September 29, 2026 — The 40th annual North Carolina Seafood Festival will bring crowds back to downtown Morehead City starting Friday, and organizers say they are cracking down on imported seafood.
For the first time, officials said an outside organization will conduct DNA testing on seafood cooked and sold by festival vendors. The goal is to help ensure the seafood comes from North Carolina or other U.S. states, not from other countries.