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.

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.