May 2026 - Back to the Beach

Assuring Delaware’s Park System Remains Affordable for All

Community Transformation

Growing Community

Medical Achievement

Quiet Philanthropy

Rescuing History

Statewide Innovation

For nearly a quarter-century the DCF has partnered with the Delaware Division of Parks & Recreation to help keep beautiful public spaces available and affordable to the public today, and well into the future.

The Division maintains 17 state parks, 22 nature preserves, the Brandywine Zoo and the Indian River Marina — in all, protecting more than 27,000 acres and welcoming more than eight million visitors each year.

In partnership, the DCF maintains a network of 30 funds which to date have granted more than $8 million in support of the parks and their programming.

So, during our 40th anniversary we tip our hat to our slightly ‘older’ partner – Happy 75th Anniversary, Delaware Division of Parks & Recreation!

The welcoming trails of Blackbird Carolina Bays Nature Preserve

Photo care of DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation

Photos by Becca Mathias

Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com

Jim Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com

CONTRIBUTING

Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net CREATIVE

Three youngsters are captivated by the incoming surf at Cape Henlopen State Park.

Indoor Pet Escape: Summer Fun Without the Sunburn

By Brianna Hansen

There’s a certain kind of summer day when stepping outside feels less like a choice and more like a challenge. The pavement radiates, the air hangs heavy, and even the most enthusiastic pup gives you a look that says, absolutely not. Meanwhile, your cat has transformed into a puddle of fur, draped dramatically across the coolest surface it can find.

When temperatures climb, outdoor adventures take a backseat … but that doesn’t mean the fun has to! Summer is the perfect excuse to turn your home into a playground, with games that keep pets active, engaged, and blissfully out of the sun.

Start with a classic: the indoor treasure hunt. Hide a few treats or favorite toys around the house and let your pet sniff them out. For dogs, this taps into natural foraging instincts. For cats, it turns an ordinary afternoon into a full-blown mission. And it’s just as entertaining to watch as it is for them to play! You can switch up locations and hiding spots to keep the game new and exciting each time.

Looking to level up? Puzzle feeders or DIY games add a layer of challenge, and they’re easier to set up than you think. Place treats in a muffin tin, then cover each cup with a tennis ball or toy. Your pet will nudge, paw, or nose the covers aside to uncover the reward. Start simple, then increase the difficulty as you go. Swap in different objects to keep things fresh, turning snack time into a satisfying mental workout.

Training sessions are another underrated summer win. A few minutes practicing commands or learning a new trick can be just as tiring as a walk (and yet much cooler!). Keep it short and positive, and you’ll have a pet who’s both sharper and sleepier by the end.

For cats, think motion and curiosity … Wand toys, laser pointers, or even a strategically placed cardboard box can spark a burst of energy. Arrange a few boxes or tunnels, and you’ve built a feline amusement park in your living room (don’t forget the catnip).

Indoor play doesn’t just burn energy, it strengthens the bond between you and your pet. It’s shared time, shared laughs, and the occasional chaotic moment when a game goes delightfully off the rails. It also helps prevent boredom-related behaviors, giving pets a healthy outlet for their energy.

So when the heat turns up and the outdoors feels offlimits, bring the fun inside. Summer doesn’t have to slow things down, it just invites you to get a little more creative … one cool, playful afternoon at a time!

THE LOVE OF HEALTH KIDS ’

There is a love that watches every breath, listens no matter what, hopes through every heartbeat, and wants nothing more than a future full of bright, ordinary days.

For that love, expert care should never feel far away.

ChristianaCare and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have come together so world‑class pediatric care can live closer to the moments that matter — in the neighborhoods where children grow, in the arms that hold them, and in the place your family calls home.

Because when it comes to your child’s health, love deserves the very best. And now, the best is right here. CHOP NOW at ChristianaCare!

THE WAR On Words

MEDIA WATCH

A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language

Proofreading proved to be challenging for NBC10 Philadelphia recently.

Many “close, but no cigars” this month.

• Chris Palmer, in e Philadelphia Inquirer: “ e woman was not interested in Baker’s advances, they said, and she tried to di use the situation by being polite, putting in her earbuds, watching videos on her tablet . . .” Defuse (to resolve; “de-fuse,” if you will) is the correct word here. Di use means “to spread over a wide area or among a large number of people.”

• Another example of the defuse/di use confusion comes from reader Jane Buck, who spotted a Miss Manners’ column in which the arbiter of etiquette advised a reader to apologize after a dispute with another restaurant patron: “It di uses his grievance,” mis red Miss Manners.

• Reader Larry Hamermesh spotted this in a Reuters story: “U.S. President Donald Trump evoked Jesus on Monday to urge Republicans in Congress to work through the upcoming Easter holiday in a bid to pass a voteridenti cation bill that Democrats strongly oppose.” e writer meant invoke — to petition for help or support; to appeal to or cite as authority. Evoke is primarily used in the sense “to call forth or up” and often refers to memories, emotions, or sympathy.

• Lochlahn March, in e Inky, writing about Phillies pitcher Greg Wood: “One of his three strikeouts came on his slider, a pitch that he honed in on improving over the o season.” Substituting honing for homing is, unfortunately, becoming commonplace. Hone means to sharpen; home in on means to target. If Lochlahn had simply written, “a pitch he honed over the o season,” he would’ve been correct, and less wordy.

• e Awful Announcing Facebook page quoted nationally known sporstcaster Joe Buck as saying that he wrote “the forward” to comedian Artie Lange’s book. Buck actually wrote the foreword — a brief introduction to the book.

Word of the Month

incel

Pronounced in-sell, it’s a noun meaning a person (usually a man) who is or identifies as involuntarily celibate and typically expresses extreme resentment and hostility toward those who are sexually active.

By Bob Yearick

• Wilmington’s News Journal reported that in a copy of the a davit relating to Tiger Woods’ arrest, Deputy Tatiana Levenar wrote, “I believe his facilities were impaired.” e word the deputy should have written is faculties

• Meghan Hall, in USA TODAY: “ e crowd roared with excitement after every move as the Tigers relished in the moment.” One simply relishes enjoyable moments. No need for in. One does, however, revel in such moments.

• Similarly, Clare Mulroy, also USA TODAY, on author Emma Straub: “She wants fans of all ages to relish in what brings them joy.” Just one paragraph later, Clare got it right: “His brother, fellow Boy Talk member Scot, relishes attention and wants to keep milking the cash ow.”

• Washington Post headline: “ e government recommended less vaccines for kids.” As everyone reading this knows (Don’t we, gang?), when referring to plurals (e.g., vaccines) we use fewer. Less is reserved for amounts.

• Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY (regarding Fanatics Flag Football Classic): “Team Founders and Team Wildcats are comprised of current and former NFL players and other standout athletes. . .” e whole comprises the parts.

erefore, this should be: “Team Founders and Team Wildcats comprise current and former NFL players . . .”

• e Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the retirement of former Eagles running back Boston Scott with this: “A sixth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2018 out of Louisiana Tech, the Eagles signed Scott o the Saints’ practice squad in December of 2018.” A dangling modi er, this sentence reads as if the Eagles were a sixth-round draft pick, not Scott.

• And nally, le this under Some people are ageless, but come on: A reader noticed that a commercial for Dr. Ala Stanford, who is running for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 3rd District, claims she was “raised by a 14-year-old mother.” A person can be born to, but not raised by, a 14-year-old.

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCIES DEPT.

• Stephanie Farr, in e Philadelphia Inquirer: “Interestingly enough, the voice of the rst APS (Audible Pedestrian Signal) system in the city had no Philly accent at all.” Not necessarily a redundancy, but a wasted word. Why enough? Enough for whom?

NEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR GROUP?

Contact me at ryearick@comcast.net for a fun and informative discussion of grammar.

Buy The War on Words book at the Hockessin BookShelf, at Huxley & Hiro Booksellers on Market Street, or on Amazon.

FYI Things Worth Knowing

FIND THE BUS, GUS!

This month's search should be easy. After all, how could you miss this big, colorful Dart Beach Bus? So, tell us the four page numbers of this issue that we’ve hidden the bus and you could win a cool prize. Email your answer by May 17 to Contact@TSNPub.com with the subject line: I Found the Bus. We will choose three winners from correct submissions. Congrats to Karen Ho man, Michelle Duncan and Michael Mort, who found the fake ad on page 54 of the April issue — Gas, e Musical

REEL FUN AT SHAD FEST

Brandywine River Restoration Trust will host its annual Shad Fest on May 3, 11am-4pm, in Brandywine Park, celebrating the return of the American shad and the Brandywine River. e free, family-friendly event raises awareness of environmental issues and river restoration e orts while o ering live music, food vendors and activities for all ages, including shing lessons, face painting and more. Details at BRRT.org/shadfest-2026.

NEW BOOK EXPLORES

WILMINGTON BEFORE I-95

Arcadia Publishing will soon release Wilmington Before Interstate 95 , a new local history by William Francis examining how construction of Interstate 95 reshaped the city. The book, available May 19, explores the 1957 decision to route the highway through Wilmington’s west side, displacing neighborhoods and altering downtown. Featuring images from the Delaware State Public Archives, the volume highlights Wilmington in the 1950s and early 1960s before the interstate era. More at ArcadiaPublishing.com.

EXHIBITION SPOTLIGHTS ARDEN ARTIST

Creative Journeys: Connecting Past and Future will open Sunday, May 3 from 1–3pm at Arden Craft Shop Museum (1807 Millers Road, Wilmington) as part of its free Afternoon with the Artist series, highlighting Arden artists. e artist talk begins at 1:30pm. Creative Journeys features a photographic retrospective (including " e Egg," shown left) and new lino block and gel prints by Lee Hoover, with works available for purchase at the event. e public exhibition continues Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons through May 17. More at ArdenCraftShopMuseum.com.

