January 2026 Edition

Holiday Operating Hours

Morehead City's City Hall, Administrative Offices, Recreation Center and Library will be closed for the upcoming holidays. They will be closed

Wednesday, Dec. 24 - Friday, Dec. 26 for Christmas,

and again on Thursday, Jan. 1 for New Year's Day.

The Library and Recreation Center will be open on Saturday, Dec. 27.

Trash and Recycling pickup will be delayed by one day for Dec. 25 and Dec. 26, and then again for Jan.1 and Jan. 2.

Morehead City's Holiday Events

Pop-Up Park: City Lights

Check out our Pop-Up Park: City Lights at

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park before it is gone!

Every night through December, our free Pop-Up Park: City Lights is adorned with a variety of Christmas lights and decorations. Come enjoy the beauty of the season!

This park is at 1012 Evans St., located beside the Train Depot.

This event is presented by Morehead City Government.

New Year's Eve

Mark the end of 2025 with Morehead City's New Year's Eve Celebration!

This year's celebration will begin later and feature more activities for children.

This family-friendly event on Wednesday, Dec. 31, will kick off at 7:30 p.m. with children's activities and the crab pot drop leading up to a

dazzling fireworks display at 9 p.m.

This event will take place at Ottis Landing, where the Big Rock and

other fishing tournaments weigh in.

We encourage everyone to celebrate the holiday safely and responsibly!

MCPD's Shop with a Cop Held

Thank you to Walmart and the community support for making it another

wonderful year of Shop with a Cop!

This program is possible through the Walmart Spark Good grant

and community donations.

Fifteen children were paired with a Morehead City Police Officer for a trip to Walmart on Dec. 12 to go Christmas shopping for themselves and loved ones. The children were given a specified amount to spend on others, and an amount they could spend on themselves. In total, they had $300 they could spend.

There were toys, books, electronics, clothing and shoes, food and more purchased as a result of this great program. Everyone had a smile on their faces throughout the night, from participants, to the police officers, Walmart staff and other shoppers.

Scroll to the bottom of this email for a special MCPD holiday video.

Big Rock Donation to MCPD

Thank you to The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament for awarding $65,000 to the Morehead City Police Department to purchase safety barricades! 

With this funding, MCPD will be able to buy 27 barricade units, to add to the ones that are currently utilized. These barricades are essential to event safety and security for major events such as the Big Rock Tournament, the North Carolina Seafood Festival and more, as well as traffic control and other uses. 

Pictured: Capt. Tim Guthrie, Deputy Chief September Tuttle and Chief Bryan Dixon with the Morehead City Police Department stand with Morehead City's Grants Management Officer Kelli Jones and Mayor Jerry Jones during the Giving Tuesday Ceremony at

Big Rock Headquarters on Dec. 2. 

Parks and Recreation

Teacher Workday Camp

Join Morehead City Parks and Recreation for our Teacher Workday Camp, a fun-filled day designed for kids ages 5–10! Participants will enjoy a variety of activities from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Jan. 20-21, including arts and crafts, gym time, games, and more. The cost is $20 per day, per child. We ask that you pack a snack and lunch for your child. It’s the perfect way to keep kids engaged and entertained during teacher workdays.

Contact Morehead City Parks and Recreation at 252.726.5083 for more details.

Spring Women's Doubles Tennis

Serve up some fun this season with our Spring Women’s Doubles Tennis program! Open to women ages 18 and up, this league runs March 2–May 19 with matches on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 5 – 8 p.m. at the Shevans Park Tennis Courts. Teams should be comfortable with basic tennis skills, scoring, and full-court play. Team registration is $110, and only the team captain needs to sign up.

Registration is open Jan. 16–Feb. 20. Space is limited!

For more information on Spring Women's Doubles Tennis, contact Athletics Supervisor Andre Perez email andre.perez@moreheadcitync.org or call 252.726.8053, ext. 703.

Spring Men's Singles Tennis

Hit the courts this spring with our Men’s Singles Tennis program! Open to men ages 18 and older, this competitive league runs March 3–May 20 with matches on Wednesday evenings from 5 – 8 p.m. at the Shevans Park Tennis Courts. Players should be comfortable with basic tennis skills, scoring, and full-court rallies. Registration is open Jan. 16–Feb. 20, and the fee is $55 per player. Space is limited!

For details on Spring Men's Single Tennis, contact Athletics Supervisor Andre Perez andre.perez@moreheadcitync.org or call 252.726.8053, ext. 703.

