Delaware

Everything to know about Fourth of July weekend at the Delaware beaches

Published

9 months ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

Everything to know about Fourth of July weekend at the Delaware beaches

The theme at the Delaware beaches this weekend is red, white and traffic.

That’s right, it’s the Fourth of July, the busiest week of the year in Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island. Multiple towns will host free, not-to-miss firework shows you can watch from the beach, but you’ve got to battle the thousands of other people on the roads to see them. And what if it rains?

Here’s everything you need to know about Fourth of July weekend at the Delaware beaches.

Weather

Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be mostly sunny with temperatures around 80 degrees — great beach weather.

Thursday evening will bring clouds and a 50% chance of storms, according to the National Weather Service, and poor weather is predicted to continue into Friday morning. Friday’s forecast is partly sunny with a 40% chance of rain and highs in the mid 80s.

More clouds are predicted for Friday night, with a chance of storms. Saturday and Sunday are expected to be mostly sunny with a 40% chance of storms and temperatures in the mid 80s again.

Don’t let the threat of a storm ruin your beach day; they often come and go quickly in the summertime. Check the radar often, and look below to see what your town will do if it rains at fireworks time.

Traffic

Look, traffic is going to be bad this week, in the downtowns, on Coastal Highway and everywhere. There’s no avoiding it.

Allow extra time to get where you’re going and even more time to find parking. Bring stuff for the kids to do in the car. For fireworks especially, plan on being in traffic for at least an hour and likely more when leaving town. After the show, linger on the beach or downtown, eat, shop, be entertained — the later you leave, the less traffic there will be.

More: No permits, possible wetlands and a questionable deed on Rehoboth Beach’s Silver Lake

Walking, biking, or taking the DART bus or a trolley are highly recommended. Parking at locations on Coastal Highway and walking downtown is worth it for fireworks in Rehoboth and Bethany — just make sure you wear good shoes.

Above all, be patient and obey the law. Make room for police, fire and ambulance vehicles.

Again for the people in the back: Be patient and obey the law!

Fourth of July celebrations

Lewes

“Go Fourth Lewes” has a full day of events in store for Thursday, July 4. There are free old-fashioned children’s games, such as an egg toss and a sack race, on Second Street starting at 9 a.m. At noon, check out the 28th Annual July 4th Celebration and Car Show at Trinity Faith Christian Center on New Road. It features free food, a bounce house, hayrides, a DJ and more.

The boat parade, which starts at Roosevelt Inlet and heads southeast to downtown, begins at 1:30 p.m.

The Doo-Dah Parade is a uniquely Lewes tradition that has no official start time, but usually begins around 5 p.m. Anyone can participate by meeting in the area of Lloyd’s Market on Savannah Road. The parade winds down Kings Highway to Second Street, then back down Savannah to end at Lloyd’s.

Fireworks begin at dusk, launched from the bay off Lewes Beach.

If the fireworks are rained out, the rain date is the next day, Friday, July 5. More info at gofourthlewes.org.

Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth Beach will celebrate the holiday Saturday, July 6.

Locals’ favorite The Funsters will play a free concert at the bandstand, which starts at 8 p.m. and continues after the fireworks. Fireworks launch at dusk, or around 9:30 p.m., from the beach near Brooklyn Avenue.

“Because of the extra support personnel we have to bring in, we generally don’t have rain dates,” city spokesperson Lynne Conan said. “We will do our very best to get the fireworks off on the scheduled date, even if we have to decide to go a bit early or hold and go late.”

On Saturday, the city will institute the following traffic and parking rules:

The Rehoboth Avenue bandstand area will be closed to traffic between 6 p.m. to midnight.
Henlopen and Surf avenues will be open to bus and resident traffic only beginning at 7 p.m. Residents of Henlopen Avenue, Henlopen Acres and North Shores should use Second Street.
Beginning at 7 p.m., the circle on Rehoboth Avenue will be open to east and westbound traffic only.
Beginning at 8 p.m., Rehoboth Avenue eastbound will close at Coastal Highway and all vehicles must enter town via State Road.
After the fireworks, vehicles north of Rehoboth Avenue will be directed to exit via Rehoboth and Columbia avenues. Vehicles on the south side of Rehoboth Avenue will be directed to Hickman and Munson Streets to take State Road to Coastal Highway northbound or Bayard Avenue to Coastal Highway southbound.
After the fireworks, DART bus riders can pick up the bus at the Henlopen Hotel.
No parking will be allowed on Surf Avenue, in the convention center parking lot, in the bandstand area of Rehoboth Avenue, on Grenoble and Surfside places and at certain marked spaces on the ocean block of Hickman Street.

More info at cityofrehoboth.com.

More: Whale breach off Bethany Beach leaves nearby paddleboarders elated to capture it on video

Dewey Beach

Highway One, the company that owns Dewey Beach bars such as the Bottle & Cork, the Rusty Rudder and northbeach, will host fireworks at dusk on Thursday, July 4. They’ll be set off on a barge near McKinley Street on Rehoboth Bay. Contact the Rusty Rudder with questions at 302-227-3888.

Bethany Beach

Bethany Beach’s Thursday, July 4, celebration begins with a parade at noon. It starts at Pennsylvania Avenue and Central Boulevard, traveling south on Pennsylvania Avenue, circling around on Cedarview Street and heading north on Atlantic Avenue to Ocean View Parkway.

There’s a free concert from The 1974 at the bandstand at 7:30, followed by fireworks over the beach at dusk.

