On Carolina Beach, the off-season arrives in stages, and the town budget sets each one. The Town Council unanimously adopted the fiscal year 2026/2027 budget on June 9, 2026. Its fee schedule fixes the day Freeman Park gets cheaper, the day most meters stop charging, the one month the annual beach-drive permit is sold at a discount, and the day the resident re-entry decal becomes free. Add the fall event calendar on top, and October through December sorts itself into a sequence of rule changes. Each one changes how you can use the island.
| Date | What changes | The number behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1 | Freeman Park daily pass rate drops; dogs may go off leash there | $30 a day, down from $50 April through September |
| Oct. 16–24 | Surf fishing tournament, Monster Dash 5K and Pleasure Island Restaurant Week all overlap | Tournament anglers pay $15 a day at Freeman Park |
| Nov. 1 | Regular town lots and designated on-street parking go free | Lots were $6 an hour or $25 a day through Oct. 31 |
| Nov. 1 | Carolina Beach State Park closes earlier | 7 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. |
| Dec. 1–31 | Discounted Freeman Park annual permit, sold in person only | $120, against $235 the rest of the year |
| Jan. 1 | Resident re-entry decal becomes free through March 31 | $20 from April 1 through Dec. 31 |
October 1 Belongs to Freeman Park
The first step has already happened. On Oct. 1, the Freeman Park daily pass dropped from $50 per vehicle to $30, and it stays there through March 31. The town's annual permit costs $235, and camping reservations are $70 a night from Labor Day through the Thursday before Memorial Day.
The same date changes the dog rules on the north end. Dogs have to be leashed at Freeman Park from April 1 to Sept. 30. From Oct. 1 to March 31 they can be off leash as long as they stay under voice command and their owner stays within a reasonable distance. That rule is specific to Freeman Park. The town's general pet rules still call for leashes and require you to carry a bag or container for waste. Dogs are never allowed on the historic wooden sections of the boardwalk or in the Boardwalk Business District east of Canal Drive, from the north side of Harper Avenue up to and including Cape Fear Boulevard. If your dog needs a fenced run instead of open sand, Mike Chappell Park at 501 S. Dow Road has a dog park that's open all year.
Mid-October Is the Last Crowded Weekend
The cheaper Freeman Park rate leads straight into the busiest stretch left on the fall calendar. Several events land within a few days of each other, and the meters are still running.
- Friday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 18. The Pleasure Island Fall Surf Fishing Challenge is based at the Municipal Docks, 224 Canal Drive. According to the Fisherman's Post tournament FAQ, the town again voted to give registered anglers half off the standard $30 Freeman Park daily rate. Two special passes cover the three days of fishing, and they're sold only at Friday registration. The FAQ also points out that anglers still pay the town meters and parking machines, so expect more trucks at the north end and in the paid lots that weekend.
- Saturday, Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Monster Dash 5K runs at Carolina Beach State Park, 1010 State Park Road. The same day, the Annual Backyard BBQ Cookoff runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 118 River Front Road in neighboring Kure Beach.
- Oct. 17 through Oct. 24. Pleasure Island Restaurant Week, presented by the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce, brings prix-fixe dishes and menus to restaurants in Carolina Beach and Kure Beach. Prices and hours vary by restaurant. The Chamber's Restaurant Week page has a fall 2026 participating venues section, and the Chamber says it's adding specials daily.
Two more October events run until the end of the month. The Carolina Beach Pier Pumpkin Patch at 1800 Carolina Beach Ave. N. is open daily through Oct. 31, with live music on Thursdays and Fridays. On Halloween, Alley-Ween at The Dive Food & Spirits, 6 N. Lake Park Blvd., runs a family block from 4 to 7 p.m. and an adults-only party from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Oct. 31 is also the last day of paid-season parking in the regular lots.
November 1, When Most of the Meters Stop
This is the date that matters most for everyday errands. Under the adopted schedule, regular town lots cost $6 an hour or $25 a day from March 1 through Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Designated on-street parking costs $5 an hour over the same period. Both become free from Nov. 1 through Feb. 28.
Not every lot goes free. The schedule lists "designated premium parking lots" at $7 an hour or $35 a day, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., all year. The town's parking materials don't list which lots carry that designation. If you have friends visiting on a December weekend, check the signs and pay station at whatever lot they pick. The town's free PivotGO map shows parking availability in real time, and the Town Parking Office is at (910) 458-4614.
You may still find older visitor material that lists paid November and December parking at $2 an hour or $10 a day, including the visitor bureau's own FAQ. The adopted 2026/2027 schedule says otherwise, and free November and December parking isn't new this year. WECT reported in February 2024 that the town made those two months free after hearing concerns from the community and local businesses. Town Manager Bruce Oakley told the station that revenue adjustments would be needed to make up the lost income. Business owner Jerry Hebert said winter paid parking had hurt his bars and restaurants. That history explains the timing. Free parking starts a week after Restaurant Week ends and covers the slower months, when the island's restaurants depend more on year-round traffic.
Residents who want paid-season coverage can buy a $30 annual parking pass. Carolina Beach and Kure Beach residents and property owners can get one for every vehicle registered in either town. Non-resident property owners can buy one pass for vehicles registered elsewhere.
The state park shortens its hours the same month. Carolina Beach State Park closes at 9 p.m. in October and 7 p.m. in November. Marina hours go from 8 a.m.–8 p.m. to 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Ranger programs fit inside those hours. The park calendar lists Run with a Ranger on Nov. 4 and Bird Hikes on Oct. 21 and Nov. 18, plus a beginner ranger kayak paddle on Oct. 14 for anyone who wants one more October paddle.
Late November Into December, the Lights and the Discount Permit
With the regular lots and on-street spaces free, the holiday events land on an island that's easier to get around. The Merry Market on the Beach sets up at Carolina Beach Pier, 1800 Carolina Beach Ave. N., on Nov. 21 from noon to 4 p.m. On Nov. 27, the night after Thanksgiving, Island of Lights: Lighting at the Lake takes place at Carolina Beach Lake Park, at North Lake Park Boulevard and Atlanta Avenue. The listing says festivities usually start at 6 p.m. and the lighting usually happens at 7 p.m., but the 2026 times are still listed as to be announced.
December is the only month the cheaper Freeman Park annual permit is sold. From Dec. 1 to Dec. 31 it costs $120, bought in person, compared with $235 the rest of the year. At the off-season daily rate of $30, the December permit costs the same as four days on the north end, and the standard annual permit costs about as much as eight.
Britt's Donuts keeps the boardwalk tradition going into winter, too. The shop's owner told Port City Daily that the Carolina Beach shop opens on weekends before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. WECT reported limited December hours around the Christmas parade and a Donut Decorating Night, but the full schedule hadn't been released.
January 1, the Last Step
The final step comes after the holidays. The Carolina Beach resident, property owner and business owner re-entry decal is free from Jan. 1 through March 31 and costs $20 from April 1 through Dec. 31. New residents and owners can get one free within 60 days of documented residency or ownership, any time of year. Re-entry, parking, golf cart and Freeman Park permits all have to be renewed each year, so the first quarter is a good time to get those renewals done.
Golf cart owners have their own deadline coming. Since July 1, 2023, only owners who bought a permit the previous calendar year can renew one for a non-state-registered golf cart. Those permit sales end Dec. 31, 2027, and after that only state-registered low-speed vehicles will be permitted.
Paid parking returns to the regular lots on March 1, and Freeman Park leash rules come back on April 1.
If you're picturing a full year on Pleasure Island, with its permit renewals, Freeman Park seasons and quiet winter months, the Thirty4 North Properties Group team can walk you through how the island's calendar works month by month. Contact us anytime. We're glad to talk about the island off-season or in summer.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
