January
1 • Hummers Parade
This New Year’s Day parade down Broad and Main streets in Middletown is as whacky an event as you’ll find. Locals spoof the year’s biggest news stories—and anything else they choose. middletownde.org
February
5 • Lewes Polar Bear Plunge
On the first weekend of February, jump into the chilly Atlantic at Rehoboth Beach to benefit Special Olympics Delaware. Or stand on the boardwalk and marvel at the spectacle of hundreds of folks braving the winter waters. sode.org
24 • Oyster Eat and Shrimp Feast
On the last Friday of each February, you can slurp oysters and clog to a live bluegrass band at the male-only Georgetown Fire Company’s annual Oyster Eat. Ladies do their thing the same night at the Lewes Fire Department’s Shrimp Feast. They say it’s a wilder party than the Oyster Eat. georgetown77.com, lewesfire.com
March
TBA • St. Patrick’s Day Parades
Floats, bands and step dancers take to King Street in Wilmington, Smyrna and downtown Dover during these annual celebrations.
April
TBA • Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival
This annual affair features baking contests, delicious desserts and family fun at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. You may want to hit the boards for a little power walk afterward. downtownrb.com
14 • Great Delaware Kite Festival
The parade grounds at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes become the launching site for kites of all shapes, sizes and colors. Take part in one of the contests or just sit back and stare skyward. leweschamber.com
29 • Bugs & Bud Festival
This annual event in Milford celebrates the official state bug (ladybug) and spring blooms. cityofmilford.com
TBA • UD Ag Day
UD’s College of Agriculture hosts tours, exhibits, kids’ activities, music and food on the grounds of Townsend Hall in Newark. The hayride around the surrounding farmland comes highly recommended. canr.udel.edu
May
11-14 • Wilmington Flower Market
Held each Mother’s Day weekend since 1921, the flower market offers a huge selection of plants and flowers at Rockford Park. Plus, there’s always an interesting lineup of live entertainment and plenty of festival fare. wilmingtonflowermarket.org
5-7 • Dover Days
The largest festival in Kent County celebrates Delaware history in the state capital. Visit the historic Green to watch children in Colonial attire dance around the Maypole and other activities. This year, Dover marks its 300th birthday. doverdaysfestival.com
7 • Point-to-Point
Attend Point-to-Point steeplechase races at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library. Tailgate with the who’s who. You may even catch a glimpse of Martha Stewart. winterthur.org
19-21 • Wilmington Grand Prix
One of the premier pro-am bicycling races in the country takes to the streets during three days of festivities. The Saturday street fair includes skateboarding demos, demos of X Games-style BMX riding and a party atmosphere at Market Street businesses. wilmgrandprix.com
20 • A Day in Old New Castle
The state’s oldest home and garden tour lets visitors step back in time. The town gives Colonial Williamsburg a run for its money. immanuelonthegreen.com
27 • Horseshoe Crab & Shorebird Festival
Take a boat ride or a canoe trip and listen to music at Milton Memorial Park and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge—one of the state’s hidden gems. historicmilton.com
28 • Strawberry Festival
Visit Fifer Orchards in Wyoming for a celebration of everything strawberry. No doubt you’ll wind up chatting with a Fifer. fiferorchards.com
June
2-4 • NASCAR at Dover International Speedway
NASCAR’s best do battle on the Monster Mile over three-days at Dover International Speedway. Be sure to say hi to Miles the Monster. doverspeedway.com
TBA • Holy Trinity Church Greek Festival
Enjoy five days of homemade Greek goodies, traditional dancing, wine and other fun at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Wilmington. Moussaka for all. holytrinitywilmington.org
11-18 • St. Anthony’s Italian Festival
Celebrate the old country during this weeklong festival in Wilmington’s Little Italy. Enjoy amazing food, live entertainment, vendors and amusement rides. Take a guided tour of beautiful St. Anthony of Padua Church, a Delaware and national historic landmark. stanthonysfestival.com
15-18 • Firefly Music Festival
Firefly offers four days of musical performances by popular rock acts—nine stages, more than 110 bands—in the woods near Dover International Speedway. Around 90,000 music fans attended last year’s event. fireflyfestival.com