MUSIC OF COLONIAL MEXICO TAKES CENTER STAGE

Pi aro, e Renaissance Band will conclude its Wilmington season with Eagle & Empire: Music of Colonial Mexico, presented May 10 at 3pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church, with streaming available May 22–June 4. e program explores musical life in colonial-era Mexico through sacred and secular works, featuring vocalists including Grammy Award winners Estelí Gomez and Cecilia Duarte alongside Nell Snaidas, Jonatan Alvarado, and Andrew Padgett. More at Pi aro.org.

BRANDYWINE SPRING FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

The Brandywine Spring Festival of the Arts will take place May 16-17 at the Siegel JCC Outdoor Campus in North Wilmington. e family- and pet-friendly outdoor event will feature more than 150 artists and artisans, along with food vendors, live entertainment, and activities for all ages. Produced by the team behind the longtime Brandywine Festival of the Arts, the spring festival expands the popular event into a second seasonal showcase. More at BrandywineSpring.com.

Photo by

Hoffer Photography

Piffaro, The Renassiance Band

MOO-VING FOR A CAUSE

The Delaware Farm Bureau Foundation’s 13th Annual Milk Run/Walk will take place May 16, at Ramsey’s Farm in Wilmington, starting at 9am (registration at 8am). Proceeds bene t e Ministry of Caring’s Milk for Children Fund, the Food Bank of Delaware’s Backpack Program, and agricultural literacy programs. Since its inception, the event has raised over $260,000, helping to provide meals and education for children statewide. More at DeFB.org/foundation/milk-run.

WILMINGTON WELCOMES NATIONAL OPERA CONFERENCE

peraDelaware will host the 2026 OPERA America Conference May 12–15 in Wilmington, bringing hundreds of opera leaders, artists, administrators and advocates from across North America to Delaware for the first time. The gathering will position the city as a national opera hub, with programming focused on innovation, audience engagement and the future of the art form, including panels, networking and collaborative sessions. Featured speaker Stephen Schwartz, known for Wicked and Pippin , will join a conversation on the evolving connection between opera and musical theater. Concurrently, OperaDelaware will present Giordano’s Andrea Chénier , set during the final days of the French Revolution, with performances May 10, 13 and 15. More at OperaDE.org.

A SUITE DEAL IN AMERICAN HISTORY

Hotel du Pont is marking America’s 250th anniversary with a new 1776 Society Package and the debut of an official Historian in Residence. The initiative transforms guest stays into an immersive historical experience led by longtime hotel associate Tom Santora, who shares daily “DU PONT Dispatch” stories and guided tours highlighting the property’s legacy. The package, available May 1–July 31 starting at $1,776 per night, includes curated dining, historic experiences, visits to regional landmarks such as the Hagley Museum and Library, and more. Details at HotelDuPont.com.

Composer-lyricist

Stephen Schwartz

Photo by Nathan Johnson.

DelArt’s Sculpture Garden Happy Hours are vibrant, laid-back evenings that combine live entertainment with a casual and social atmosphere.

ere are plenty of “really good burgers” out there, but very few can make you rethink what a burger can be. Ours can. More than 20 award-winning burgers, ground fresh in-house twice daily and crafted to perfection — only at Ted’s Montana Grill. Join us for Happy Hour, Monday-Friday 4:00-6:00pm

STROLL & SHOP

FOOD TRUCKS

CRAFT BEER & LIVE MUSIC

Kick-off Party at Brandywine Park

A world-class party in the park featuring live music by Lyric Drive.

(5/15, 5-8pm)

MAJOR TAYLOR COMMUNITY RIDE

3.

Celebrate Wilmington and the spirit of cycling with this FREE ride on the Grand Prix course. All abilities welcome. (5/16, 10:15am)

Market Street merchants will be open and offering special discounts to attendees. Since there is no admission charge to Grand Prix festivities, you’ll have a little extra cash in your pocket to spend.

(5/16, 11am start)

10 WAYS

4.

KIDS

STUFF

Giant Slide, Bounces, Games, Music, Face Painting and more. All Free!

(5/16, 11am-3pm)

5.

COURSE CAFES

Enjoy lunch and watch the races with a table right on the course at Chelsea Tavern, Farmer & Cow, The Roost, Wilma’s & more! (5/16, 11am-3pm)

6.

WATCH WORLD-CLASS CYCLING

Ever see 100 bikes sprint thru a downtown at 35mph? An international field of pro cyclists will be on hand for this nationally-ranked event.

TO ENJOY

7.

JOIN THE GOVERNOR’S RIDE

Join Governor Matt Meyer on a 15-mile ride that offers a once-a-year opportunity to ride your bike through Hagley Museum and Winterthur Museum & Garden. Start/finish in Rockford Park. (5/17, 8am)

8.

COBBLESTONE CLIMB

Cheer cyclists up challenging Monkey Hill. Bring your cowbell! And your costume! (5/15, 5-8pm)

9. DO THE FONDO

Last Fondo, riders from 23 states and five countries came to Wilmington to experience this bucket list ride through the Brandywine Valley. Sign up and you’ll see why. (5/17, 8am start)

You don’t have to be a race fan to enjoy six blocks of free family fun. Watch the races, have a beer, and let your kids enjoy the festival. (5/16, 11am)

FRIDAY, MAY 1 5pm Start

Next Art Loop: JUNE 5, 2026

RIVERFRONT

The Delaware Contemporary

200 S. Madison Street

656-6466 • DeContemporary.org

Exhibitions: University of Delaware MFA Thesis Exhibition, Lynn Herrick Sharp Award Group Exhibition, and Bloom by Roberta Tucci, Solo Show

DOWNTOWN

Bridge Art Gallery

213N. Market Street

439-0805 • BridgeArtGallery.net

Exhibition: Expressive Creative Soul Closing Reception

Chris White Gallery

701 N. Shipley Street

475-0998 • ChrisWhiteGallery.com

Exhibition: An American Son: A Poetic Symbolic Account of a Life in America by Oscar Eduardo De Paz

Christina Cultural Arts Center

Edward Loper, Sr. Gallery

705 N. Market Street

652-0101 • CCACDe.org

Artist: Random Activity by Manuel Ivan Ramos

City of Wilmington’s Redding Gallery

800 N. French Street

576-2100

CityfestWilm.com/Redding-gallery

Exhibitions: City of Wilmington Employee Art Exhibit and The Abstracted Body: Sport, Symbol, Identity by Milton Downing

Create Magic Studio 419 N. Market Street

439-0805

Exhibition: Illustration and Industry: A Brandywine Legacy Gallery 919 919 N. Market Street (856) 983-8359

Exhibition: Ethereal Impressions

The Grand Opera House 818 N. Market Street

658-7897 • TheGrandWilmington.org

Grand Gallery: Programmable InkPen Plotter Art by Paul J. Rickards

baby grand Gallery: Moving Deeper

into Light by RitaMarie Cimini

Huxley & Hiro Booksellers

601 N. Market Street

439-0805 • HuxleyAndHiro.com

Artist: The Iron Door Art Show by Vik Hart

LaFate Gallery

227 N. Market Street

753-5789 • LaFateGallery.com

Exhibition: Ladybug Art for a Cause

MANE Gallery at the Tina Betz Urban Artist Exchange

1509 Clifford Brown Walk, Studio #1 576-2100

CityfestWilm.com/uae-amphitheater

Exhibition: Free Mic Double Show Mezzanine Gallery

820 N. French Street 577-8278 • Arts.Delaware.gov

Artist: Stone Formations by Kira Krell

MKT Place Gallery

200 W. 9th Street 289-6772

*Opening Reception on May 8 from 7-10pm

Exhibition: Aura | a glow-in-the-dark art experience

WEST SIDE

Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue 429-0506

Exhibition: Awe and Delight Group Show

Delaware Center for Horticulture

1810 N. Dupont Street

658-6262 • TheDCH.org

Artist: Anthomania Reimagined by Christina Peters

Howard Pyle Studio

1305 N. Franklin Street 656-7304

Exhibition: Featured Artists Anna Bellenger and Baily Cypress

West Side Creative Hub

610 N. Union Street 563-2238

Exhibition: West Side Stories Group Show

BEYOND THE CITY

Arden Buzz-Ware Gallery 2119 The Highway, Arden 981-4811

Artist: Heart to Art by Kathleen Vasta of Arden

Arsht Hall at U of D 2700 Pennsylvania Avenue 573-4417

Exhibition: Group show featuring Lisa Scheetz, Kristie Augunblick & Olga Petrova

Bellefonte Arts

803-C Brandywine Blvd 547-2573 • BellefonteArts.com

Artist: Dva, All Mixed Up by Devronika DeNaye

Finist & The Owl 811 Brandywine Blvd, Bellefonte 786-228-6638 • FinistAndTheOwl.com

Artist: Through the Line - Portraits of Icons, Past and Present by Alex Fine

Jester Art Space 2818 Grubb Road 484-947-8191 • JesterArtSpace.org Exhibition: Perspectives

Mid Century Collections 803D Brandywine Blvd 734-658-3308

Artist: Manuel Ivan Ramos

Rockwood Park & Museum 4651 Washington Street Extension 761-4240

Exhibition: We the People… 5 contemporary artists. 1 historic house.

The Station Gallery 3922 Kennett Pike 654-8638 • StationGallery.net

Raising a Glass to Delaware: Where History Meets Hometown Flavor

If there’s one thing Delaware does well, it’s bringing people together — and this season, that spirit is being poured into a glass.

