2025 Corolla Shopping Guide

We are The Corolla Wild Horse Fund the non-profit 501 (c) (3) charity responsible for the care and protection of the wild Banker horses roaming the northernmost beaches of the Outer Banks. Join us in the summer season, every Wednesday morning from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at our farm, in Grandy, on the mainland. Please check our website for current Mustang Mornings dates and details. Meet the rescued Banker horses currently in our care on a self-guided walking tour where you can spend time with our staff. Attend a free movie screening of The Secret of Corolla, a 32-minute documentary on the Banker mustangs and the culture and lifestyle of the island. Engage with CWHF’s Director of Herd Management in a Q&A directly after the screening. This is a meaningful way for us to engage with our members and supporters while educating the public on the history and future of the Bankers.  

Experience more adventure, fun, and style with Kitty Hawk Surf Company. As the trusted Outer Banks retailer for all top surf and lifestyle brands, including, Hurley, Billabong, RVCA, The North Face, Patagonia, Salt Life, Salty Crew, Volcom, O’Neill, Roxy, Ray-Ban, Oakley, Hobie, Catch Surf, Under Armour, Reef, Rainbow and more, you will always find the latest fashions and trends available in store. Our unmatched quality and service makes us a favorite for locals and visitors alike, and our easy to shop layout allows you to find your next purchase a breeze.

Walk into this shop and you’ll be delighted by all the glittering and sparkling from the way the mirrors and lighting show off jewelry from over 100 different designers and local artisans. Artfully-designed cases line the walls, filled with gorgeous sterling silver and semi-precious gemstone jewelry. Most of the cases have explainer notes about the designers or properties of the gemstones inside. Some of the lines carried in the store include Charles Albert, fine sterling silver jewelry with semi-precious gemstones, fossils and minerals; Sarda, sterling silver jewelry with brilliant colored gemstones and a classic look; Starborn Creations, one-of-a-kind sterling silver jewelry with druzy quartz and more hard to find gemstones and minerals, as well as 2,000 year old Roman Glass jewelry and local sea glass jewelry. You can even have pieces of your sea glass made into custom jewelry at very reasonable prices!

For those traveling to the Outer Banks, The Cotton Gin is a beloved landmark with its large windmill and picturesque gardens. The Cotton Gin has stood in the same location since 1929, starting as a working cotton gin and growing to a gift store with 4 locations. Visitors are treated to a unique shopping experience in our main store in Jarvisburg, as well as our beach stores in Corolla, Duck, and Nags Head. Explore room after room filled with décor for your home and coastal fashions for both men and women. Discover the brands you really want, like, Vera Bradley, Vineyard Vines, La Mer Luex, Simply Southern, Lindsay Phillips, Scout, Pandora, Kameleon, Brighton, Spartina, Tommy Bahama, Southern Tide and Salt Life and Old Guys Rule - all under one roof!   Don’t forget the gourmet market, or shop our beautiful linens for your bedroom and bath. We also feature coastal books and fine art, or just a whimsical fun gift to bring home to family and friends. Stop by soon and don’t forget to try our estate grown wines in our stores or visit our vineyard and winery, Sanctuary Vineyards, located adjacent to the original Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg.   Most know The Cotton Gin as a must-stop shop for fine gifts, beachwear, souvenirs and so much more, but this retailer has a long-standing history within the Outer Banks. A local landmark that holds almost a century of memories, The Cotton Gin started from humble beginnings and continues to adapt to the times and tourists. Tommy Wright’s family has been in the Outer Banks for nearly 200 years. His great-great grandfather, Jacob Francis Wright, shipwrecked in Duck back in the early 1800s. Calling these barrier islands his new home, Wright and his family acclimated to their new environment.   Adaptation is a common theme for the Wright family. Tommy and his wife Candace, who continue to steer The Cotton Gin, have seen not only their business change with the times, but the Outer Banks as a vacation destination as well. A farm market in Jarvisburg eventually transformed and flourished into several retail locations dotting the Outer Banks.   “As the area changed and tourism took off in the 1960s, the family saw people coming for vacations, so they began to grow vegetables and things developed from there,” says Tommy Wright. The Wright family expanded upon the farm market and began to remodel a working cotton gin, later transforming the gin into The Cotton Gin general store in the late 1960s. While the additions to the farm store drew visitors, it was their encounters with the Wright family that kept people coming back year after year, which is something that remains true today.

Best store on the beach! Everything you need for your vacation. The newest ladies' and girls swimsuits, 20% off every day! Largest selection of beach supplies and the best deals on T-shirts, sweatshirts and mens, ladies, and kids, apparel, swimwear and resort wear. Get all your souvenirs, suntan lotions, beach towels, floats, kites, and more. The only 1 stop shop on the beach.

