The unofficial start of summer is just around the corner at the Delaware beaches. Here’s what you can do that’s new in Bethany Beach and the Rehoboth area.
What’s Happening in Rehoboth?
Seth Ruffins, marketing director of Visit Rehoboth, recommends the Tiki cruises that start at Dewey Beach and head around Rehoboth Bay. “It’s a round boat with straw on top, and he takes people out and around. It’s been pretty interesting and fun.”
For those in the mood to put on a small event, Ruffins suggests the Dewey Beach Picnic Company. “She’s just putting on these great experiences” for weddings, bachelorette parties, and themed parties,” Ruffins says.
Ruffins says the new music even in the area is the Rocking the Docks concert series, held near the Cape May–Lewes barrier. It’s only been around for a couple of years, Ruffins says, but it’s “a hidden gem” that brings in “talent from all over.”
“I think it’s one of those things where it’s underground still a little bit, but once people know about it, it’s going to absolutely blow up,” Ruffins says of the Delaware beach concerts.
Let’s Eat in Rehoboth
When it’s time to eat, Ruffins wants the summer crowd to know about some relatively new restaurants in Rehoboth.
The Second Block Hospitality Group is “putting out some amazing stuff for everyone in the area,” Ruffins says. Drift Seafood & Raw Bar, on Baltimore Avenue, has only been around a couple of years with its “very, very talented chefs,” Ruffins says.
“It’s a pretty big hit — people are flocking to it. Not everyone has tried it yet. It’s going to be one of those places that blows up and becomes a staple,” he says.
He also recommends Bodhi Kitchen, an Asian fusion place where you can get noodles and even some dim sum. It has a “pretty inventive fun menu with an amazing craft cocktail selection.”
And The Pines bistro has been redone, featuring “a new chef who has traveled all around the world, and he’s bringing some serious high-quality food to the area.”
Bethany Beach’s Poseidon Festival
Julie Malewski, events director for Bethany Beach, says that for most people Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, “but for Bethany, that’s sort of our official start.”
It begins with the Poseidon Festival Friday, May 24, through Sunday, May 26, centered on the bandstand and nature center. The weekend kicks off with ocean-themed entertainment on Friday night, including a luau show with a fire knife show.
On Saturday, costumed pirates arrive in their ship, accompanied by mermaids for storytimes and photo opportunities with kids, as well as swordfighting demonstrations and a costume contest for adults and kids. It’s all capped off with a rock band in the afternoon and a reggae/ska band at night.
Sunday continues those themes, but also includes ocean awareness, including a marine science table with hands-on activities for kids to learn about marine life rescue and the preservation of coastlines. The Navy Band plays at night.
The Sunday events are based on the realities of life on the coastline, “The idea was, if you come here and you visit, where do you go if something happens?” Malewski says. “If there’s a potential coastal emergency, a lot of the regulars know where to go, but if you’re visiting, you might not. We took a sort of heavy topic and we added some fun elements to it.”
And on Monday, May 27, the VFW Post 7234 will hold a Memorial Day service on the bandstand at 11 a.m.
Music, Crafts, and More in Bethany
There’s plenty of music for the rest of the summer at Bethany Beach, Malewski says: The Bethany Beach annual summer concert series starts June 6 and features bands every Thursday night during the summer, moving to Saturdays and Sundays for September and October. There will be a Dave Matthews Tribute Band on June 6 and Cellofest on June 13.
In addition, the town’s songwriter showcase runs June 7 to 9, featuring song circles and full concerts with “songwriters with a local connection but also a connection to Nashville — showing how Nashville may have influenced their career,” Malewski says.
June 1 is the annual all-day Seaside Crafts Show, bringing about 100 vendors to the streets and the boardwalk, and it goes without saying that the July 4 celebration is a blowout, with 25,000 people generally expected for the fireworks and evening entertainment: “That’s obviously the peak of our season,” Malewski says.
The town also introduced a new Bethany Life app to keep track of events and any announcements related to the Delaware beach.
Featured image courtesy Visit Delaware
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