Kitchen Cabinets in Wrightsville Beach, NC

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) plans to replace three aging bridges in Wrightsville Beach as part of a single project, officials said.

The bridges are part of Project HB-0040, with NCDOT stating repairs are no longer a ‘long-term solution.’

NCDOT estimates the project to cost $105 million, including utilities, property acquisition and construction costs.

At this time, the project is expected to begin in the Spring of 2028.

What’s changing

The Causeway Drive Bridge on US-76 will be rebuilt as a four-lane bridge with a center median.

Two bridges on West Salisbury Street on US-74 will each be rebuilt as two-lane bridges.

The new bridges will be built in roughly the same location as the current ones. No new car lanes will be added, but the new designs will improve access for pedestrians and cyclists with 10-12-foot multi-use paths and six-foot bike lanes, according to NCDOT.

Town action

In the Town’s newsletter, Wrightsville Beach officials said they are actively involved to ensure the community’s voice is heard throughout the planning and construction process.

This follows concerns during the Town’s last meeting about navigation and potential traffic disruptions for the popular beach destination.

Officials said the Wrightsville Beach Chamber of Commerce also appointed a representative to represent all Wrightsville Beach businesses.

The Board of Aldermen formed a Bridge Replacement Committee that includes six residents, three ex officio members and four Town staff. The committee’s mission is to gather public input, review project updates and provide recommendations to the Board and NCDOT.

The town hired a transportation consultant to support the committee and staff. The consultant is helping with NCDOT communications, traffic studies, emergency service access and technical project guidance.

The town also hired an emergency response consultant to assist with planning and preparation for emergencies. The emergency response consultant will share a presentation at the next meeting.

The next meeting to discuss the project is scheduled for Monday, March 16, 2026, at 10 a.m. in the Wrightsville Beach Public Safety Building Conference Room.

To view more information on the project, click here.

Copyright 2026 WECT. All rights reserved.

These days, the closest place to see a movie near Wrightsville Beach is a couple of miles away at Regal Cinemas in the Mayfaire shopping center off Military Cutoff Road.

Back in the day, however, one could see a movie in a theater, balcony and all, in Wrightsville Beach proper mere yards from the Atlantic Ocean.

According to Ray McAllister's 2007 book "Wrightsville Beach: The Luminous Island," when The Crest movie theater opened on North Lumina Avenue in 1946, it was the first full-time movie theater on Wrightsville Beach. (Movies had previously screened on the beach sporadically in other locations, including at the fabled Lumina dance hall.)

The Crest was located where Jerry Allen's sports bar and restaurant is today. Looking at the building, which has been adapted and renovated for other uses over the decades, one can see the faint outlines of its movie-theater past.

According to the CinemaTreasures.org website, which collects pictures and information about old movie theaters, The Crest continued to operate as a movie theater into the early 1970s, when it became a popular nightspot and music venue called The Rec Hall.

A post to the Wit's End Wrightsville Beach group on Facebook, named for the former Wrightsville Beach bar that used to exist near where the Tower 7 restaurant is today, elicited dozens of responses from folks who said they were former patrons of The Crest, The Rec Hall or both.

Deb Bowen of Wilmington said she remembers seeing movies at The Crest in the 1960s, when she said admission was 25 cents, popcorn was 15 cents and a Coke was 10 cents: "Lots of fun for 50 cents."

Tommy Rogers said the theater was built by his grandfather and father as part of the Luther T. Rogers, Inc. construction company.

Danny Conner said he "worked there when it was a theater in the 1960s," when there would be movies for children on Saturday as well as foreign films and other types of more mainstream fare. One patron recalled seeing "Planet of the Apes" there, and Conner and others recalled when The Crest hosted a short-lived adult film series one night a week.

According to past StarNews reporting, The Crest hosted a long-running foreign film night on Tuesdays in the 1950s and '60s showing movies by such European auteurs as Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini.

In the early 1970s the theater closed and changed over to being The Rec Hall. Many people continued to call it The Crest, which it was later renamed. (The Crest fitness club operated out of the building for many years as well.)

Patrons recall seeing some pretty big-name bands there, including Southern rock acts Molly Hatchet, Nantucket and The Dixie Dregs, and Georgia funk band Mother's Finest.

Regional acts like Sidewinder, Brice Street and The Pedestrians played there as well.

Movies only screened at The Crest for about 25 years. The building has hosted Jerry Allen's, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025, since 1995.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY-TV) –

“Coming out to the beach this is my fourth year doing it,” said Todd Beaty.

Beaty dresses up in his big red suit, which was passed down from his father, and offers pictures with children, adults and even dogs.

“It’s absolutely free, I don’t ask for no money I don’t accept any money it’s just all out of the kindness of my heart,” Beaty said.

He said he enjoys spreading the holiday spirit.

“Seeing the kids light up, seeing the adults light up, is absolutely amazing, that I can actually have that power to give back to the community and just brighten somebody’s day,” Beaty said.

Beaty’s tradition was not the only one taking place at the beach, since 2011 a group of Wilmington local host a brunch every Christmas day at 10 a.m.

“We’ve been doing it because how can it be any better than being at the beach on Christmas day,” Beaty said.

Burl and Audrey Penton have been gathering their friends for the special occasion.

“Everybody brings a brunch item, we had a great big spread of a table with all kinds of brunch foods,” Audrey said.

