SURF CITY, NC — February 6, 2023
Ocean Fest came home the big winner at the ShowFest 2023 awards banquet hosted on January 30 by the North Carolina Association of Festival & Events (NCF&E) in Charlotte. The nonprofit Surf City-based eco/surf/arts/music festival was awarded top honors in the annual industry excellence awards program including the coveted Event of the Year award, Best Community Outreach Program, and Director of the Year for the festival’s director Mark Anders.
“It’s such a huge honor for Ocean Fest to be awarded Event of the Year for the entire State of North Carolina,” says Mark Anders, Executive Director of Ocean Fest. “Our festival is just three years old, so these awards are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our volunteers as well as the solid support of our sponsors and the local community.”
The NCF&E is a nonprofit organization celebrating and supporting the festival and event industry, and is represented by nearly 200 festivals and events throughout the State. Ocean Fest also received the Sponsor of the Year award for its partnership with New Belgium Brewing Company, as well as the Best Merchandise award. In 2022, Ocean Fest previously received the Rising Star Award, given to the best up-and-coming festival in the State.
ABOUT OCEAN FEST
Founded in 2019, Ocean Fest is a nonprofit two-day eco/surf/arts/live music festival to benefit the ocean. The mission is to celebrate and protect Mother Ocean while educating the community about ways we can better protect our precious marine environments and raising money for likeminded eco nonprofits. The event is held the second weekend of every October in downtown Surf City, NC. www.theoceanfest.org