Founded in 1984 on the coast of the Outer Banks, NC, Farmer’s Daughter still remains a destination for people wanting great quality, outstanding selection of unique clothing, accessories, and gifts at affordable prices. Committed to offering great customer service, we strive to bring the latest fashions and the most popular brands to our store, while constantly staying in touch with the latest trends. Our store remains one of the most unique shops on the east coast as we offer a huge variety of products, ranging from lifestyle apparel and custom clothing to handcrafted jewelry and gifts.

Gray’s Outer Banks Lifestyle Clothing Company offers the absolute best in Outer Banks T-shirts and Sweatshirts including Champion, Under Armour with "Outer Banks” and Gear! We carry quality fashions and accessories for the whole family by all your favorite brands including Tommy Bahama, Tribal, ESCAPE, Billabong, Quiksilver, Jack O’Neill, RVCA, Olukai, Cobian, Spartina, Scout, Brighton.   Whether you’re shopping for apparel, shoes & accessories, gifts & toys or OBX and Big Duck souvenirs, Gray’s offers the best brands and quality for a beach lifestyle at any of our 4 locations! From sportswear to beachwear and everything in between, Gray’s will outfit your entire family. You can also find great beach accessories at Gray’s, such as Costa sunglasses, Olukai sandals and Sun Bum sunscreen and hair products. Be sure to shop Gray’s signature Big Duck found on t-shirts, sweatshirts and gift items!   Established in 1948 by Walter and Stelle Gray, Gray’s began as a single store on the beach road in Nags Head, a land mark that has been beautifully transformed into Seagreen Art Gallery. Visitors to the original Gray’s may remember that the family home was located above the store and that Walter Gray had a passion for Big Band music that was often playing on the store speakers, giving shoppers a little swing in their step.   Modern-day Gray’s is still family owned and operated by their children Ronnie and Julie Gray, who carry on a legacy of superior customer service and traditional values. Ronnie’s wife Susan is also an important part of the business. “It really was always a family operating as a business rather than a business being run by a family,” explains Ronnie Gray. “When our visitors come in, they are greeted by a warm hello and a ‘Welcome to Gray’s.’ We try to welcome them as if they’re entering our own home”

No trip to the Outer Banks is complete without cruising through Brew Thru, the Outer Banks’ original drive thru convenience store. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing cold beverage of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks on the go, stocking up your cooler with refreshments to enjoy at the beach or piling up on beer and wine for a party, Brew Thru is a fun and unique experience all vacationers need to see for themselves. Drive-Through Beer & Gear Brew Thru is Your One-Stop Shop at the Beach The year was 1977, and Dana and Becky Lawrentz were chatting with friends over brews in their hometown of Akron, Ohio. They got to talking about a gas station convenience store in the area that had built a makeshift drive-through. Everyone agreed it would be pretty great if you could actually drive through a convenience store and pick up everything you needed without getting out of the car. But what would you call a place like that? Well, you’d call it a Brew Thru. It was an idea they couldn’t shake, so the Lawrentzes moved to the Outer Banks and built the first Brew Thru with the help of a partner. The idea was that people could come buy everything they would need for their trip to the beach—beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks, ice—without getting out of the car. That same year, a t-shirt salesman visiting the store and talked them into adding t-shirts to their product line—and 44 years later there are now more than five million Brew Thru t-shirts out in the wild. The Lawrentzes’ daughter Brandy and her husband Philip Foreman purchased the business from them in 2002, and they now operate five locations across the Outer Banks.“We love being the one-stop shop for folks on the way to their beach house,” Foreman says. “Our car tenders are the friendliest people at the beach. We’re here to greet you, get you everything you need for your trip, load it up in the trunk for you, and have you leaving with a smile on your face.” The store is quite expansive, featuring more than 100 brands of beer, dozens of wines and even a vast selection of cigars—not to mention all the snacks, t-shirts and other gear. To make ordering a little easier, customers in line get a menu—fondly known as the Summer-y—that outlines everything available at the store. These Summer-ies are also available in many of the beach rentals, which allows vacationers to decide what they want before driving through. For customers who would like to get out and stretch their legs, there’s the Brew Thru Shop in Kill Devil Hills, where you can find their world famous t-shirts and other gifts. New t-shirt designs are created each year, making a yearly Brew Thru t-shirt a favorite of locals and annual visitors to the Outer Banks. The Foremans both grew up in the Outer Banks, and they love that Brandy’s parents’ vision for a friendly and convenient place for people to grab their brews and other beach stay essentials is continuing to flourish. “Our family has been welcoming people to the Outer Banks since 1977,” Foreman says. “We love this beautiful place, and we want everybody to get to enjoy it.”