TBA • Clifford Brown Jazz Festival
Free concerts in Wilmington’s Rodney Square feature some of the hottest—meaning coolest—musicians on the scene. Past performers include Chick Corea, Jonathan Butler and Lalah Hathaway. cliffordbrownjazzfest.org
TBA • African-American Festival
This event, known as Positively Dover, is usually held on the fourth Saturday in June on Legislative Mall in Dover. Performances by the youth of Sankofa African Dance Company can’t be missed. www.icclarts.org
TBA • New Castle County Ice Cream Festival
The long-running Fourth of July weekend fest—live music, crafters and, of course, ice cream—is held at Rockwood Park in Wilmington. rockwoodicecream.com
TBA • A New Night Downtown
Newark This family event showcases Newark’s unique and eclectic businesses with a street fair feel. Find food, music, shopping and other excitement. enjoydowntownnewark.com
July
2 • Rehoboth Beach Fireworks
Join 80,000 people on the boardwalk and beach as fireworks light the night. There is no better place than the sand to catch the reflection of exploding pyrotechnics over the ocean. cityofrehoboth.com
8-9 • Nanticoke Riverfest
Hundreds take to the Nanticoke River in downtown Seaford for three days of fun, games, car shows and the famous float-in. nanticokeriverfest.com
TBA • Delaware Shakespeare Festival
Who needs Central Park? The festival produces the best from the Bard at Rockwood Park in Wilmington. delshakes.org
20-29 • Delaware State Fair
The 10-day event in Harrington features grandstand events like a demolition derby and concerts by some of the top acts in the country. You haven’t truly experienced the fair until you stop by the livestock area to pet something. delawarestatefair.com
29 • A People’s Festival
A celebration of music and culture in a tribute to one-time Delaware resident Bob Marley is at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park in Wilmington. Past performers include Richie Havens, The Wailers and all kinds of Marleys, of course. peoplesfestival.com
August
3 • Delaware Today’s Best of Delaware Party
Delicious food from dozens of the state’s top restaurants, boutiques, salons and other businesses. The event, held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, includes live entertainment, tons of great food and everyone you want to see. Proceeds go to local nonprofits. delawaretoday.com
5-6, 12-13 • Outdoor Fine Art and Craft Show
More than 100 artists and artisans exhibit work for sale on the grounds of the Rehoboth Art League in Rehoboth Beach over two weekends. rehobothartleague.org
TBA • Riverfront Blues Festival
Top national acts join talented locals for three days of blues at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park in Wilmington. Locals can’t pass up the Jimmy Pritchard Band. riverfrontbluesfestde.com
TBA • Wyoming Peach Festival/Peach Ice Cream Day
The peach is celebrated with activities while Fifer Orchards sells ice cream and presents live music. fiferorchards.com
TBA • Middletown Old-Tyme Peach Festival
Life’s a peach at this annual event, which features a parade, a pie-baking contest, music, food, games and local art. middletownpeachfestival.com
20-27 • August Quarterly
The oldest continuous African-American religious festival commemorates the founding of the Union Church of Africans in Wilmington. augustquarterly.org
September
2 • Arden Fair
Held the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, this century-old tradition offers an antiques market for crafts, games, food and music in Arden. ardenclub.org
4 • Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral
Bid a New Orleans-style farewell to summer during this quirky tradition held on the boardwalk each Labor Day. business.bethany-fenwick.org
9 • Bethany Boardwalk Arts Festival
More than 100 fine artists and crafters display and sell their work. bethanybeachartsfestival.com
TBA • Nanticoke Powwow
Held in Millsboro, the powwow is a glimpse of native culture, as well as traditions from tribes across the country. nanticokeindians.org
9-10 • Brandywine Festival of the Arts
Always the weekend after Labor Day, this fest features more than 100 juried artists selling works at Brandywine Park’s Josephine Gardens in Wilmington. brandywinearts.com
15-17 • Oktoberfest Delaware
Saengerbund in Newark serves authentic German foods and beverages. Sing and dance your heart out. delawaresaengerbund.org
TBA • Hagley Car Show
View antique and restored cars dating from the early 1900s to the 1980s at beautiful Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington. hagley.org