A collaboration between 250Ride.org and First State Brewing Company is giving locals a fresh way to celebrate both community and history as America approaches its 250th birthday. e result is the Liberty Lager, a commemorative, easy-drinking beer that represents far more than what’s in the glass — it’s a symbol of Delaware pride, storytelling, and shared experience. is isn’t just another local release — it’s part of a broader movement across the state, blending small business, heritage, and culture into something people can actually be part of. Available across the state of Delaware, the collaborative beer invites locals to ask for it at their favorite stores and be part of the celebration.

At the heart of it all is the 250 Ride, a historical and educational initiative of the Delaware Italian American Foundation. e project honors Caesar Rodney and his legendary overnight ride from Dover to Philadelphia in 1776 — a journey that helped secure Delaware’s vote for independence and shape the founding of the nation.

But the story doesn’t stop with Rodney. A de ning piece of the initiative is its focus on the “Unheard Voices of the Revolution” — individuals whose contributions have often gone overlooked or underrepresented, including women, African Americans, Native Americans, and others.

rough a cast of historical reenactors, these voices will be brought to life during the June 12–13 reenactment ride and also through public appearances leading up to it.

During the reenactment ride on June 12–13, a periodstyle carriage — driven by Caesar Rodney — will retrace the historic route, beginning at Christ Church on the Green in Dover and concluding the following day at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It’s not just a reenactment — it’s a moving, living tribute that invites the public to experience history in real time.

Before the carriage takes to the road in June, this collaboration with First State Brewing Company o ers a meaningful connection to that story. e commemorative beer sits at the intersection of past and present, pairing local craftsmanship with a mission rooted in education, storytelling, and community pride. It’s a reminder that history doesn’t have to feel distant — it can be shared, experienced, and even raised in a glass.

As June 12–13 approaches, the 250 Ride prepares to make its journey across the First State and into history. So, raise a glass to Delaware — to its past, its present, and the story still being written.

the Markers

the Markers

Wilmington residents who shaped our shared history

Historic People Who Help Tell Delaware's Story

In celebration of Delaware 250, this monthly series will spotlight historic people and sites unique to our state.

TBy Cheryl Renée Gooch

here are at least eight popular eateries near N. Shipley and W. 9th streets. Decades ago, this spot used to be home to the Eagle Co ee Shoppe, built into the old Midtown Parking Center — a public parking garage run by the Wilmington Parking Authority.

Today, there is a Delaware historical marker at that intersection. It tells the story of Burton v. Wilmington Parking Authority, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case. is decision played a key role in ending discrimination in public facilities, both in Delaware and across the country.

In August 1958, City Councilman William Burton walked into the Eagle Co ee Shoppe and was refused service simply because he was Black. Burton did not accept it — he reached out to Louis L. Redding, Delaware’s rst Black attorney and a key gure in Brown v. Board of Education. Redding went to court for Burton, arguing that it was unconstitutional for a public facility to discriminate based on race.

e rst court agreed with Burton, but then the Delaware Supreme Court overturned that decision, saying the state was not responsible for what the restaurant did. In 1961, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Burton, deciding that because the restaurant was part of a public facility, its discrimination counted as state action and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Besides the historical marker, a nearby street, Burton Place, is named for the courageous Councilman.

Above: Former Councilman William Burton, The Delaware Defender, May 1, 1964. Courtesy of the Delaware Historical Society, Thelma Young Collection.

Right: The Burton v. Wilmington Parking Authority historical marker stands at the site of the former Eagle Coffee Shoppe. Photo from Author's Collection

trailblazer: Mary Ann Shadd Cary. She is in the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame, having made hermade her mark as an educator, publisher, and champion for abolition and women’s rights. A modest plaque hangs on the right-side wall several feet beyond the entrance.

Cary was born in 1823 and became the first Black woman in North America to edit and publish a newspaper, The Provincial Freeman. Through her paper, she promoted education, civil rights, and selfreliance for Black Canadians. She was also a teacher, and her family helped people escaping slavery by offering them shelter and educational opportunities after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 made the U.S., including Delaware, unsafe. Cary traveled widely, speaking at conventions across America, helping shape public opinion before, during, and after the Civil War.

Her father, Abraham Shadd, was also a well-known abolitionist and community leader who fought for equal rights for Wilmington’s free Black residents. There is a historical marker for the Abraham Shadd Family in Peter Spencer Plaza, close to where

the family lived and conducted their Underground Railroad work before relocating to Canada. The Shadds are noted for their abolition work as well in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Some descendants still reside in Delaware.

Further west at the intersection of 6th and Madison Streets in West Center City, stands a life-size bronze statue of Helen Chambers, a community advocate who worked tirelessly to create safe spaces for neighborhood kids and their families.

Chambers’ statue stands at the entrance to a 1.73-acre park that bears her name. This park is a hub for events like Wilmington Wellness Day and other community-focused programs. Across the street is the William Hicks Anderson Community Center that offers after-school programs, sports leagues, and community events for hundreds of local families annually.

In addition to these public tributes, visitors can dive even deeper into Wilmington’s diverse history at the Delaware History Museum. The Journey to Freedom exhibit traces the experiences of African Americans in Delaware from 1639 to today. The museum also hosts engaging programs and guest speakers at its Mitchell Center for African American Heritage.

A life-size bronze statue of Helen Chambers honors her work as a community advocate.

Photo from Author's collection

Garrett Hastings Loves to Tell Stories

He’s authored four plays, two novels, is an actor, a maritime archaeologist, and is an education manager at the Delaware Historical Society. And this month, part of that universe hits the stage.

By Ken Mammarella

Garrett Hastings’ Undersiders universe is a complex multimedia creation, years in the making. So far, it incorporates a film (Prudence, a campy ghost story set at his alma mater); a musical (The Horn, starring a sea captain haunted by his failed past); the first novel in a planned trilogy (The Undersiders, involving an ancient curse on Roanoke Island, the focus of his bachelor’s thesis); a related tale (Guarded Streets, set in 1968 in Wilmington, where he lives); and short stories.

Garrett Hastings creates immersive stories where myth and history collide in his Undersiders universe. Photos by Jim Coarse.

The universe’s unofficial mascot is Veyman, a plush herring gull with just one foot who joins Hastings for readings and other events. The creature is a shape-shifter, “stuck with razor-sharp teeth no matter what his form is” — but not sharp enough to ward off an attack by the family dog.

Undersiders live outside of society, which is polytheistic in Hastings' alternative future. “At the beginning of time, the universe was created by the five elements: Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Spirit,” he writes on his website, GRHastings.com. “When they did, they also created mistakes, one for each element.”

The tales are inspired by the past and also peer into an alternative future.

“Our universe resembles this one, but our future may look rather different,” he continues, referring to a “a nuclear holocaust in the 3000s, aka The Event, that “causes most of humanity to be destroyed” and “awakens something deep within that threatens survival on planet Earth.”

And as disturbing as that sounds, Hastings, who uses G.R. Hastings as his pen name, also wants his work to be fun. That word came up at least 20 times during an interview.

Theatergoers can judge for themselves when The Horn is presented as a free, staged reading May 2 and 3 at Newark’s Chapel Street Players. Hastings belongs to its playwriting group. He predicts people will be “creeped out” by the gothic horror production.

“I love the sea and a good ghost story,” says director Susie Moak. “Garrett managed to combine the two things I love, and his language and shanties were perfect! I want the audience to feel like they are a part of the crew and imagine the danger that is surrounding them. Perhaps to feel a bit of a chill on their neck when the ghost appears would be good, too!”

Hastings was 10 when he began making movies (stop-motion with LEGO figures) and crafting stories (Adventures of a Gecko ran 100 pages). Soon after, he learned about “one of America’s first mysteries”: the disappearance of the Roanoke colony, in the 1580s.

“That really began the journey of the Undersiders,” he says. That mystery also fueled his bachelor’s degree at Cornell, in archaeology and performing media arts, with a film concentration. He later earned a master of science in maritime archaeology and conservation from Texas A&M.

He moved to Delaware in 2022 to be the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation’s assistant director of education. In 2024, the Delaware Historical Society hired him as experience and education manager. Elements of his life and his personality feature in his writing.

“I like to include things that have happened in my life in these stories, which I think is funny,” he says.

There’s a humorously dark side to his life. At Cornell, he founded a storytime club called Scare Me, where he met his wife. They got married on Halloween. The name of the family dog? Merlin.

After hearing about these supernatural elements, he was asked if he’d ever met a ghost.

“Maybe,” he answers, laughing.

Hastings often appears at bookstores and elsewhere to promote his work and tell stories. “When I storytell, I try to pertain my stories to local things,” he says. So one involved Veyman shape-shifting into a camel cricket near Huxley & Hiro, a store that sells his books.

“At the Hockessin BookShelf, I created a monster living in Hockessin. If they whispered in your ear, you went mad,” he says, adding “it’s like a whisper bark, a play on words, because some people think Hockessin means ‘good bark.’ ”

He’s also a storyteller for Prime Time Family Reading, a nationwide program run locally by Delaware Humanities that builds foundations of literacy and critical thinking for children ages 6 to 10.

“He truly understands the historical and cultural role of storytelling in society; the ways stories bring us together and help us shape who we are as a community and, more broadly, as a nation,” says Claire van den Broek, founder of Huxley & Hiro. “Whether through his writing or in live shows, Garrett engages people in ways that bring them out of their comfort zone.”

e Undersiders is not enough to satisfy Hastings’ desire to create. He’s also designed three role-playing games to immerse visitors in places that he’s worked.

e rst involved time travel in the Beak of Destiny for the museum on Star Island, New Hampshire. e second was Dungeons & Krakens, a ctionalized version of the Kalmar Nyckel’s rst trans-Atlantic voyage.

“ e latest is Blue Hens & Bugbears,” he says. “It works even better, because not only is there a monster you ght, but there’s a reference to calling the Americans bugbears in a 1777 document in our collection. Which is amazing.”

— e staged reading of Hastings' e Horn, at Chapel Street Players on May 2-3, is free and open to the public. Details at ChapelStreetPlayers.org.