The Bethany Beach Trolley will not operate between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Any weather-related changes or cancellations will be posted at townofbethanybeach.com.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

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Delaware

After recovering from injury, Delaware boy throws out the first pitch at Phillies home opener

Published

2 hours ago

April 1, 2025

Press Room

After recovering from injury, Delaware boy throws out the first pitch at Phillies home opener

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — The first pitch of the Philadelphia Phillies home opener was thrown by someone whose endurance inspired a stadium full of fans.

It was from a Delaware native, Briar Jones, who recovered from injuries after being hit by a moving vehicle.

“I never thought I’d be able to throw the first pitch of the Phillies game,” said Jones.

His recovery, thanks to Nemours Children’s Health, was celebrated by thousands in South Philly at Citizens Bank Park.

“To take Briar from where he is today from the night he was injured required lots of individuals and lots of expertise from many departments of Nemours,” said Dr. Duane Duke from Nemours Children’s Health Delaware.

Jones was joined by Dr. Duane Duke and Dr. Arianna Trionfo to celebrate the momentous day.

“It’s going to create a great memory for them. And he certainly deserves it from what he’s been through,” said Dr. Duane Duke.

After throwing his pitch, Jones was able to get the baseball autographed by Brandon Marsh.

“I will not forget this. Never. Once in a lifetime. Can’t forget it,” said Jones.

For more information, check out the video above.

Also, learn more about the Philadelphia Phillies on their website.

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Delaware

Delaware State Police arrest three on drug and gun charges – 47abc

Published

14 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Press Room

X Gibbs 240x300 Delaware State Police arrest three on drug and gun charges – 47abc

MILLSBORO, Del. – Delaware State Police arrested three individuals on drug and weapon charges after executing a search warrant at a Millsboro residence on Friday morning.

45-year-old Jason Wilz, 19-year-old Xavier Gibbs, and 23-year-old Brandon Gibbs, were detained following the search at a home on Clover Lane. The warrant, obtained as part of a drug and theft investigation into Wilz, led to the discovery of a loaded .22 caliber handgun, over 6 grams of various drugs, including heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine, as well as drug paraphernalia and a digital scale.

During the operation, Xavier Gibbs attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended. Six people were detained on the property, and the investigation remains ongoing.

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Delaware

We thought retiring to Delaware was the right next step. We couldn't have been more wrong.

Published

1 day ago

March 31, 2025

Press Room

We thought retiring to Delaware was the right next step. We couldn't have been more wrong.

We’d always dreamt of owning a beach home for family vacations and weekend getaways, but our budget and the kids’ constantly packed schedules never made it possible.

Then, many years later, as we edged toward retirement and the kids were out of the house, we put the idea back on the table and bought a lovely home in Delaware just a 10 to 20-minute drive from a string of pristine beaches.

The house is in a newly built development dotted with duck-filled ponds and a quick drive to the heart of a quaint historic village filled with restaurants, live music venues, and a sprinkling of art galleries.

My husband spends hours casting off the coastline for striped bass and bluefish, and our neighbors, many newly retired like us, are welcoming and down-to-earth.

Moving here is one of the best decisions we’ve ever made, but three years in, we’re planning our exit.

We moved from New Jersey

Before Delaware, we’d lived in the same house in the same suburban New Jersey town for more than 15 years.

However, during that time, we’d always felt on the periphery of the social scene, rarely got dinner invites, and found it difficult to make friends.

We both had good jobs and lived a middle-class life, but our roots were blue-collar. My husband was the only person we knew in the area who had not graduated from college.

We longed for a change, a fuller calendar, and a respite from nagging loneliness.

We weren’t the beach lovers we thought we were

Delaware’s dramatically lower property taxes and more affordable real estate meant less strain on our budget.

We also purchased a newer home, which meant spending less time and money on the endless repairs our 94-year-old colonial in NJ demanded.

Despite the benefits, homesickness has been impossible to shake.

We miss living a short 20 to 30-minute drive from our family who are still in Jersey. And while the small village we live near is nice, it’s just that — small.

We prefer being closer to the hustle and bustle of New York City with its diverse neighborhoods, major museums, and vibrant theater and music scenes, all of which we frequented often while in New Jersey.

We’ve also realized we weren’t the beach lovers we thought we were. Going to the beach had once been a treat. Now, we easily take it for granted, which makes it less special.

Plus, traffic jams and packed beaches in season make getting there a headache and a sweaty nailbiter, with parking lots at capacity by 8:30 a.m.

The noise, the grind of cars, and the lines snaking out of seemingly every coffee bar and lunch spot conspire to make a summer day about as relaxing as a full-throttle city commute.

We also miss our hikes through the small mountain range that was minutes away from our NJ house. The flat, bleached terrain without a hill in sight just isn’t the same.

To get that outdoorsy experience now, we must drive 90 minutes north, on a dismal, nerve-jangling highway.

We feel like part of a community here, which has been the greatest gift

Welcome mats for pickleball teams, girls’ nights, potlucks, and a dizzying number of groups and clubs have made it easy to build friendships both casual and close.

Unfortunately, we are too homesick for the area we left to feel truly relaxed. It is as if we are at a terrific party — great to be invited, but not to stay indefinitely.

The gift of these friendships has given us a sense of belonging that had always been just out of reach in our old neighborhood, and, importantly, a social confidence and insight that will help us choose our next community wisely.

Our turnabout has surprised us, but aging has brought into focus how we want to spend our time, and where. And that’s nearer to the convenience and culture of a major city, steeped in a diverse community, surrounded by varied terrain, and closer to family.

We have learned that retirement decisions can’t always be about money. Sometimes they need to be driven by what enriches the soul.

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