Memorable Sports Events Start with the Carolina Coastal Experience

There are many locations for hosting sports events in the Carolinas but only one offers the quintessential Carolina Coastal Experience – Wilmington, N.C., and Island Beaches.

Wilmington and our island beaches have hosted many diverse events filled with good times and record-breaking participation. Our welcoming year-round weather, breathtaking beaches and bustling riverfront are fan favorites.

Encounter an award-winning destination that offers the perfect combination of a historic city plus beaches. From our walkable River District, with access to shops, restaurants and vibrant nightlife, to coastal venues and activities just minutes away, Wilmington offers sports planners fresh possibilities on the best of the Carolina Coast.

Everything you Need to Host a Memorable Sports Event – All in One Place

• Diverse – A variety of venues well suited for sports events
• Inspiring – Award-winning riverfront with family-friendly entertainment, shops and cafes
• Authentic – Rich arts and culture and historic charm live alongside a downtown that offers city amenities
• Refreshing – Three island beaches – Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville – located minutes away
• Energizing – Plenty to see and do before or after your event
• Rewarding – Most groups max out registration at events held here

Exceptional Facilities & Locations

While Wilmington and Beaches offers many of the types of facilities and venues needed to host a sports event, its unique natural settings are what sets it apart from many other sports destinations. Here, racecourses cut through beautiful sounds, rivers and marshes. Water-based courses flow down the storied Cape Fear and across the Intracoastal Waterway into the Atlantic Ocean. There is no other tournament destination in the coastal Carolinas that offers such an incredible array of outdoor landscapes and all-encompassing facilities, all in a single location.

Notable venues include:

• Wilmington Convention Center – The largest convention center on NC’s coast and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. Offers 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 12,000-square-foot ballroom, 5,784-square-feet of meeting space, 15,000-square-feet of pre-function space, ticket office, concessions and an attached parking deck.
• Althea Gibson Tennis Complex – The largest tennis facility in Southeastern NC, with 24 lighted tennis courts and a 1,500-square-foot clubhouse.
• Cape Fear Regional Soccer Complex – Undergoing renovations slated to be completed in 2024. When finished, the park will have 11 full-sized fields, one of which will be synthetic turf, and include outdoor lighting. The Wilmington Hammerheads Youth Soccer Club will manage the new park, which will become known as nCino Sports Park when it opens.
• Legion Sports Complex – Includes Jurgenson-Gabriel Field, Legion Back Field, Buck Hardee (Baseball) Field, Robert Shipp Pool, and four lighted tennis courts. Seats 6,000 with fully equipped concessions available.
• Olsen Park – Five lighted softball/baseball fields, volleyball court, restrooms, concession stands, picnic shelters, and the handicap accessible Miracle Field and Miracle Playground.
• Ogden Park – Three lighted baseball fields, one lighted youth football stadium, one lighted softball field, three lighted soccer/football fields, nine lighted tennis courts, 10,000-square-foot concrete skatepark and shelters.
• Long Leaf Park – Three soccer fields, three softball fields, four baseball fields, four tennis courts, an equestrian center, several playgrounds and restrooms, and six shelters.
• Veterans Park – Two picnic shelters, restrooms, playground and a half-mile paved walking trail. Lighted facilities include four Little League baseball fields, one regulation baseball field, one regulation softball field, four soccer/football fields and two soccer fields. Three of the nine lighted tennis courts are lined for and can be easily converted to pickleball courts. Facilities without lights include one regulation baseball and one regulation softball field, as well as three sand volleyball courts.
• There are several locations in the Wilmington area for hosting watersports, including the Intracoastal Waterway, as well as numerous areas with beach access to the Atlantic Ocean
• Over 8,000 guest rooms and suites

Explore Wilmington’s Sports Venues Virtually

Planners can now visually navigate the area’s sports venues and facilities through the destination’s new Wilmington Sports SkyNav™. The interactive 3D tour features aerial views of venues, including soccer fields, tennis courts, baseball and softball fields and others. In addition to seeing the venues, you can interact with SkyTags to get more information about each facility’s amenities. The tour also includes information beacons featuring images, videos and more.

Discover Reasons to Host a Sports Event in Wilmington, NC