Hastings stands on Wilmington's Market Street, inspiration for his novel Guarded Streets set during the 1968 National Guard occupation.

MOTHER’S DAY | MAY 10

Enjoy a special à la carte menu alongside our regular dining menu.

Brunch: 10 AM–3 PM (Brunch + All-Day Menu)

Dinner: 4 PM–8 PM (All-Day Menu | Last seating 7 PM)

& RESERVATIONS

Cultivating Connections

The Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition connects gardeners with resources across a vast and sprawling community agriculture network

By Catherine Kempista

The Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition (DEUFFC) was created to solve a simple problem: Where do you go for help when you want to start a community garden? In the mid-2000s, the answer wasn’t clear.

“People weren’t quite sure where to go for the assistance, or they were calling everyone,” says Carrie Murphy, who is an extension educator in horticulture with University of Delaware (UD) Cooperative Extension. >

Above: Zeniah Holland shown here participating in the GROW program at Bright Spot Farms. Photo by Jim Coarse.

While many people begin the process of creating a community garden with the best intentions, starting a garden requires horticulture knowledge, physical materials, soil testing, and (in some cases) funding assistance. Because there wasn’t a single hub through which these connections could be made, every organization remotely associated with plants and gardens fielded the same calls, creating a duplication of effort for horticulture and agriculture professionals in Delaware.

DEUFFC co-founders Murphy and Ann Mattingly — who was the urban agriculture manager at the Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) — knew there was a way to better coordinate efforts and conversations across agencies and nonprofits, especially as interest in urban agriculture and community gardening boomed.

Today, DEUFFC serves the interests of gardeners, activists, urban farmers, and community leaders as a public forum and agricultural network that connects people to the resources they need.

Moving The Dial

DEUFFC’s role in Delaware’s sprawling agricultural movement was born out of the vastness of the groups in need of assistance.

“I sum it all up as community agriculture instead of urban agriculture because the groups can be so individualized, and everybody has very specific goals and intents,” says Madison Walter, chair of DEUFFC’s steering committee and urban agriculture specialist for the New Castle Conservation District. “Our goal is to support them wherever they are because there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach if it’s going to work.”

Its broad objective? To help community-oriented urban agriculture projects increase healthy food and nutrition for underserved areas. The effort took hold when it became the Urban Farm Coalition and adopted a more formal structure in 2007. At the time, DCH was in the process of convening partners to develop E.D. Robinson Urban Farm — the city’s first urban farm — at the corner of 12th and Brandywine streets in Northeast Wilmington.

“Our philosophy was let’s come together,” says Mattingly. “Let’s share what we’re doing. Let’s support one another, and let’s elevate all of our efforts and complement one another.”

This moment collided with a surge in the national community gardening movement spurred by the creation of the White House Kitchen Garden by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009.

“All of a sudden, there were all of these different organizations and individuals who wanted to start a community garden,” says Mattingly.

The calls came in, and the partnerships in the coalition expanded. Organizations like Delaware Department of Agriculture, Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids, UD Cooperative Extension, New Castle Conservation District, Delaware Nature Society, DCH, and others were communicating about resources they had access to individually and were

happy to share collectively. The work of the coalition started moving the dial for urban agriculture in Delaware, and the number of community gardens at schools, community centers, and churches expanded.

Community Ag’s Big Tent

The mission of DEUFFC is intentionally broad, as it aims to make a space for everyone under its big tent. The proof of this effort is on full display at its annual meeting, which doubles as the urban agricultural session for Delaware Ag Week each January.

Membership in DEUFFC, which is a volunteer-run organization, is free and open to anyone who is interested and/or engaged in community agriculture. And that covers a wide range of entities.

In its simplest form, community agriculture in Delaware can be broken down into two categories — community gardens and urban farms. Within community gardens, the vast majority are either associated with schools, churches, community centers, workplaces, neighborhoods, or senior living facilities.

“We think about it in terms of the type of structure the garden takes and the users that are going to be in that space,” says Walter. “They all look very different, but when you break it down, a lot of management similarities start to shake out.”

On the urban farm side, there are also important distinctions at play but one commonality.

“Typically, we classify anything as a farm as anyone who is growing with the intent to sell,” says Walter.

Bright Spot Farms, Conscious Connections Farm, and Shovel & Forks Farm are some of the farms that occupy the entrepreneurial space, and Penn Farm — an agricultural pathway program at William Penn High School — and DCH’s E.D. Robinson Urban Farm are primarily educational and demonstration spaces. Regardless of categories, many of the urban farms have youth training programs, regularly donate to food pantries, and have a socially-driven mission around food equity and security.

On its website, DEUFFC provides a community garden toolkit, grant writing templates, and an urban ag map, providing locations of gardens and farms throughout the state. In person, it facilitates conversations between gardeners looking to find seeds, advice on plot planning, volunteers, and more.

To help focus its ability to help the most members and the most gardens, DEUFFC has a committee structure that aims to solve problems for the gardening public and advocate for change.

For example, DEUFFC’s policy committee has been successful in pushing for changes in law and local policy in two areas that significantly affect gardeners — water access and zoning codes. A decade ago, the coalition finalized a water access agreement with the City of Wilmington for community gardens, standardizing a previously cumbersome and inconsistent process. Through this agreement, the city committed to providing all community

gardens within its jurisdiction a water service line.

Most recently, the policy committee is focused on updating the city’s zoning code to establish urban agriculture as a permitted use and has teamed up with Sarah Everhart, assistant professor of law and director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic at Widener University Delaware Law School.

“It's been ongoing conversations with the City of Wilmington for the last two years, and we’re not going to give up because we think it would be beneficial to the growers and create a multitude of benefits for all residents of Wilmington,” says Everhart. “We’re hopeful that once the zoning is amended, not just current growers will be able to benefit, but it will draw other folks interested in urban agriculture into that use, as well.”

A Rising Tide

As a facilitator and connector, DEUFFC has been a catalyst for change in urban agriculture and provided organizational support in the early days of some of Wilmington’s most successful community gardens. The momentum created by DEUFFC members and the successful evolution of community garden trailblazers have set the stage for the next chapter in Delaware’s community ag revolution.

In October 2025, the city and the residents of Wilmington’s west side cut the ribbon on Rodney Park, which stands as one of its most innovative and dynamic green spaces with 500 native trees, an acre of meadow, outdoor classrooms, rain gardens, educational signage, walking trails, a lookout point, and a community garden. The park in its current iteration was only possible through the steadfast dedication and civic might of Jamila Davey and neighbors like her who fought for what exists today, like they fought to create the Rodney Reservoir Community Garden in 2010 on the same site.

“The original garden launched things like the Cool Spring Farmers Market, Bright Spot Farms as an urban ag project, and even West Side Grows as a neighborhood revitalization strategy,” says Jamila Davey, co-founder of Green for the Greater Good, an advocacy group

>

Volunteers at DCH's E.D. Robinson Urban Farm located at 12th and Brandywine.

Photo by TC Davis

for the Rodney Reservoir Park and community garden that was founded when the garden was slated for destruction by the city in 2022.

Rodney Park is now the first city park to offer community garden plots to the public, and many of policies for the new garden were derived from the old garden’s by-laws and governing documents. This park has essentially rewritten the rules for what’s possible in community agriculture in Wilmington.

“While I can’t speak to a timeline, I'm positive that there will be more because there has been so much interest in the Rodney Reservoir,” says Dr. Melody Phillips, director for the City of Wilmington Parks and Recreation Department.

For local greening and urban agricultural organizations like DEUFFC, Rodney Park marks a shift in city policy and points to a bright future for urban agriculture in Delaware.

— To learn more DEUFFC and to find community agriculture near you, visit DeUFFC.org.

Our Great Outdoors

As it celebrates its diamond anniversary, Delaware State Parks has come a long way from three parks and a vision

By Andrea Smith

For a small state, Delaware is vast with natural beauty. Consider how the sunny shore and gentle waves at Cape Henlopen State Park welcome warmer weather in May, or the way the rolling hills of Brandywine State Creek Park are dotted with the hues of fall in October — and that’s just a taste of what Delaware state parks o er. e Delaware State Parks agency started 75 years ago with just three parks. Today, it includes 17 state parks, 22 nature preserves, the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington, and the Indian River Marina in Rehoboth Beach — more than 27,000 acres in the First State. ese properties drive 11% of recreational spending in the state, and with about 60% of annual passes and surf shing permits belonging to non-residents, a signi cant amount comes from out-of-state spenders. >

Cape Henlopen’s scenic waters make it a standout spot for paddleboarding.

Photos courtesy of DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation

bene ts all residents of Delaware from a tax perspective [and in] a number of di erent ways,” says Alex Hannah, chief of marketing and creative services for the parks.

Since 2015, Delaware has twice earned a National Gold Medal Award for “excellence in long-range planning, resource management, and innovative approaches to delivering superb park and recreation services with scally sound business practices,” according to the National Recreation and Park Association website.

“ ere's only one other state park system in the country that's received that award more than once, and that was Florida,” says Greg Abbott, the parks’ manager of administrative services. “ ink about the impact that we have every day in our state parks system. We're really proud of that as employees of the state, and I think every resident should be proud that we've got that kind of state park system.”

ose who’ve been inside a state park are familiar with the pay stations or the need to purchase an annual pass for easy access. Fees like these and other sources of self-funding account for 65% of the Delaware State Parks’ budget, while the rest comes from tax revenue. e parks are included in the state government’s Division of Parks and Recreation, which is part of Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Effective at the beginning of 2026, the parks increased fees for the first time in 10 years, with annual passes for Delaware vehicles up from $35 to $50 and out-ofstate vehicles up from $70 to $100. “Looking back in the last 10 years, our visitation increased by 2 million visitors, and our staffing is the same level,” Abbott notes. Demand on the parks to serve Delawareans and out-of-state tourists has especially grown since 2020, when the outdoors became the prime locale for socially distanced activities, and park officials expect at least 8 million visitors this year.

