Summer in Coastal Delaware always brings a little bit of everything, and this season has plenty worth adding to your calendar! 

The lineup includes outdoor markets, family-friendly festivals, art shows, beach events, live music, local food, and more. 

Whether you are planning a weekend outing, looking for something different to do after work, or trying to make the most of beach season, these upcoming events are a great place to start:

Puppies and Pilates

Puppies and Pilates is for when you want a workout that feels good without feeling intense or rushed. 

The experience starts with a low-impact, full-body mat Pilates class led by a strong instructor, then shifts into relaxed puppy interaction designed to help you unwind. 

You get the movement, the soft studio setting, the gentle play, and the cute content moment, all with rest, hydration, and clean spaces built in so both you and the puppies are cared for.

• Various hours and dates
• Location: 19897-D Hebron Road, Rehoboth Beach

Image: Puppies and Pilates

West Side Creative Market

West Side Creative Market has become one of the area’s most popular creative events for a reason, with more than $1,000,000 in artist sales and a setup that feels different each time you visit. 

You can browse work from 20+ local artists, catch live local music, check out rotating food trucks, and grab craft cocktails, wine, or beer while you walk around. 

It is easy to bring the family, hang out with friends, or stop by with a well-trained dog, especially with outdoor games and a community feel that makes it more than just a market.

• Days: Mondays & Fridays 
• Hours: 5pm to 9pm
• Location: 19826 Central Street, Rehoboth Beach

Dewey Beach Movies and Bonfires

Dewey Beach Movies and Bonfires are exactly the kind of simple summer plans that make a beach night feel easy. 

Movie nights let you bring a chair and settle in for family-friendly picks like The SpongeBob Movie, Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch, Freakier Friday, The Goonies, Wicked: For Good, Mean Girls, and High School Musical. 

Bonfire nights bring the s’mores side of summer, with marshmallows, glow sticks, roasting sticks, and plenty of space to hang out by the water.

• Days: Mondays & Wednesdays 
• Hours: Movies - 8:30pm; Bonfire - 7pm to 9pm
• Location: Dagsworthy Avenue in Dewey Beach

First State Fest at Hudson Fields

First State Fest is built around local businesses, crafters, artisans, food trucks, and plenty of reasons to walk around for a while. 

More than 135 local vendors are expected, with food trucks including Grotto’s and Helen’s Sausage House, plus a petting zoo, inflatables, raffles, DJ music, and a scrapple-eating contest. 

You can also expect orange crushes and DD Project Wines, with proceeds supporting the Stevenson Foundation.

• Date: Saturday, June 27th
• Hours: 10am to 3pm
• Location: 29763 Eagle Crest Road, Milton

Image: Hudson Fields

Kids’ Running of the Bull

Kids’ Running of the Bull takes Dewey’s wildest tradition and turns it into a family-friendly beach moment for the younger crowd. 

The kids get their own version of the run, complete with the bull costume, plenty of sand, and the kind of funny chaos parents will definitely want to record. 

Get there with enough time to find a good spot, because watching the little ones decide whether to chase the bull or run away from it is half the fun.

• Date: Saturday, June 27th
• Time: 10:30am
• Location: Dagsworthy Street on the Beach

Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church Annual Art Show

Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church Annual Art Show brings together more than 100 selected artists for a long-running outdoor art event with a charitable purpose behind it. 

You can browse original work, grab food while you walk around, and take part in a raffle featuring donated pieces from this year’s featured artists. 

The raffle supports the St. Cecilia Music Guild Scholarship Program, so this is a good one to visit when you want to enjoy local art and support creative work that gives back.

• Date: Saturday, July 4th
• Hours: 9am to 3pm
• Location: 213 West 3rd Street, Lewes

Lewes Antiques and Home Décor Sale at Bethel UMC

The Lewes Antiques and Home Décor Sale at Bethel UMC is a good excuse to get out of the summer heat and spend a few hours browsing pieces with a little history and personality. 

You’ll find decorator items, collector pieces, jewelry, furniture, home décor, and other one-of-a-kind finds throughout the sale. 

While you are there, you can stop by the Bethel Deli for coffee or lunch, grab something homemade from the bake sale, and check out the “Priceless” Curiosity Shop, where you name the price on yard sale finds. 

A portion of the funds will support Clothing Our Kids and Family Promise, while the curiosity shop helps support women and children through Bethel Women’s Ministry.