TBA • Polish Festival
This annual event held on the Wilmington riverfront features traditional Polish food, music, dancing and a packed midway. sthedwigde.org
23 • Riverwalk Freedom Festival
This three-day event along the Mispillion River is Milford’s largest annual outdoor festival. cityofmilford.com
TBA • Art on the Green
The New Castle Hundred Lions Club hosts this annual show of arts, crafts and music at Battery Park in New Castle. artonthegreende.net
TBA • Newark Community Day
From Memorial Hall to Main Street, UD’s Green is filled with hundreds of arts, crafts and food vendors, plus musicians and demonstration groups, during this popular community celebration. This marks the 48th year it’s been held. cityofnewarkde.us
TBA • Wings & Wheels Fall Festival
Past festivals at the Sussex County Airport in Georgetown have featured a vintage plane fly-in, World War II re-enactments and a classic car show. wings-wheels.com
29-Oct. 1 • NASCAR at Dover International Speedway
Dover plays host to three different NASCAR series races during the three-day weekend. The chase for the Sprint Cup really starts to heat up this time of year. doverspeedway.com
TBA • Taste of Newark
The annual foodie event pairs more than 50 restaurants with the area’s finest wine distributors for a great day on UD’s Old College Lawn along Main Street. cityofnewarkde.us
October
1 • Coast Day
Tour research vessels, touch sea life and enjoy cooking contests at UD’s College of Earth, Ocean and Environment in Lewes. The view of Roosevelt Inlet and the bay is unparalleled. ceoe.udel.edu
6-9 • Greyhounds Reach the Beach
Retired racers and their owners gather for Columbus Day weekend in Dewey Beach. grtb.org
TBA • Vendemmia da Vinci
Savor Italian food and wines, get in on the wine- and gravy-making contests and enjoy live Italian music—from Sinatra to opera—at Bellevue State Park in Wilmington. societadavinci.org
12-15 • Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival
The four-day festival features national acts and local performers at various locations. Previous festivals have performances by such stars as Pattie Austin, Gerald Albright and Al Jarreau. rehobothjazz.com
13-15 • Apple Scrapple Festival
Experience this Bridgeville tradition for two local delicacies. applescrapple.com
TBA • Delmarva Folk Festival
This two-day event near Hartly offers a relaxed, rural setting in which to enjoy folk performances. Camp if you want. delfolk.org
28-30 • Sea Witch Halloween Festival
This event in Rehoboth includes costume parades for humans and dogs, and a skim and surf fest. beach-fun.com
TBA • Delaware Wine & Beer Festival
Kent County welcomes all to taste some of the best local wines, craft beers and small-batch spirits Delaware and the region has to offer, plus contests for home brewers. delawarewineandbeerfestival.com
November
9 • Return Day
This only-in-Delaware event is held the Thursday after an election in Georgetown. Winners and losers bury the hatchet and parade together while you enjoy roasted ox. returnday.com
10-12 • Delaware Antiques Show
Thanks to Winterthur, some of the country’s most distinguished antiques dealers are showcased at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. winterthur.org
TBA • First State Heritage Park Market Fair
This event on The Green in Dover takes visitors back to a typical market day in the 18th century. destateparks.com/marketfair
TBA • Yuletide at Winterthur
The stunning period rooms of Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library are decorated for the holidays with, among other things, trees dressed in the fashion of their times. winterthur.org
TBA • Chocolate Fest
This choco-centric event at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino offers the tasty treat in as many delicious forms as you can imagine. doverdowns.com/Chocolate-Festival/
3-12 Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival
This amazing five-day festival features 100 of the best current American and international films. rehobothfilm.com
December
TBA • Holidays at Hagley
Visitors to Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington can make Victorian Christmas paper decorations, taste holiday cookies and tour the original du Pont family home in its finest holiday raiment. hagley.org
TBA • Christmas in Odessa
Take a self-guided tour of historic private homes and buildings that have been decorated for the holidays, with one based on a classic work of children’s literature. The tour begins its second half-century this year. christmasinodessa.com
