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Join Ecological Marine Adventures for an evening at the Oyster Barn in Surf City—live music, a silent auction, coastal food, and oyster education all to support local restoration. Come for the waterfront views and leave knowing you helped protect the estuary.
Join Ecological Marine Adventures for an evening at the Oyster Barn in Surf City—live music, a silent auction, coastal food, and oyster education all to support local restoration. Come for the waterfront views and leave knowing you helped protect the estuary.
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Operated by Ecological Marine Adventures · Surf City, North Carolina
On the edge of Topsail Island’s quieter marshes, the EMA Fundraiser gathers at the Oyster Barn in Surf City, North Carolina. This three-hour evening benefits Ecological Marine Adventures and folds live music, a silent auction, and hands-on oyster education into a waterfront night that feels like a local tradition. The venue sits where salt marsh meets intracoastal waterway, and the event puts the region’s vital estuary ecology front and center.
The scene begins with string lights and a breeze off the sound. Guests move between picnic-style tables and the Oyster Barn’s waterfront deck, where speakers explain how oysters filter water, stabilize shorelines, and support fisheries. Local chefs and caterers serve coastal fare while musicians play sea-shanty-leaning sets that soften into jazz as the sun lowers. Silent-auction items spotlight regional makers and conservation experiences; every bid channels funds back into EMA’s hands-on marine education and restoration programming.
Beyond the party, the place itself deserves attention. The Oyster Barn sits adjacent to oyster reefs and salt-marsh grasses, where the geology is flat and sandy and the shoreline shows the slow trade between sea and land typical of North Carolina barrier islands. Look for exposed oyster shell, fiddler crabs in the mudflats, and the rippled edges of tidal creeks that feed into the sound. These elements are the living laboratory EMA protects and shares with visitors during short educational demos.
Bring curiosity as much as appetite: educators demonstrate how to identify oyster spat, explain reef restoration techniques, and outline how clean water, coastal buffers, and community science projects work together. For parents, EMA’s optional Parents Night Out program lets kids enjoy aquarium time, animal encounters, STEM activities, and a movie while adults attend—booked separately and timed to the fundraiser’s schedule.
Practical details are straightforward: tickets are sold per person, check the referral booking link for availability, and the meeting point is 674 Old Landing Rd, Hampstead, NC 28443. Arrive early to find parking and claim a waterfront seat. The event is an ideal way to meet local conservationists, sample coastal cuisine, and leave knowing you’ve supported tangible habitat work—oyster beds that improve water quality and resilience for communities along the sound.
Whether you’re a visitor curious about coastal ecology or a local looking to support hands-on science, the EMA Fundraiser at the Oyster Barn is an accessible, informative evening where good food, live music, and conservation collide for a measurable local impact. Tickets are priced at $100 each, with an optional $20 Parents Night Out per child for ages 4 and up. Proceeds support education, restoration, and community science in the region. Reserve via the event booking link and consider carpooling—the coastal roads fill quickly on popular nights. Bring a reusable cup tonight.
easy.
3 hours.
No special fitness required—this is a seated, social event with short standing or walking periods
Tickets are $100 each; check the referral booking link for current availability and purchase options.
An optional program where kids ages 4+ can stay at EMA for aquarium time, animal encounters, STEM activities, and a movie from 2pm–7pm for $20 per child.
The meeting point listed for the event is 674 Old Landing Rd, Hampstead, NC 28443; signs and staff will direct guests at arrival.
Specific accessibility details were not provided; contact EMA directly through the referral link to confirm accommodations.
Remote bidding options may vary by year—review event details on the booking page or contact the organizers ahead of the event.
Parking is available nearby but can fill quickly—carpooling or arriving early is recommended.
This stretch of North Carolina coast has a long commercial and recreational oystering tradition that local groups use to drive restoration and education.
Proceeds support EMA’s hands-on programs and reef restoration work; attendees are encouraged to minimize single-use waste and follow marsh etiquette.
Ecological Marine Adventures is a Surf City, North Carolina business that offers hands-on marine education and outdoor experiences for children and families. Founded to connect kids with local coastal ecosystems, the organization runs a variety of programs including boat tours, single-day themed classes, multi-day camps, homeschool science sessions, toddler Sea School classes, and birthday parties. Programs listed include the Boat Tour: Island Adventure, Guppies Single Day classes such as Totally Tubular! and Sea Turtles 101, Sea Squirt multi-day classes, EMA Homeschool Science Classes, Sea School Program Spoonbill class, seasonal Fall Break and Winter classes, and a free community Story Time. Activities focus on specimen collection, experiments, animal encounters, coastal exploration, and creative arts. Boat trips cruise the Intracoastal Waterway and emphasize shoreline ecology, with opportunities to spot dolphins, ospreys, and find shark teeth and shells. Toddler and preschool classes are tailored to ages three to five, while homeschool and single-day classes serve children ages five to twelve. Birthday party options include fishing, shark tooth hunting, and aquarium-based celebrations for groups up to thirty guests. Instructors use hands-on, age-appropriate learning to build curiosity, observational skills, and environmental awareness in a safe, supervised setting. Sessions take place at local marshes, beaches, and a microscope lab when noted. A free Story Time program is offered on select Tuesday mornings at 10am for families with children under eleven. Ecological Marine Adventures emphasizes experiential learning rooted in local coastal ecology, making it a choice for families and educators seeking outdoor science activities in Surf City.
Book with Ecological Marine Adventures