Chincoteague Island News

Oct-20-2015
Chincoteague Island's "Christmas By The Sea"
...because even a cool day at the beach beats a day at work! In an effort to attract more visitors to Chincoteague Island during the "off-season" local business owners and organizations have teamed up to sponsor the annual Christmas By The Sea. Beginning with the official lighting of the Town's Christmas tree on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, then all the way to the Polar Pony Plunge on New Years Day, the Christmas season in Chincoteague is chock full of family fun! Most events are free to any and all who care to join in! It’s casual an you are encouraged to come as you are. The Christmas season is a great time of year to visit Chincoteague Island. The average air temperature in December is 50 degrees with sunny skies. For more details: Visit www.chincoteaguechristmas.com.

Jun-25-2015
Chincoteague Sunsets
Chincoteague is a great place to experience beautiful sunsets. Some of the most gorgeous sunsets anywhere happen right here on our small resort Island. We recommend finding a spot along bayfront on South Main Street to take in the sunset. The picture below was taken from South Main Street. We post sunsets pictures regularly to the Chincoteague.com facebook page! For more details: Visit https://www.facebook.com/chincoteagueisland.

Jun-22-2015
Cruise to Benefit Chincoteague Island Library
Tickets are now on sale for the 20th Anniversary Luncheon Cruise to benefit the Chincoteague Island Library aboard the “Martha Lou” with Captain Carlton Leonard. Everyone is invited to have a great day on the water and support the Library as it continues to serve the residents and guests of Chincoteague and the Eastern Shore. The cruise departs from Curtis Merritt Harbor on Wednesday, July 1 at 11:00 AM returning to port at 1:00 PM. (Boarding by 10:45 AM.) Lunch of sandwiches, soft drinks, snacks, and desert will be served. Tickets for this event are $40 a person and may be purchased at the Chincoteague Island Library or Sundial Books on Main Street in Chincoteague. Captain Carlton has generously donated his time and the “Martha Lou” for this event. All proceeds will benefit the Chincoteague Island Library programs and services. For more details please call the Library at 757-336 3460. Residents of Chincoteague, the Eastern Shore, visitors and guests are invited to support the Chincoteague Island Library and enjoy this memorable cruise with Captain Carlton on the “Martha Lou” while enjoying this unique view of the Island. For more details: Call 757-336-3460. Email Ncmae@aol.com. Visit www.chincoteagueislandlibrary.com.

Jul-29-2015
The 90th Annual Chincoteague Pony Swim is July 29, 2015
The Saltwater Cowboys will swim the Famous Wild Ponies from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island for the 90th consecutive year on Wednesday, July 29th, 2015. The swim will take place at "slack tide" which is the time between tides when no current is moving. The time of slack tide varies each year. However, the swim generally takes place some time between 7am and 1pm. The specific time will be announced at the carnival grounds the week of the swim. After the swim, the ponies rest for about 45 minutes. Then the Saltwater Cowboys will “parade” the ponies down Main Street, to the carnival grounds where the auction will be held the following day. For all the details on events taking place all that week check out the Pony Swim Guide. For more details: Visit www.chincoteague.com/pony_swim_guide.html.

Jun-27-2015
Wallops Flight Facility 70th Anniversary
June 27, 2015, marks the 70th Anniversary of the first launch ever from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Since then, the men and women of Wallops have launched literally thousands of rockets, hundreds of scientific balloons, and have logged thousands of flight hours in support of scientific investigations around the world. Wallops, its commercial partners, and the Eastern Shore community will celebrate the facility's 70th Anniversary with an Open House, free and open to the public, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, June 27. For more details: Visit www.nasa.gov/content/wallops-flight-facility-70th-anniversary.

May-05-2015
Great White Shark spending time near Assateague
A 16 foot, 3,456 lb. Great White Shark named "Mary Lee" has been spending near the coastline of Assateague Island. The shark is being track by OCEARCH. She was tagged with a transmitter near Cape Cod on September 17, 2012. When Mary Lee's dorsal fin breaks the surface of the water the transmitter transmits a signal to a satellite overhead. The satellite then sends back an estimated geo-location. Mary Lee was named after OCEARCH expedition leader Chris Fischer's mother. "My parents have done so much. I was waiting and waiting for a special shark to name after her and this is truly the most historic and legendary fish I have ever been a part of and it set the tone for Cape Cod," says Chris. Mary Lee has been tracking off the Assateague Coastline since early May. For more details: Visit www.ocearch.org/profile/mary_lee/.