Sound Feet Shoes is family owned and operated. Sound Feet has been in the retail shoe business for over 72 years, opening their first store in 1953. They provide the best customer service and are the only Outer Banks’ area full service shoe store since 1987. Now, the family owned business boasts eight stores in the region, including two outlets. Their shoe specialists can help you find the right fit and comfort for your family’s needs.

Just for the Beach Rentals (not to be confused with the similarly-named "Just for the Beach") offers rentals to accommodate your stay. Equipment includes linens, baby gates, cribs, monitors, seats, joggers, bikes, kayaks, skim boards, surf boards, and SUP. Free delivery is available with a modest rental order, from Corolla to Nags Head (not including 4x4 areas). Just for the Beach offers two convenient locations in Corolla and Kill Devil Hills.

Looking to fly a kite on the beach or atop the spectacular dunes of Jockey’s Ridge State Park? Kitty Hawk Kites offers the largest selection of kites, wind art, flags, games, and toys on the Outer Banks, with experts on staff to get you flying … or playing … in no time! Always dreamed of being a mermaid? Kitty Hawk Kites carries Fin Fun Mermaid Tails and also offers Mermaid Swim Lessons too! Kitty Hawk Kites also produces more than 20 events annually, including several kite festivals on the Outer Banks.

We offer one of a kind SALT COAST OUTFITTERS brand name tees, long sleeves, performance gear, Yeti tumblers, caps, eyeglasses, and more! Browse the fullest collection of coastal lifestyle clothing on the beach. Featuring a sizable selection of brand names such as Wicked Tuna, Columbia, Avid, Sunbum, Yeti Coolers, Icemule Coolers, Dude Shoes, Salt Life, Performance Fishing Clothing, Eyewear, Fishing tackle, Surfboards and more!

Serving our customers on the Outer Banks since 1994, Big Buck's ice Cream is dedicated serving you “The Best.” We offer a full line of super-premium ice cream products, smoothies, chocolates, and custom-made ice cream cakes! 2 locations are open all year: Duck  and Manteo, at The Waterfront Shops.   We offer a full line of Espresso Drinks from Hot Vanilla Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolate to Iced Caramel Lattes & Frozen Mochas, all made to order. Big Buck’s fresh fruit smoothies are lactose-free and made to order. Also offering lactose-free sorbets made from the best fruits available. Old time favorites are sure to please! Choose from a delicious collection of milkshakes, sundaes and banana splits.   Savor the moment with our Homemade Chocolate! Chocolates are made daily in each location. We offer a large selection from Dark to Milk to White. Milk Chocolate Oreos & Almond Toffee, Dark Chocolate Berries and Cherries Clusters & Hand-dipped Peppermint Patties with a Drizzle of White Chocolate, Extra-Dark Sea Salt Caramels & our famous homemade caramel chocolate pretzels oh & don’t forget the ever-popular caramel pecan turtle, just to name a few treats!   Belinda Pleva grew up serving ice cream out of her parent’s shop. She loved being part of what she calls “a happy business.” “I love it when people come into the shop and you hand them something, and it makes them smile,” Pleva says. “That moment when you hand an ice cream cone over to a little kid and their eyes just light up. That’s what I love about the ice cream business.”   In 1994, Pleva opened up her own ice cream and chocolate shop, Big Buck’s Ice Cream, in the brand-new Timbuk II Shopping Center in Corolla. Business was good, but something was missing.   “I was never satisfied with the ingredients in the ice creams and chocolates you could purchase back then. I wanted to serve my customers delicious flavors with ingredients they could actually pronounce,” Pleva says.   Pleva took a trip to Italy to study the gelaterias. She fell in love with the incredible flavors, and when she returned home to the Outer Banks, she began working tirelessly to perfect the flavors in her own ice cream.   Big Buck’s homemade ice cream combined the flavors of the Italian gelaterias and the richness of American ice cream. It quickly became a tourist favorite. After having the same unsatisfactory experience with the readymade chocolates she was selling, she also took a trip to Brussels to learn more about making handmade chocolates. Pleva brought the chocolate-making experience right back with her, and the result was the finest quality of chocolates on the Outer Banks.   After her huge success in the Corolla shop, Pleva was able to open up three more shops—one in Kitty Hawk, one in Manteo and one in Duck.