Frisco Woods Campground will host the annual Fall Festival fundraiser for the Frisco-Buxton Pathway Project on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., bringing together residents and visitors for food, live entertainment, games, and other family-friendly activities in support of a local pedestrian and bicycle pathway.
The event will take place at the campground at 53124 N.C. Highway 12 in Frisco, North Carolina. Admission is free, with proceeds from food sales, ticket purchases, raffles, and other fundraising activities going toward the ongoing effort to construct a multi-use pathway connecting Frisco and Buxton.
According to pathway committee member Stacey Saunders, the project has raised $205,000 to date. This year’s festival will continue a series of community fundraising efforts intended to help finance additional sections of the proposed pathway.
Festival activities will include an oyster roast, barbecue, hot dogs, food trucks, vendors, live music, raffles, bounce houses, games, and a campsite decorating contest. Trick-or-treating is scheduled for 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Advance tickets for the oyster roast cost $40, while tickets for attendees not participating in the oyster roast cost $20.
The pathway project was introduced to the public at an open house in 2019, according to Island Free Press. The original plan calls for a 7.6-mile multi-use route extending from the Valero gas station in Buxton to the Frisco Bathhouse Beach Access, just south of Frisco village. The proposed pathway is intended to provide pedestrians and bicyclists with a safer way to travel along the N.C. Highway 12 corridor.
The initiative is being led by the Frisco-Buxton Pathway Committee and the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway Committee for Dare County. The latter has helped establish similar pathways in the other five villages on Hatteras Island, providing a local precedent for expanding pedestrian infrastructure in the area.
An initial section of the Frisco-Buxton project was completed in late 2023, when a 0.27-mile stretch of sidewalk near Frisco Woods Campground opened. The segment was funded by the campground’s owners and provides pedestrian access near several local businesses, including Tavern on 12, Hatteras Sno-Balls, and Pamlico Deli. It also includes a crosswalk along N.C. Highway 12.
Further sections are being pursued as funding becomes available, making continued fundraising an important part of the project’s development. For campground operators and other outdoor hospitality businesses, the initiative illustrates how investments in pedestrian infrastructure can improve access to nearby businesses and potentially support guest mobility beyond individual properties. Community partnerships and fundraising events can also help businesses contribute to broader destination improvements that benefit residents and visitors.
A separate fundraising effort has also been launched by newlyweds Jayden Sink and Kimberly Laprad through a GoFundMe campaign supporting the pathway. The couple held an impromptu wedding at Frisco Woods Campground on Sept. 26 after a storm-related closure of N.C. Highway 12 disrupted their original plans. Their wedding drew hundreds of residents and visitors, and the couple subsequently launched the campaign as a way to give back to the Hatteras Island community following the support they received.
The Fall Festival provides another opportunity for community members to contribute to the pathway project while participating in a seasonal event at the campground.
For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Frisco Woods Campground at 252-995-5208. Additional details about the pathway initiative are available on the Frisco-Buxton Pathway Project’s Facebook page and through the couple’s GoFundMe campaign.