Just a bit father down the beach, a family celebrating the holiday with matching pajamas.

“It’s been so cute and so fun so we decided to come to the beach because it’s a beautiful day today and the weather’s amazing,” said Kristin Weiner.

As many enjoyed the sun and sand, Beaty has one message for everyone to remember this holiday season.

“Love one another and love thy neighbor,” Beaty said.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (WECT) - A popular Christmas display in Wrightsville Beach has returned for its 12th year.

Walt Laughlin’s display on Live Oak Drive features a magical theater that shows Christmas videos and promotes the Pied Piper Theatre program at Thalian Hall. There’s also a life-size reindeer animatronic riding a bike. However, new this year is an interactive feature that allows community members to not only view the display, but participate in it.

Laughlin said he wanted to hear from visitors what Christmas really means to them.

“Rather than me saying what’s important to me this time of year, maybe allowing the community to say what they think is important. And so, that’s what this display is all about,” Laughlin said.

Visitors take a white ping pong ball, called a “spirit ball,” and write what Christmas means to them on it using a marker. They then use a “spirit wand” to put their ball into a bucket called the Christmas Spirit Collector. The ball travels down a water chute, and lands in Laughlin’s “spirit collection facility.” The next day it appears on a rack for everyone to read.

Some of Laughlin’s favorite responses include messages about time with family. Some of his other favorites are funny messages from the children in the neighborhood.

“A lot of these say something about family and something about love,” he said, reading examples like “Family and God and presents,” “Family is everything,” and “Happy holidays and get me a nicer cat.”

While there is so much joy associated with reading what everyone writes, Laughlin admits he found much of 2025 disheartening. Until recently, he had been finding it somewhat difficult to get into the Christmas spirit.

“Politically it’s been a very difficult year and it, for me anyway, it kind of casts a pall over things in general. I think most of the folks that I know feel similarly worried about how things are going to turn out in the long run, but we’re all hopeful,” he said.

Reading the community responses has helped him feel more cheerful about Christmas this year.

“I don’t know that people coming and writing what Christmas means to them on a ping pong ball is gonna change the world, but it helps. It helps to see people think from the heart this time of year,” Laughlin said.

The Christmas Spirit Collector will be up and running through January 1. Laughlin welcomes families to come by and share what Christmas means to them.

Wilmington is a coastal town surrounded by a bunch of other coastal towns and beaches, so it's no real surprise that we like to celebrate our holidays at least partly on the water.

That includes the Christmas season, of course, and over the decades a half-dozen flotillas, or boat parades, have popped up around the area, with local watermen and pleasure boat enthusiasts bedecking their craft with festive lighting in honor of the season. It's a real perk for those of us who like to gaze in wide wonder at colorful and shiny things.

Here is a list of flotillas to see in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties in 2025.

Greater Topsail Area Christmas Flotilla

in Topsail Beach and Surf City: This Pender County flotilla, which used to be known as the Topsail Island Holiday Boat Flotilla, leaves from Bush Marina in Topsail Beach at 5 p.m. and proceeds to Soundside Park in Surf City. Top prize for best-decorated boat is a cool $1,000, which could buy a lot of Christmas presents. The flotilla will be preceded by a Christmas market in Soundside Park from noon-6 p.m. Details at TopsailChamber.org.

North Carolina Holiday Flotilla

at Wrightsville Beach: It's the 42nd year for this annual boat parade through Motts Channel and Banks Channel. A ticketed kickoff party starts 7 p.m. Nov. 28 at Bluewater Grill, with a "day in the park" festival 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 29 at Wrightsville Beach Park. The flotilla itself starts 6 p.m. Nov. 29, with an array of watercraft striving to outdo each other with colorful lights and creative themes. Winners announced Nov. 30 at a "captain's breakfast." Details at NCHolidayFlotilla.org.

Ocean Isle Beach Flotilla

in Ocean Isle Beach: This 22nd annual Brunswick County event starts at dusk in the Intracoastal Waterway a mile east of the Shallotte River and proceeds into the Ocean Isle Beach Commercial Canal, where the largest crowds will gather. An awards ceremony with prizes for best-decorated boat will be held at the end of the flotilla at the Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Center. Details at OceanIsleBeachFlotilla.com.

Pleasure Island of Lights Christmas Flotilla

in Carolina Beach: Fishing boats and pleasure craft decorated for the season will float down the Intracoastal Waterway between Snows Cut and the Carolina Beach Yacht Basin (the latter location is where the biggest crowds tend to gather). Start time is 6 p.m. Judges pick the best-decorated boats, and there's also a People's Choice Award. The flotilla is part of the annual Pleasure Island of Lights Festival, which also includes the Lighting at the Lake on Nov. 28, a Holiday Tour of Homes on Dec. 13 and a New Year's Eve celebration and "beach ball drop" Dec. 31 in Kure Beach. Details at PleasureIslandOfLights.com.

Southport Winterfest Flotilla

in Southport: This 31st annual boat parade is the final event in Southport's big Winterfest celebration, which starts with a tree lighting on Dec. 5. The flotilla starts at 6 p.m. and will proceed down the Intracoastal Waterway from the American Fish Company to The Landing before turning around and returning back down the ICW, ending at St. James Marina. Students from Southport Elementary School will serve as judges for the lighted boat display. Details at CityOfSouthport.com.