DNREC’s Greg Abbott says every resident should be proud of Delaware’s nationally-recognized parks system.

At $50 per annual pass, a Delawarean who visits a beach park five times will break even on the otherwise $10 entrance fee per vehicle. Abbott summarizes the benefits this way: “An annual pass gives you unlimited access to your state parks, and so instead of paying that daily entrance fee each time you come, you can breeze up to the fee booth and go right through with your annual pass. It allows you that access, but it also allows you access to, you know, if you enjoy playing tennis, we've got tennis courts. If you enjoy hiking, we've got hiking trails. If you go to the beach, we’ve got guarded ocean beaches.”

Abbott emphasizes that the goal isn’t just to break even each year and stick to the status quo, and with the 75th anniversary comes unique opportunities to engage with the parks.

It’s a Family Affair

The Manbeck family in Wilmington have been annual passholders for at least 10 years. When house hunting, the walkability to Bellevue State Park swayed them toward their current home.

“We love being outside, and the diversity of events and things we can do at Bellevue is really amazing,” says Deanna Manbeck, mom to three energetic young boys. “It's not just walking trails. We can visit horses. There’s fishing, the bike path, and playgrounds. Especially during the pandemic, it really was a place that we could go and explore and feel safe.”

On any given day, the Manbeck boys might be at Bellevue racing their bikes, climbing the rock wall, or casting lines into the pond — whatever releases pent-up energy. It's a spacious area with convenient parking lots and bathrooms that are not porta-potties, which matters to parents of young children who seek easy outings.

On summer nights to come, the park will transform to welcome larger crowds for the 39th Summer Concert Series. The lawn at the Bellevue Bandshell will fill up with blankets and chairs, food trucks, dogs sniffing through the crowd, and lively chatter between new and old friends. Nearly 30,000 people attended a concert last season at one of the seven host parks.

The price of admission is simply the park entrance fee, which an annual pass covers. In past years, the line of cars without annual passes has created congestion and entry wait times, but Abbott is hopeful that new QR codes will help speed up the payment process.

The Summer Concert Series is supported by nonprofit Friends groups that support individual parks, as well as an endowment fund created by Dogfish Head Brewery in 2015 through the Delaware Community Foundation.

“[When] anybody contributes to that summer concert series [endowment], Bellevue State Park staff are receiving money to help bring in bigger performers, or different performers, and a diversity of performers,” Abbott says.

The Delaware State Parks calendar remains busy year-round with programs that incorporate artists, >

Visitors enjoy the minature railroad at Marshall Steam Museum in Auburn Valley.

Alapocas Run offers opportunities for rock climbing and rappelling.

Brandywine Zoo provides numerous learning experiences and events for all ages.

support the environment, preserve history, and further education and literacy efforts. This year, there are special programs and celebrations to honor the 75th anniversary, like a ceremonial planting of the parks’ 75,000th tree and a coordinated shoreline cleanup.

While kids are out of school, it’s the ideal time for exploring the parks through summer camps. Registration is open until each camp starts or slots are filled, and need-based scholarships help provide equal access to youth across the state.

The Can-Do Playground in Alapocas Run State Park

is another family-favorite space. As the first Boundless Playground in Delaware, its design prioritizes a sensoryfriendly experience and approachable equipment for kids of different abilities and ages.

Park entry fees and passes come with accessibility features such as Action Trackchairs, or motorized wheelchairs designed to traverse paved and dirt trails at select parks, and new hayride wagons that accommodate wheelchairs. Additionally, financial accessibility offers include $10 annual passes for those receiving assistance from a state service center, discounts to military members and seniors, and limited no-cost passes for library cardholders.

Show Me the Money

Endowment funds managed by the Delaware Community Foundation are the key to not only surviving but thriving long-term. Like a business, the parks go through slow seasons and weather events that result in less revenue, meanwhile operating costs are climbing.

“Any interest that is generated off [endowments] can be used for funding special projects and special programs, or operation maintenance and programs of all those parks when we don't necessarily have the funding at certain times,” Abbott explains.

These funds allow for improvements even when operating budgets are tight. “You really need both,” says Stuart Comstock-Gay, president and CEO of the DCF. “If

Bellevue hosts its free Summer Concert Series Thursday and Sunday evenings.

you only had an endowment and nothing else, that would be challenging. If you only have [an operations budget], you can keep going, but your future is not as secure.”

e Delaware Community Foundation is celebrating 40 years as a nonpro t that manages charitable funds, advises donors, grants funds to nonpro ts and provides community leadership with the intention of strengthening communities, businesses and governmental entities across the state. Its partnership with the parks has resulted in 28 separate funds, and its $75 for 75 fundraising campaign has already raised $32,000 in anniversary-related donations.

“ e everyday donors should know that if they contribute to a fund here, that money will be true to the intent of the fund,” Comstock-Gay says. “If it's a fund for a particular state park, we are obligated to keep that money committed to that state park forever.”

Bellevue State Park might be the Manbeck family’s most-frequented park, but calling it their favorite is hardly fair. Deanna Manbeck’s husband Joe proposed to her at Killens Pond; they’ve taught their boys to ride bikes at Fox Point; Cape Henlopen has become their beach of choice; and their family outing to Fort Delaware proved especially memorable. It’s on their bucket list to eventually visit all 17 parks.

As for the cost of an annual pass, Manbeck says “the value of what you get access to is worth it to us.”

— Find your next adventure at DEStateParks.com.

Park It Here

FIND A TRAIL: DeStateParks.com/ nd-a-trail/ CAMPING OPTIONS /OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS: DeStateParks.com/overnight-accommodations/

KIDS’ CAMPS AND ACTIVITIES: DeStateParks.com/summer-camps/

HISTORIC SITES: DeStateParks.com/historic-sites/ SUMMER CONCERT LINEUP: DeStateParks.com/summer-concerts/

PASSPORT PROGRAM TO QUALIFY FOR FREE 2027 ANNUAL PASS/ OTHER PRIZES: DeStateParks.com/passport-program/ COLLECTIBLE PARK CARDS: DeStateParks.com/card-quest/

MORE ABOUT THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY (history, events, merchandise, donation information, and more): DeStateParks.com/75-years/

COMPARISON OF NEARBY STATES’ SELF-FUNDING AND ENTRANCE FEES (PAGE 11): DeStateParks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ business_Fee_Proposal_Presentation_2.pdf

EVENTS CALENDAR: DeStateParks.com/programs/ ACCESSIBILITY EQUIPMENT: DeStateParks.com/accessibility/

BEACH BUZZ Catch the

This season, the coast welcomes new restaurants and retailers — along with well-known musicians

By Pam George

The Delaware beaches are characterized by sun, sand, and seafood. is season, however, visitors will also nd new steak-focused restaurants and a wave of specialty markets. e Bottle & Cork is celebrating its 90th anniversary, and Rocking the Docks returns with its alfresco concert series. Meanwhile, there are plenty of new places to indulge in retail therapy. Here’s a peek.

Flying South

Delaware foodies applauded when celebrity chefs Julio Lazzarini and Jennifer Behm-Lazzarini returned to Delaware after living in Rhode Island. e veterans of reality cooking shows started a catering business but were keen to open a restaurant. ey seized the opportunity when Shaka Shack in Millville ended its seven-year run. eir new restaurant, Surf Siren, is in the Coastal Breeze Plaza and serves lunch and dinner. Dishes include mahi mahi sh tacos, shrimp ceviche, paella, oysters with passionfruit mignonette, and charred scallion hummus. ey still have their catering company and a food truck. See Facebook pro le Farther inland, Hometown Creamery took over e Blue Scoop location in Selbyville. e ice cream is from Hockessin-based Woodside Farm Creamery. Instagram.com/HometownDE.

Rocking The Docks returns to Lewes this summer with an impressive lineup, opening with Daniel Donato's Cosmic Dog on May 23. Photo provided

Where’s The Beef?

Despite the preponderance of seafood restaurants, steak is now well represented. Existing restaurants include Houston White Co. and eo’s Steaks, Sides & Spirits in Rehoboth Beach and Harvest Tide in Lewes and Bethany Beach. But for decades, 1776 Steakhouse in the Midway Shopping Center was the OG destination for a Delmonico. e restaurant, which opened in the late 1980s in the Midway Shopping Center near Lewes, was purchased earlier this year and underwent a much-needed renovation that enlarged the bar and modernized the décor. However, new owner Regan Derrickson kept subtle touches of the original patriotic concept. e menu, under chef Lion Gardner, still includes longtime favorites while leaning into a more modern approach. 1776Steakhouse.com.

Former 1776 employees are behind Rare Steak and Seafood, located in the former Ocean Grill and Bar space at the Villages of Five Points near Lewes. Co-owner Tamara Tattersall and business partner Alex Piatrou are putting their own stamp on the genre. Tattersall is from Chile, and Piatrou was born in Belarus. RareDining.com.

In downtown Millsboro, Nossa Casa Brazilian Steakhouse brings a South American dining tradition to the former Georgia House building on Main Street. e name means “Our Home,” and sisters aina and Maria Luisa Bittencourt are introducing the rodízio-style experience common in their native Brazil. Servers, called gauchos, carve re-grilled meats tableside. ere is also a bu et with side dishes. e inclusive prices are either for both the meat and the bu et or just the bu et. NossaCasade.com.

In Vino Veritas

Lewes Diner and Pizza in downtown Lewes are gone. In their place is Vino Del Mar. Along with wine, the restaurant o ers cocktails, mocktails, beer, charcuterie, atbreads and entrées. Early social media posts approve of the addition. Vino-Del-Mar.com.