May-05-2015
Flounder are biting in Chincoteague
Spring is the best time of year to fish for flounder in Chincoteague and this year is no exception. With the warm, sunny weather on the Island lately the flounder action has been picking up significantly. Anglers are catching them in all of the traditional spots,including Four Mouths, Queen Sound, and Assateague Channel. Don't have a boat? No problem. There are plenty of experienced Charter Boat Guides that you can go with for a very reasonable price. Check out the 'Activities' web page on Chincoteague.com for Charter Boats and Bait and Tackle Shops. For more details: Visit www.chincoteague.com/activities.html.

Mar-10-2015
Chincoteague Finishes #2 Coolest Small Town
Chincoteague was a top 15 finalist in Budget Travel's 2015 'America's Coolest Small Town' contest. Voting for the top spot was so close that the contest was extended several weeks. In the end Grand Marais, MN took the title. Chincoteague finished a close second. Thanks to all who voted for us!

Mar-01-2015
Winter Hits Chincoteague Hard
The month of February brought heavy snow and below freezing temperatures to Chincoteague Island. We are into March now and looking forward to Spring!

Feb-15-2015
Cold weather hits Chincoteague
Cold weather hit Chincoteague in mid-February, with wind chill temps below zero! There is a lot of ice in the Chincoteague Channel. We are looking forward to Spring!

Feb-15-2015
Update on Library Repairs
The Chincoteague Island Library remains closed for repairs. Unfortunately, the reopening date has been changed to Thursday, February 19th. If all goes according to this new schedule, the books, furniture, and computers will be returned to their places and the Chincoteague Island Library will re-open on Thursday, February 19 at 1:00 PM. Please check the Chincoteague Island Library Facebook page for updates and more info. (If you have books that need to be returned, please use the book drop on the handicapped ramp). For more details: Visit www.chincoteagueislandlibrary.org.

Feb-05-2015
Chincoteague Island Library Remains Closed For Repairs
The Chincoteague Island Library remains closed for repairs. The contractors have been hard at work and good progress is being made. The floors will be refinished soon and, if all goes according to schedule, the books, furniture, and computers will be returned to their places and the Chincoteague Island Library will re-open on Friday, February 13 at 10:00 AM. We thank everyone for their patience during this process. Check the Chincoteague Island Facebook page for updates and more info.

Jan-28-2015
CIAO Film Producer's Club at The Island Theatre
7 week course for beginner to intermediate film makers, ages 16 - 86. Tuesdays 7 - 9pm. Course runs from 2/10 - 3/24 (excluding 3/17). Course fee: $120. To register, visit ciarts.org. For more details: Visit ciarts.org.

Jan-23-2015
Chincoteague is in the running for "America's Coolest Small Town"
Chincoteague is a top 15 finalist for "America's Coolest Small Town 2015", a title awarded annually by Budget Travel. The winner is crowned based on online voting results. Voting in this, the 10th annual, contest ends at midnight on February 25. Last year's contest winner was nearby Berlin, MD. Help make Chincoteague this year winner! You can vote once per day per IP address. For more details: Visit www.budgettravel.com/contest/vote-for-americas-coolest-small-town-2015,18/.

Jan-13-2015
Chincoteague Island Library Announces Expanded Hours
Visitors to the Chincoteague Island Library can now enjoy the library a few extra hours each week. As part of the 20th Anniversary year celebration that kicked off on January 1, the Library will now open at 10:00 AM on Saturdays instead of the previous opening time of 1:00 PM. The expansion of the Library’s operating hours is part of the Library’s continuing effort to serve the needs of the Chincoteague Island community by offering hours of operation that are convenient to residents and visitors. Linda Ryan, President of the Chincoteague Island Library Board of Directors said, “Expanding the Saturday hours of operation made perfect sense. We saw the need and as we celebrate 20 years of serving the community we decided it was the right time. The expanded Saturday hours offers more opportunity to work on our mission to promote reading, a love of books, and literacy, and to preserve the history of Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.” New hours at the Chincoteague Island Library will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Thursdays from 1:00 PM to 8 PM. For more details: Call 757-336-3460. Visit www.chincoteagueislandlibrary.org.

Jan-01-2015
Chincoteague Island Library 20th Anniversary
The Chincoteague Island Library will be marking 20 years of serving the local community on July 4, 2015. They are planning to celebrate the 20th Anniversary with special events throughout all of 2015! For more details: Visit www.chincoteague.com/chincoteagueislandlibrary/anniversary.html.

Aug-01-2014
August 2014 Beach Access Newsletter
The Town of Chincoteague released its August 2014 Beach Access Newsletter. The Newsletter outlines the Town's concerns about the US Fish & Wildlife's plan to move the Recreational Beach to the north, under Alternative B of the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP). For more details: Visit www.chincoteague.com/pdfs/beach-access-news-aug-2014.pdf.