Adult Coed Indoor Volleyball

Get ready for a fun and energetic season of Coed Indoor Volleyball! Open to adults ages 18 and older, this program runs March 9–April 8 with matches on Monday evenings from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Morehead City Recreation Center Gym. Coed teams should include 6–10 players. Registration runs Feb. 1–March 2, and the team fee is $250. Only the team captain needs to register. Space is limited!

For more information on Adult Coed Indoor Volleyball, contact Athletics Supervisor Andre Perez at andre.perez@moreheadcitync.org or at 252.726.5083, ext. 703.

Recreation Classes

Did you know a variety of fitness classes are offered at the Recreation Center?

You can find the full list of Recreation Classes on our website, or by stopping at the Recreation Center at 1600 Fisher St.

Holiday Hours

The Recreation Center will be closed the following dates for upcoming holidays:

Dec. 24-26 for Christmas

Jan. 1 for New Year's Day

2026 Memberships

As we prepare for 2026, we wanted to let you know there are changes coming to Morehead City Parks and Recreation gym memberships.

Due to a proposed expansion and improvement project at the Recreation Center at 1600 Fisher St., we will be offering shorter-term memberships in 2026. No annual/12 month memberships will be offered. New and renewed memberships will be available for Jan. 1 - June 30, 2026. Six-month renewals are now available. You’ll find the updated membership rates below.

While formal plans for the expansion and improvements are not yet available, pending approval and funding, they will aim to serve our community even better in the future. Stay tuned through our official website at moreheadcitync.org and social media platforms for updates throughout the process. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads and YouTube at @MoreheadCityGov.

Upcoming Library Events

Visit the Morehead City Library at 202 S. Eighth St.!

You can also call at 252.726.3765.

The Library will be closed Dec. 24-26 and Jan. 1 for the holidays.

Please note, there is no Tots at the Library or Story Time offered Christmas week.

• Tots at the Library: Check out our Tots at the Library program! This program is Mondays from 10-11 a.m. and is geared for children ages 1-4. There are self-guided play items, as well as related board books. Come enjoy fun activities and meet others in your community!
• Knit Wits: This knitting group meets each Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
• Book Club: The Book Club for adults will meet at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8 to discuss Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. 
• Library Youth Advisory Board: The Youth Advisory Board will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8 for an activity, snacks, and to discuss upcoming events and library programs.
•  R.E.A.D. Program: (Reading Education Assistance Dogs): Children in grades 1-5 can sign up to read to our special 4-legged friend Chester at the library on Saturday, Jan. 10. You must register in advance, as time slots are limited. Please call the library at 252.726.3765 for details or questions. 
• Story Time: Children ages 2-6 with a caregiver can attend Story Time at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This month's themes include:

Jan. 6-7: Winter Clothes

Jan. 13-14: Snowy Days

Jan. 20-21: Penguins

Jan. 27-28: Animals in Winter

You can learn more about the Library's hours and variety of resources on our website.

Come by the library and share your favorite book.

We also accept newer and gently used book and puzzle donations. 

Now Hiring

Looking for a positive change in your career?

Morehead City is now hiring for the following positions:

• Planning Technician
• Firefighter-Paramedic and/or Firefighter-EMT
• Firefighter-Paramedic and/or Firefighter-EMT (PRN)
• Utility Service Technician I
• Recreation Assistant (Part-time)
• Solid Waste Equipment Operator (Part-time)



Click the button below for full details and application.

December City Council Meeting

You can watch the Dec. 9 City Council Meeting above.

View the City Council meeting agenda here.

​As always, we encourage residents to attend meetings at 5:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month, but we hope the normal meeting rebroadcasts will help

those who are unable to attend due to schedule conflicts.

Council meetings are held on the second story of City Hall, at 1100 Bridges Street. Stairs and an elevator are available to reach Council Chambers.

Meet Officer Grinch!

The Morehead City Police Department is excited to welcome our newest member: Officer Grinch!

 We can confirm his heart has grown three sizes since last year (or at least 2.5 sizes,) and we look forward to his future with the department. He is in charge of holiday safety messaging, and would like to remind all of a few basic tips: 

• If you must have purchased items or valuables in your vehicle, keep them in the trunk, with the vehicle locked. 
• Park in well lit areas to deter thieves. 
• Arrange to have packages brought inside immediately after they are delivered, to ward off porch pirates. 
• Never drink and drive, and always drive safely. 
• Only eat holiday treats from trusted sources.
• Never drop kick packages. Or, something like that... he's still in training. 

Merry Christmas from MCPD!

1100 Bridges Street

Morehead City, NC 28557

252-726-6848