Christene Minnick hopes to open Sea Hag Champagne Lounge in Rehoboth Beach this summer. It’s a wine-and-bubbles concept aimed at the pre-dinner crowd, so expect libations and nibbles. See Facebook pro le.

Along the same spirit — but with an emphasis on

1776 Steakhouse's classic dry-aged Tomahawk.

Photo provided

cocktails — The Gallo Room is a new cocktail-and-smallplates lounge located inside the historic Second Street building that houses Lewes Oyster House. It also offers shareable plates, and the small room has a clubby, speakeasy vibe. The Gallo Room does not take reservations. See Instagram profile.

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Throughout Delaware, there’s been a resurgence of boutique food markets. However, the coast seems to have the most. For instance, in the Milton area, Birdhouse Rotisserie Kitchen and Market includes a space stocked with prepared foods, pantry items, produce, and home goods. The other side of the building houses a dining room specializing in rotisserie chicken. The owner is Ami Rae, who still has The Backyard, a restaurant across the street. BirdHouseRotisserie.com.

This year, the Hopkins Farm has augmented its ice cream offerings with the Hopkins Farm Market & Café. The new addition serves breakfast and lunch and offers produce and artisan goods. (Hopkins is also opening an ice cream shop at the entrance to Lewes on Savannah Road.) HopkinsFarmCreamery.com.

On Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach, The Market at 59 offers baked goods, produce, sandwiches, and artisanal items. Fifty Nine, a restaurant, is also in the building at 59 Baltimore Avenue. Both are the brainchild of David Kneller, who did a few pop-ups in town while the businesses were under construction. TheMarket59.com.

Across the street on Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach, Pazzo Italiano has brought new life to the former Frank & Louie’s. The Italian market/deli is a partnership among Frankie and Louie Bascio along with Dave Gonce and Bob Suppies of Second Block Hospitality. Fans of Frank & Louie’s will still find familiar sandwiches, sauces, butter cakes, cookies, and meatballs, but the new concept expands the appeal with imported meats and cheeses, prepared foods and pantry items. EatPazzo.com.

Closer to the ocean block, Flora & Fauna combines specialty foods with gifts and groceries. FloraFaunaCheese.com

Meanwhile, Big Fish Market on Route 1 received a redo that modernizes the slim space and adds shelves for hot sauces. Rotisserie chicken is a menu addition. BigFishGrillMarket.com.

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Nossa Casa Brazilian Steakhouse in Millsboro.

Photo provided

Ch-ch-changes

In the o -season, Eden moved from downtown Rehoboth Beach to Route 1, taking over the former Red, White and Basil location. Booths are still enclosed by lmy curtains that lend a romantic air and o er privacy. ere is a generously sized outdoor area. EdenRestaurant.com.

Owners Kathryn Robinson and James Petion rebranded Palm Beach Bar and Grill as Kaja Asian, swapping a Floridian-leaning concept for an Asian-focused menu from chef Bryan Emperor. KajaAsian.com.

To the south, Fenwick Island Social took over the longtime Fenwick Crab House space and replaced a crabhouse identity with smoked meats and a menu that goes beyond the standard barbecue. See Facebook pro le.

Outlet Updates

Dave’s Hot Chicken is coming to Tanger Outlets Seaside, next to Mission BBQ. DavesHotChicken.com.

It will join Playa Maya Café, which opened in 2025 to serve poke bowls, boba teas, tropical fruit drinks, co ee, frozen drinks, and açaí bowls. See Instagram pro le.

Also new is Russo by the Sea, which opened last June. ere are a few seats, but it’s more of a sub shop and Italian market with grab-and-go items. See Instagram pro le.

Of course, the outlets are mostly retail, and Sephora plans to open at Tanger Outlet Surfside in Midway. Vuori, an upscale activewear brand, will also join the outlet shops, and Lululemon will open a pop-up store.

You Gotta Shop Around

In Lewes, Lula Blue has brought new vitality to the former Vessels Department Store space on Second Street. Owner Heather Foley o ers home décor, including candles, nautical gifts, and old photos of Lewes. LulaBlueLewes.com.

Rehoboth Beach has gained Ocean Blue rift Store, a Coastal Highway shop with an environmental mission. e store sells secondhand clothing, accessories, books, household goods, and seasonal items, with proceeds supporting sustainability e orts through the Planet Green Project. Consider it a retail stop with a conscience. See Facebook pro le.

Alexandra Kovach du Pont opened Lucky Poppy on Baltimore Avenue last July. e shop features women’s fashion and accessories with an upscale yet beachy sensibility. On Rehoboth Avenue, Katie Reilly’s Brooklyn Boulevard is another fresh fashion address. LuckyPoppy.com.

Milton continues to broaden its downtown retail scene. Jailhouse Antiques has returned with a new location on

Lula Blue, owned by Patrick and Heather Foley, opened March 18. Photo provided.

Union Street, reviving a familiar name for longtime residents. See Facebook pro le.

Nearby, Kids’ Ketch is opening a Milton location stocked with games, kites, puzzles, crafts, and educational toys. KidsKetch.com.

Also new is Monsterful, an eclectic Federal Street shop featuring art, decorative objects, and furnishings, including a room inspired by Milton’s shipbuilding past. See Instagram pro le.

A Summer Soundtrack

is summer, Bottle & Cork is celebrating 90 years of o ering live music to coastal audiences. e landmark site has evolved from a tavern to a premier performing venue. Upcoming shows include Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers on May 15, Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets on July 26, and e Wall owers on Aug. 11. Bo leAndCork.com.

Freeman Arts Pavilion in Selbyville also has a packed season, featuring tribute bands and nationally-known acts. is year, the artists will relax in a new green room and perform on a new, permanent stage. e schedule includes Little Big Town on July 9, Blues Traveler, the Gin Blossoms and the Spin Doctors on Aug. 4, and the Indigo Girls on Aug. 15. FreemanArts.org.

At the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal, Rocking the Docks is back for summer 2026 with a lineup of bayfront concerts. Highlights include Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country on May 23, the Amish Outlaws on July 8, and Umphrey’s McGee on July 19. Rocking eDocksLewes.com.

For a more intimate experience, consider e Room at Cedar Grove, which seats 62 and includes a meal with the ticket fee. Upcoming shows include Je rey Gaines on May 15, Sweet Leda with Ricky Wise on June 5, and Sean Chambers & Savoy Brown on July 9. e venue is part of Paul Kares, a nonpro t that supports young culinary and performing artists. eRoomAtCedarGrove.com.

Nearby, e Listening Booth keeps the music going with live performances, open-mic nights and jam sessions. Melody Trucks & e Fitzkee Brothers Band will perform on May 17. ListeningBooth.com.

Feel-Good Additions

Naturally Well has moved to a larger, standalone building in Lewes with more room for treatments and additional practitioners. NaturallyWellByStacey.com.

Planet Fitness has opened a new Cape region club in Rehoboth Beach to give year-round locals and summer residents the ability to keep up their routines. PlanetFitness.com/gyms.

Clearly, visits to Delaware beaches now go well beyond spending a day in the sun. Dress up, eat well, and listen to music. ere’s plenty happening beyond your beach chair.

2026

Beach Events Roundup

From fireworks and food festivals to live music, art shows, and fun local traditions, summer at the Delaware beaches is packed with reasons to get out and explore. Mark your calendar for these standout events making waves this season.

DEWEY’S GOLDEN JUBILEE

May 8 & 9 | Rehoboth & Dewey Beach

This celebration of Golden Retrievers brings together hundreds of goldens and their owners for a weekend of tail-wagging fun. On Friday, enjoy the GoldRush Parade through the town of Rehoboth, and then, on Saturday, a romp on Dewey Beach in the morning and a snuggle around a bonfire that evening. It’s pure golden joy by the sea!

— Visit DeweysGoldenJubilee.com

15TH ANNUAL DEWEY ARTS & FUN FESTIVAL

Saturday, May 10 | Dickinson Street, Bayside Dewey Beach

This annual outdoor art festival features more than 40 vendors offering art and handcrafted items, plus live music, children’s activities and more. It’s the perfect opportunity to pick out a unique gift for Mother’s Day.

— Visit DeweyBusinessPartnership.com

Above: The annual sandcastle contest at Towers Beach is a beloved tradition. Photos courtesy of DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation

2nd Annual Shanty Fest

Saturday, May 9 | 1-7pm | Shipcarpenter Street, Lewes

A celebration of the maritime traditions of Lewes and the sea through music, art, and history. Enjoy ten shanty bands headlined by The Dreadnoughts, historical demonstrations, drinks and more.

— Visit HistoricLewes.org

Pride Film Festival

May 14-17 | Cinema Art Theater, Lewes

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society, in partnership with CAMP Rehoboth, presents this annual film festival showcasing LGBTQ+ features, shorts, documentaries, and international films.

— Visit RehobothFilm.com/pride-film-festival

6th Annual Rehoboth Beach Arts Festival

Saturday, May 16 | 10am-5pm | Grove Park, Rehoboth Beach

This annual arts festival, presented by Rehoboth Art League and the City of Rehoboth Beach, features local artists showcasing and selling their work to collectors from across the Mid-Atlantic.

— Visit RehobothArtLeague.org

11th Annual Bethany Beach Poseidon Festival

May 22-24 | Downtown Bethany Beach

The unofficial start of summer kicks off with this three-day fun festival that celebrates the sea and prepares the community for potential coastal emergencies. The weekend includes pirates and mermaids, marine-based educational activities, live music, a costume parade, skim board competition, and luau show. All events are free and sponsored by the Town of Bethany Beach.

— Visit TownOfBethanyBeach.com

Southern Delaware Wine, Food & Music Festival

Saturday, May 30 | 12-4pm | Cambria Hotel, Rehoboth Beach

A coastal celebration of food, wine, and live music featuring bites from some of the area’s top restaurants, wines, beer, cocktail and mocktail tastings, chef competitions, music and more, all supporting local nonprofits.

— Visit SoDelFest.com

Party Like It’s 793 Festival

June 5-7 | Brimming Horn Meadery, Milton

Delaware’s only Viking and heavy metal themed event celebrates the start of the Viking Age in the West with a party at the Brimming Horn Meadery. This festive weekend includes Viking reenactors, live music, food and craft vendors, and every Viking's favorite drink … mead!

— Visit BrimmingHornMeadery.com

Mid-Atlantic Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival

June 6 & 7 | Lewes Historical Society, Lewes

More than 70 regional and local sea glass and coastalthemed artists showcase everything from jewelry and home décor to sculptures and paintings. Bring your favorite pieces of sea glass and learn its history, shop from a collection of sea glass, or enjoy a glass-blowing demonstration. The weekend also includes live music, food, children’s activities, and educational presentations.

— Visit HistoricLewes.org

Coastal Delaware Restaurant Week Supports the Red, White, & Blue on the Culinary Coast™

June 7-12 | Coastal Delaware

Coastal Delaware Restaurant Week is the premier dining event in Delaware. Dozens of the area's finest restaurants showcase their talents and give diners an opportunity to sample the best cuisine Coastal Delaware has to offer, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the military and first responders. Diners will enjoy menu discounts or pre-fixe menus at restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Lewes, and Coastal Delaware.

— Visit Beach-Fun.com/Restaurant-Week

KidsFest

Sunday, June 7 | Schellville, Rehoboth Beach

Enjoy a fun-filled day of roller skating, bounce houses, train rides, magic shows, and more. It’s all about joy, play, and making memories together.

— Visit SchellBrothers.com/events

From left: Southern Delaware Wine, Food & Music Festival; Delicious deals during Coastal Delaware Restaurant Week; Family fun at Schellville's KidFest. Photos courtesty SoDelFest, Coastal Delaware Restaurant Week; Ivana Bell/Schell Brothers.

35th Annual Lewes Garden Tour

Saturday, June 20 | 10am-4pm | Lewes

Take a self-guided tour of several select private gardens throughout Lewes, plus enjoy a Garden Market in Zwaanendael Park with garden-related items for sale during the hours of the tour. Sponsored by the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.

— Visit LewesChamber.com

29th Annual Running of the Bull

Saturday, June 27 | e Starboard Restaurant, Dewey Beach

Every year hundreds of people gather at the Starboard dressed in red bandannas to celebrate, then parade through the streets of Dewey, and onto the beach where they are chased by “the bull” (two people in bull costume) for several blocks. e chase concludes with a bull ght played out at the Starboard, followed by festivities into the night. Proceeds bene t the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company.

— eRunningOf eBull.com

5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration

Saturday, June 27 | 1-6pm | George H.P. Smith Park, Lewes is free community event, hosted by Lewes African American Heritage Commission, celebrates African American heritage and culture and features food trucks, dancers, live music and more.

— Visit LewesChamber.com

Independence Day Fireworks

Sunday, July 5 | 8-10pm

Bandstand, Beach & Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth Beach celebrates America’s 250th Independence Day with a bigger-than-ever reworks display over the beach and boardwalk. Festivities begin with a bandstand concert before the night sky lights up in a dazzling, expanded show honoring this milestone summer celebration.

— Visit RehobothBeachDE.gov

76th Annual Cottage Tour

July 7 & 8 | Select homes around Rehoboth Beach (TBA)

The Rehoboth Art League’s popular self-paced tour features select homes in the Rehoboth Beach area with a variety of landscapes, interior and architectural designs, ranging from historically significant to contemporary and sleek.

— Visit RehobothArtLeague.org

45th Annual Sandcastle Contest

Saturday, July 11 | Towers Road Beach, Dewey

Admire sand creations by teams and individuals inspired by the nation’s 250th anniversary at this beloved annual competition held by Delaware Seashore State Park.

— Visit DeStateParks.com

T rue B lues

Jeffrey Attakorah and The Blues Reincarnation Project may be in their 30s, but their old-school approach is turning heads

By Kevin Noonan

Je rey Attakorah was a young man from a foreign country who knew nothing about blues music, and speci cally blues guitar music. And his initiation to it came from … the Jonas Brothers?

e Allman Brothers would have made sense. But the Jonas Brothers?

“Yeah, I know — I hear that a lot,” says Attakorah. “But as strange as it sounds, that’s really where my love of the guitar and blues started — with the Jonas Brothers and the Disney Channel.”

L-R: Dylan Walker (bass), Jeffrey Attakorah (guitar) and Charlie Greaves (drums). Standing: Michael Macartney (keyboards). Photo by Ryan Gorman

A little background: Attakorah — the 30-year-old frontman and guitarist for the band The Blues Reincarnation Project — was born in the western African country of Ghana. His family immigrated to the United States when he was 14 and after spending a year in Maryland they moved to Delaware, where Attakorah attended Gauger Middle School and Glasgow High.

The family went through the normal adjustments to their new life in the New World, and even though they loved the culture and lifestyle they found in America, his mother wasn’t thrilled with one aspect of it — American television. So, she only allowed her son to watch select channels, and one of them was the Disney Channel.

And that’s where he saw the Jonas Brothers perform and was introduced to the electric guitar. Eventually, he experienced other kinds of music and one in particular hit him where he lives — the blues. He fell in love with various blues artists, including the three Kings: B.B., Albert, and Freddie.

At Glasgow, he took music as an elective and met fellow student Tony Santi, who would have a profound effect on his life. Santi gave him his first guitar (an Epiphone Les Paul) and also introduced him to classic rock, which led him to the blues.

“[The blues] was just so much more raw and powerful than even rock and roll,” says Attakorah. “It just hits you on an emotional level that most other music doesn’t.”

Attakorah started hanging around and jamming with some like-minded musicians, including original bassist Ryan Gorman and current bandmates Charlie Greaves (drums) and Dylan Walker (bass). They decided to focus on the blues and, hopefully, introduce the genre to younger audiences.

“We’re true to the blues, but we also put our own stamp on the music,” says Walker, a St. George’s High graduate who picked up the bass as a kid so he could jam with his father, a drummer. “We’ll play a song like Born Under a Bad Sign [recorded by Albert King in 1967], which is usually played slower, and we’ll speed it up and funk it up a little.”

That interpretation came about because even though the band is steeped in the blues, it also loves music by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, The Meters and Stevie Ray Vaughn. All those influences seep into their music and they also play a handful of original songs, which keeps things fresh for everyone.

They played their first gig as The Blues Reincarnation Project in 2016 at The Crown Room at The Queen in Wilmington. In 2017, they released their first album, A Hint of Blues, which featured covers and originals. Then, in 2018, Gorman left the band and was eventually replaced by Walker.

Since then, The Blues Reincarnation Project has been a constant in the local music circuit and slowly, but surely, the band has developed a loyal following of fans and, just as importantly, club owners and promoters in the tri-state area.

That includes Ron Ozer of Arden. Ozer is an area concert promoter who books acts that play in Arden’s Gild Hall and Shady Grove stage, as well as more than 200 acts a year at the Elkton Music Hall. Ozer likes what The Blues Reincarnation Project brings to their shows and he’s hired

them to open for more well-known acts — including rising star Vanessa Collier — which gives the band much-needed experience and exposure.

“Ron’s our secret weapon that puts us in front of all of these acts,” Attakorah says with a laugh. “He’s been very good to us, and we don’t take that for granted.”

Ozer says the reason he has taken an interest in The Blues Reincarnation Project is a simple one — they deliver. Ozer adds that Attakorah’s stage presence and ability as a front man is a big reason the band has developed a devoted following.

“Jeffrey is a very engaging, charismatic guitaristsinger,” Ozer says. “He’s really inspired by the classic blues musicians. I saw him in Arden out in the crowd, doing solos, and people are taking videos of him, and he does the same thing in Elkton.

“Jeffrey’s enthusiasm comes out in his postings on social media as well. And that’s nice, because it helps spread the word about his shows,” Ozer adds. “His enthusiasm shows through and it drives people to his shows. He goes the extra mile in everything he does, and that’s what you have to do to be successful in the music business.”

The music business has its ups and downs, and The Blues Reincarnation Project hit a big speed bump in 2019, when they had some equipment stolen. But the local blues community rallied behind them. Led by Tim Ward and Jim Martin of the Central Delaware Blues Society, enough money was raised to replace what was stolen.

According to Walker, that sense of community, especially within his band, is the main reason The Blues Reincarnation Project has stayed together.

“We like playing music together, but also like each other personally,” he says. “We have similar interests and we just get along really well. And that’s important, because if we’re having fun up there then the people listening are going to have fun, too. And that’s why we do this.

“Like they say, if you love your job you’ll never work a day in your life.”

As for the future, Attakorah admits he doesn’t know what will happen, except that music will continue to be a big part of his life.

“The music scene keeps getting tougher and tougher because there’s a lot of good competition out there. It’s a tough business,” he says. “And we’re all getting up there in age. I’d love to keep this band going and we’d love to focus a little bit more on our original stuff.

“I just want to keep growing musically as much as I can,” he adds. “I look at a band like Lower Case Blues for inspiration — they’ve been together for a long time and they’re still growing as musicians, individually and as a group.

“The key for them, just like it is for us, is that we love the music and we love performing that music in front of the people. I can’t speak for everybody, but I know that as long as I feel that love of the music, I’ll be out there somewhere playing it.”

— For more information on The Blues Reincarnation Project, including upcoming shows, go to OfficialTheBluesRP.wixsite.com/home.