• Dates: July 10th & 11th 
• Hours: Friday - 9am to 5pm; Saturday - 9am to 3pm
• Location: 129 W. 4th Street, Lewes

Rehoboth Beach Pride

Rehoboth Beach Pride brings a full mix of celebration, connection, and community programming. 

The festival includes live performances, workshops, meetups, and conversations focused on topics like unhoused LGBTQ+ youth, trans and nonbinary youth, recovery, HIV and STI prevention, and community support. 

You can also find family-friendly programming, peer-led meetups, book signings, an interfaith service, and evening entertainment, making this more than a one-day festival. 

It is built as a space to gather, learn, celebrate, and support LGBTQ+ people across the region.

• Dates: July 15th-19th
• Various hours and locations

Rehoboth Art League's Annual Outdoor Fine Art & Fine Craft Show

Rehoboth Art League’s Annual Outdoor Fine Art & Fine Craft Show turns the historic campus into a full summer arts experience, with more than 125 juried artists and artisans showing fine art and fine crafts. 

You can walk through the wooded grounds, meet artists, watch demonstrations, explore gallery exhibits, visit the gardens, and see the historic Peter Marsh Homestead while you are there. 

The event also includes food, live music, a Dogfish Head Beer Garden, a raffle for an original pastel piece, and a docent fundraiser that helps support preservation projects on campus. 

It is a strong pick when you want an art show that feels more like a full afternoon outing than a quick stop.

• Dates: August 1st-2nd & 8th-9th
• Hours: Saturdays - 10am to 5pm; Sundays - 10am to 4pm
• Location: 12 Dodds Lane, Rehoboth Beach

Image: Rehoboth Art League

Zap Pro/Am World Championship of Skimboarding

The Zap Pro/Am World Championship of Skimboarding brings serious beach energy, with amateur and professional riders competing across multiple divisions. 

You can watch skimboarders take on the shore break, follow the competition throughout the event, and see top finishers earn medals, prize bags, and cash prizes in the professional divisions. 

It is one of the more action-focused summer events on the list, especially if you like watching a beach sport that is fast, technical, and very easy to get pulled into once the heats start.

• Dates: August 7th-9th
• Time: 9am
• Location: McKinley Street, Dewey Beach

Restaurant Olympics at Bay Beach – Hyatt Place Dewey Beach

Restaurant Olympics at Bay Beach is one of those events that feels made for people who know and love the Dewey restaurant scene. 

Local bartenders, servers, and kitchen crews trade their usual workday roles for beach and water challenges, while regulars and visitors cheer them on from the sidelines. 

It is funny, competitive, and very Dewey, especially when you get to root for the team from your favorite restaurant and watch the people who serve the town all summer let loose.

• Date: Tuesday, August 11th
• Hours: 10am to 2pm
• Location: 1301 Coastal Highway, Dewey Beach, DE 19971

Summer Blues Fest at Lewes Ferry Grounds

Summer Blues Fest brings live blues to the water with a lineup featuring The Record Company, Lower Case Blues, and Sweet Leda. 

The setting is a big part of the experience, with bay views, sunsets, food trucks, craft brews, wine, and cocktails all part of the outdoor show setup. 

You can bring a blanket or low-back chair for the seated areas, settle in for the music, and make it a full evening by the stage.

• Date: Saturday, August 15th
• Time: 5pm
• Location: 43 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes

FoodeesFest at Seaside Tanger Outlets

FoodeesFest is built for anyone who likes showing up hungry and leaving with a new favorite bite. 

The event brings together more than 40 food trucks and vendors, with everything from street eats and gourmet dishes to sweet treats, plus artisans selling handmade jewelry, art, crafts, and local finds. 

You can try something you have never had before, browse for gifts, and keep the whole family entertained in a lively festival setting.

• Dates: September 25th-27th
• Hours: Friday - 1pm to 9pm; Saturday - 11am to 9pm; Sunday - 11am to 7pm
• Location: 36470 Seaside Outlet Drive, Rehoboth Beach

Keep following the blog for more local updates, upcoming events, and things to do around Coastal Delaware!

Have any questions about our blog(s), the Coastal Delaware real estate market, or local life in our beautiful beach towns? Do you think there is something we should write about? Did you see an event coming up that we should know about? Shoot us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at (302) 212-0074. We would love to hear from you!