2021 is set to be another exciting year here in Elizabeth City! With exciting new places to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and unique events, it’s going to be a year to remember in the Harbor of Hospitality. Keep reading for the scoop on what’s new in Elizabeth City this year. Wine & Beer & Margaritas, Oh My! Thirsty? We’ve got you covered! Elizabeth City locals and visitors are going to love all the new options to relax and have a drink with friends in 2021. 2 Souls Wine Bar The wait is over! This unique downtown Elizabeth City addition is open for business as of March 3, 2021! 2 Souls is a premium wine bar designed to create memories. Not only do they be offer premium wines in a beautiful environment close to other downtown attractions, but the charcuterie and other spirits are the icing on the cake. To say we’re all excited to welcome this downtown business is an understatement! Seven Sounds Brewing Company Seven Sounds will be the second brewery to call Elizabeth City home. The projected opening is late 2021 for this awesome new downtown addition. Building this brewery has been a massive undertaking that included restoring the Historic Hurdle Hardware Building in downtown Elizabeth City. This new brewery will not only offer specialty brews with waterfront views, but a new place to gather and celebrate in Elizabeth City. “We’ve really worked hard to keep the historic integrity of the building and are excited to have folks come, make memories, and enjoy all the beauty our waterfront location has to offer over a pint with friends.” said one of the breweries co-owners, Dean Schaan. “We want to be a place that people from all over feel welcome, serve as a great supporting partner for our surrounding downtown businesses, and of course…make some awesome beer!” Ghost Harbor Tap Room Elizabeth City’s popular microbrewery, Ghost Harbor, has expanded! Beer-lovers rejoice – this second location is welcoming visitors starting March 3, 2021. This additional space in Pailin’s Alley not only allows for much larger-scale production and distribution, but also a broadened tap list to include 16 beers on tap compared to the original location’s 12, and space for private events. “We’re super excited about the new tap room because it offers an evolved and comfortable drinking environment for GHBC fans and future patrons,” says Lead Brewer, Brandyn Napolitano. “We’ve put a lot of effort into this new facility with unique art work, hand-painted murals, a tap list displayed on the wall via projector, and more.” Big Boss Margarita Bar Big Boss Burritos opened up in January 2020 and quickly became a downtown favorite! In addition to their menu staples, Big Boss is always coming up with new, delicious offerings like chicken soup, Carolina style BBQ carnitas, and taco boxes to feed the family. This year they’ve even expanded their building to include more dine-in seating and a bar! Beer is available on draft or by the bottle and they hope to be serving up the freshest margaritas in the 252 area code by spring 2021. Events Inaugural Coast Guard Run Are you ready to run? Visit Elizabeth City has partnered with U.S. Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City to develop the first official Coast Guard Half Marathon and Guardians of the Atlantic 5K! This inaugural event was originally scheduled for September 2020, but with safety in mind, the tough decision was made to go virtual with a race kickoff date of March 6, 2021. While we wish we could welcome Coasties and their supporters from across the country in-person this year, the virtual event is setting up to be just as exciting! Runners have already signed up from all over the U.S. as well as Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands! For just $45, runners can participate in this legacy event and will receive a t-shirt, custom bib, interactive finisher’s medal, and of course the bragging rights of being one of the first to complete this official road race in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard. Learn more and register at CoastGuardRun.com. Love Your River Another event halted by COVID in 2020 is Green $aves Green’s Love Your River. Join us on October 2, 2021 in Elizabeth City to celebrate our beautiful rivers and discover their interesting history! This free, family-friendly event will include pontoon boat tours, kayaking, live music and food trucks, wind farm tours, environmental education, and more. The goal of this event is to educate and encourage people in our region to love their river by learning how it provides for us and how we can keep it safe. More Around Town Opening day for the long awaited luxury theater, Albemarle Movies 8, is February 26, 2021! This 8-theater cinema offers heated luxury recliners, wall to wall curved screens, classic movie concessions, made-to-order hot food and even beer and wine for you to enjoy during the show! Coming this spring, downtown is getting even more beautiful! 13 new bike racks decorated with art from local artists are being installed around downtown. Sanctuary Design Company, an interior design firm, is moving in downtown and sharing space with Glimmer Hair & Makeup. A couple cute new candy benches have been installed outside of Weatherly Lofts on Water Street. These benches are a reminder of the building’s history as Weatherly Candy Factory, our only designated Local Historic Landmark. New to the area? Elizabeth City’s latest wayfinding signs will be complete in the late summer or early fall to help folks get around town and find things like public parking, where to shop, breweries, ECSU, and more.
2021 is set to be another exciting year here in Elizabeth City! With exciting new places to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and unique events, it’s going to be a year to remember in the Harbor of Hospitality.