NEW ORLEANS’ MIA BORDERS HEADLINES LADYBUG ON MAY 30

In her hometown of New Orleans, Mia Borders has earned plenty of praise, being called “studiously cool,” by The Times-Picayune and, according to the town’s OffBeat , an artist of “great music and great intensity.”

Area music fans can see and hear Borders’ show for themselves on Saturday, May 30, when Borders headlines the annual Ladybug Music Festival in Wilmington, the nation’s largest, free women-led music festival. The festival features more than 30 performers on seven stages between the 400 and 700 blocks of Market Street.

Among her influences, Borders cites Chuck Berry, Bill Withers, Etta James, Irma Thomas, and The Meters.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Mia Borders as this year’s headliner. She brings an incredible blend of soul, funk, and storytelling that embodies what Ladybug stands for, which is powerful, authentic voices,” says Dr. Dan Young, this year’s head organizer for the festival. “She’s the kind of artist who doesn’t just perform but connects, and that’s what this festival is all about.”

— More at TheLadybugFestival.com.

JOHN GALLAGHER, JR. RETURNS TO ELKTON MUSIC HALL ON MAY 7

The first artist to play to a live audience at Elkton Music Hall back in the summer of 2023, John Gallagher Jr. makes a return visit this month. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, Tony Award-winning actor, and Delaware native will be joined by Hannah Winkler and The Good God Damn Trio.

Born into a family of folk musicians, Gallagher Jr. describes his current sound as “emo folk rock” as informed by John Prine, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, and Paul Westerberg.

Area music fans might also be familiar with The Good God Damn Trio, which features Laura Beth Jewell on fiddle, Desiree Sky on cello, and JD Webb on vocals and guitar. — More at ElktonMusicHall.com.

GILROD SPRINGFEST MARRIES BLOCK PARTY WITH MUSIC FEST

he Wilmington block party known as GILROD will return Saturday, May 16, with more than a dozen bands performing on four stages.

The line-up includes Katie Dill, Bullette, Cait Dempsey, Chodes, Community Chapstick, Mighty Joe Castro and The Gravamen, Nikki and the Chill Pills, Penny Death, Quickchange, Red Birds, Northern Liberties, St. Gorgeous, Townies, and Von Holden.

GILROD Springfest will start at 11:30am at the intersection of Gilpin Avenue and Rodney Street (hence the event’s name) with the 1500 block of Gilpin being blocked off completely. Expect food trucks such as Pizza Metro, Taco Jardin, and Brandywine Coffee Roasters along with vendors such as Smalls Music. — For more information follow Gilrod Productions on Facebook.

NEW MEDITERRANEAN CONCEPT FROM BARDEA RESTAURANT GROUP TO OPEN THIS SPRING

Anew restaurant from Antimo DiMeo is set to open this spring in downtown Wilmington. Ezme, a 50-seat concept at 625 N. Market Street, across from Bardea Food & Drink, draws inspiration from DiMeo’s travels through Greece, Turkey, and the Aegean Coast. The menu will feature shareable dishes across categories such as handhelds, mezze, and raw bar, alongside tasting options. Expect bold, ingredient-driven flavors with highlights including chicken gyro bao, kibbeh, and seafood-focused hummus dishes, all reflecting a modern, globally influenced approach to Mediterranean cuisine.

— Visit EzmeWilmington.com

IRON HILL BREWERY SET FOR RIVERFRONT REOPENING IN MAY

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant is set to return to Wilmington’s Riverfront, with a reopening planned in time for Mother’s Day. The popular brewpub will relaunch its 10,000-square-foot space at the Riverfront following its closure during the chain’s bankruptcy last year.

The Wilmington location is expected to resume operations with plans to bring back the brand’s house-brewed beer program alongside its familiar food menu. Once a cornerstone of the Riverfront dining scene, the reopening marks the return of one of the brewery’s former flagship sites.

— Visit IronHillBrewery.us

WINTERTHUR MARKS 75 YEARS WITH FIELD & FÊTE GARDEN PARTY

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library celebrates its 75th anniversary with Field & Fête, a garden party-style event set among its scenic fields and Azalea Woods. Guests can bring their own picnic or purchase food and drink on site, including lobster bao buns, wagyu beef sliders, savory skewers, grill classics such as hot dogs, and signature desserts. Hot dogs nod to estate history — Henry Francis du Pont once sold them from The Cottage porch when he lived on the property.

Beverages include cocktails and a Winterthur-label pale ale collaboration with Wilmington Brew Works, plus anniversary ice cream from Woodside Creamery. The event runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and also features live music and garden access.

— Visit Winterthur.org

The City

COMMUNITY EDUCATION BUILDING MARKS INVESTMENT IN WILMINGTON’S FUTURE

Students attending the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, and Widener University Delaware Law School will soon have the opportunity to pursue their education in the heart of downtown Wilmington, while staying connected to internships, workforce training, and career opportunities.

Mayor John Carney joined the Longwood Foundation and other community partners at the Community Education Building for the announcement of this higher education hub, formally known as the Bridge Project. is represents a major investment in Wilmington’s future and reinforces the city’s growing role as a center for education and opportunity. By bringing together higher education institutions, community leaders, and private partners, this initiative will help create more pathways to success for students, build on the momentum taking shape downtown, and attract new talent that will help strengthen Wilmington’s economy for years to come.

SENIOR HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY

The Department of Parks and Rec will host a Senior Health and Fitness Day at Tubman Park on Wednesday, May 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents can enjoy tness demonstrations, wellness education, health resources, and vendor booths focused on promoting healthy aging and community engagement.

Residents are encouraged to bring a friend and spend the day learning new ways to stay active and healthy, and best of all, staying connected. Rain date is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3.

For more information, contact Gerald Wilmore, Recreation Program Coordinator, at (302) 985-1395 or gwilmore@wilmingtonDE.gov.

Mayor John Carney with members of the Longwood Foundation, leadership from the universities, and community partners at the CEB Youth Development Center.

TINA BETZ URBAN ARTIST EXCHANGE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Get ready to experience the rhythm of America all summer long at the Tina Betz Urban Artist Exchange Summer Concert Series in downtown Wilmington.

Held every Wednesday from May 6 through October 14, these free community events bring together live music, family fun, food, games, and entertainment in celebration of Wilmington’s vibrant culture and the spirit of DE250.

Guests can enjoy food, games, and family-friendly activities beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by a pre-show performance at 6:30 p.m. and the evening’s main performance at 7 p.m.

e Summer Concert Series showcases a variety of musical styles and performers throughout the season, creating an energetic atmosphere for residents and visitors of all ages. Whether you're looking for a fun night out with family or an evening with friends, the Summer Concert Series o ers something for everyone.

Join us every Wednesday and experience the music and community spirit that make Wilmington shine.

For more information, visit CityFestWilm.com/summer-music-series-2 or follow @cityfestwilm on social media for weekly performer announcements and event updates.

WILMINGTON GIVES DE250 A VOICE THROUGH POETRY

Join as Wilmington prepares to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, the city is making sure the celebration is not only about history, but also about the people shaping its future.

Mayor John Carney recently announced a partnership between the City of Wilmington and e Delaware Poets Almanac that will bring poetry and storytelling to 250th celebrations. e collaboration will feature several literary programs designed to capture the voices and spirit of Wilmington residents during this milestone year.

Featured initiatives include a Mobile Poetry Pop-Up at the city’s July 4 celebration on the Wilmington Riverfront, a community reading series hosted in Wilmington libraries, and a 50-page commemorative chapbook featuring poetry from local residents.

“ ese programs ensure that Wilmington is celebrating not only our past, but are a re ection of who we are today,” Mayor John Carney said. “ rough poetry and storytelling, we are creating meaningful opportunities for residents to share their voices and leave a lasting mark on this historic moment.”

The free Summer Concert Series runs May 6 through October 14.

ExploretheRiverfront

Celebrating 30 Years Celebrating30Years riverfront market

Restaurants&More open

mon-fri:9AM-6PM sat:9AM-4PM

Stopinandenjoyfreshproduce, made-to-ordersaladsand sandwiches,MexicanandThai favorites,Indian,Peruvian RotisserieChicken,Pizza,Coffee, Pastries,BreakfastSandwiches, andsomuchmore—allunder oneroof!

Bernie’sEspresso OPENEARLY!

MON-FRI:7AM-5PM Sat:8AM-4PM

Banks’SeafoodKitchen&RawBar BigFishGrill

DelawareDuckCafé&Catering DelPez Docklands RiverfrontBakery RiverRockKitchen TacoGrande

TheRiverfrontAsianCuisine&Bar

Timothy’sontheRiverfront outdooradventuresineveryseason

YourDream Destinations

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Separation Day

IN HISTORIC NEW CASTLE

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

JUNE 12 & 13, 2026

Join us in celebrating one of delaware’s oldest traditions!

SATURDAY DISTINCTIVELY DELAWARE PAVILION

Former Eagles player Kevin Reilly is the Master of Ceremonies for this time-honored Colonial-Themed Parade. Featuring Caesar Rodney—The 250 Ride, Historic Re-enactors, Antique Cars & Fire Engines, Historic Musical Groups, Floats . . . kick-off party Music by: Special Delivery Beer/Wine Garden • Food Trucks • Benefits Local Fire Departments separation day parade

SATURDAY ARTISAN & VINTAGE MARKET Friday at The Wharf • 6pm start Saturday along 6th & Delaware streets • Noon start separation day festival

Saturday at Battery Park • 1pm start FIREWORKS AT 9:30PM

Wide-Ranging Vendor Village • Kids Rides & Attractions • Beer/Wine Garden • Food Trucks Live Music All Day: Lyric Drive (1:30pm); Brandi Sanders Experience (4:30pm); Club Phred (7:30pm) FREE ADMISSION BOTH DAYS!