band Authentic Unlimited performs tonight at the Old Theater.

But they are also doing an intimate “Informance” today, 11a at the Oriental United Methodist Church sanctuary.

It’s free, and you’re invited (all made possible by Pamlico Music Society).

It’s crazy nice out there. Sunny and near 70 today and Sunday, more sun and highs near 60 Monday and Tuesday.

• Oriental NC Forecast
• Neuse River Marine Forecast

12:55p There is music in our town this weekend.

Saturday Pamlico Music hosts Authentic Unlimited, showtime 7:30p. They are bluegrass, and they are seriously good:

Sunday, the Old Theater presents Bryan Mayer. North Carolina native Bryan Mayer has real country chops: He won the CMA Best Male Country Artist of the Year. Showtime 3p Sunday.

Tonight Capone’s Taste of Philly truck at the brewery. Mariposa is open Saturday, Sunday & Monday mornings 7-10a (bakery) and evenings 3-8p (wine bar).

There are at least two Food Drives’s going on. Marsha’s Cottage is collecting for PCFLO through Saturday. The Pamlico Democrats are also collecting for PCFLO, drop off items Saturday Nov 15 9:30a – noon at PCDP HQ, 13630 NC Hwy 55, Alliance. They will also collect on Nov 22.

Saturday at New Village Brewery, the Taco Loco food truck.

TownDock’s events calendar is What’s Happening.

8:33a Thanksgiving is two weeks from today. For your calendar, a few events that are part of the holiday:

• Nov 23: Community Dinner, St. Thomas Episcopal, 3p
• Nov 23: Community Thanksgiving Worship, St. Peter the Fisherman, 7p
• Nov 25: Gourmet Bake Sale, St. Peter the Fisherman, 9a-1p
• Nov 27: Thanksgiving Day Bike Ride, 9a.

Thankfully, you’ll find it all in What’s Happening.

3:27p Will the Aurora Borealis ~ the northern lights ~ be visible in Oriental tonight?

Maybe. They were out there last night, and we were not in a primo area forecast to see them. According to NOAA, geomagnetic storm activity is expected to be high tonight, with the best chances between 7p – 10p (and possible til 4a).

To give yourself a better chance to see the lights:

1:23p Pamlico County Fishes & Loaves Outreach (PCFLO) helps feed a lot of folks in Pamlico County.

In support of that mission, Marsha’s Cottage is collecting non-perishable food items now through Nov 15. Just bring your donations to Marsha’s Cottage at 204 Wall Street in Oriental.

1:14p Dave and Carol Wright lived in Oriental for almost two decades. Dave as a yacht broker, Carol as a real estate broker. They moved to Wilmington in 2019, but are remembered warmly by many in town.

We are sad to share that Dave Wright passed away this past Friday. More about his life here.

12:47p The ferries are all normal again, no backup. We thought there must be some event to create the wait times this morning, but it seems it was just a missed ferry earlier in the day.

9:40a The ferries are all running… but an odd note from Cherry Branch: