The North Carolina Seafood Festival is in its 32nd year.

The North Carolina Seafood Festival is a not-for-profit organization of Carteret county citizens and business people, in conjunction with the town of Morehead City, N.C. Recognizing the importance of seafood to eastern North Carolina, Seafood Festival, Inc., organized to develop and conduct a festival every year, the first weekend in October, to: promote the positive social and economic impact of the seafood industry on the citizens of North Carolina; educate the public about seafood and its importance to the state economy; publicize the wide variety of seafood indigenous to North Carolina and provide the opportunity for people to enjoy it; boost tourism and recreation in eastern North Carolina in the non-summer months; establish a scholarship program for educational pursuits related to the seafood industry; provide the opportunity for North Carolina non-profit, civic, church and educational organizations to raise funds through participation in the festival.

Festival proceeds are shared with community organizations who donate their efforts to the event. Since 1987, over $1.8 million has been dispersed among participating Carteret County non-profit groups.