Harkers Island comes to life the first full weekend in December each year as the Core Sound Decoy Guild holds its annual Core Sound Decoy Festival. The

first festival was held in 1988 and it has become an annual pilgrimage for many.

The festival has many attractions that include antique decoy exhibits, retriever demonstrations, competitons including duck calling, loon calling and head whittling. There's always delicious food offered by Harkers Island Elementary School staff and volunteers, and plenty of shopping opportunies from the many vendors who flock to the festival each year.