It’s a Delaware thing.

At least, that’s the case with some sites and scenes around the First State.

Whether it’s the food (looking at you, Grotto Pizza), attractions, sayings, traditions (yes, we have a Running of the Bull) or landmarks, locals usually have the answers visitors are looking for.

Here are 10 things only Delaware locals understand: 

The hype on Grotto Pizza 

If you’re visiting Delaware, there’s a good chance you’ll pass a Grotto Pizza during your trip. With 16 locations statewide, the “legendary swirl” has been a Delaware staple since 1960, when a slice cost 20 cents and a whole pie was $1.60.

What sets Grotto Pizza apart is its use of mild cheddar instead of the traditional mozzarella found at most pizzerias. First-time visitors might also notice the unique look: rather than spreading sauce directly on the dough, the cheese is added first, with the sauce swirled on top.

Low-digit license plates are considered symbols 

When Delawareans see a low-digit license plate, they know that the vehicle is of status in the state.  If your plate is 86,999 or lower, you are eligible to order a black-and-white porcelain plate instead of the standard blue-and-gold. 

These plates are so in demand in Delaware that the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles runs an online lottery for low-digit tags every year. These plates are signs of status, family heirlooms and financial investments and can sell for up to $2 million.  

The scrapple stigma 

Pork scraps, organ meats, and trimmings? You heard it! Delawareans praise the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast food “scrapple.” 

While Delaware didn’t invent scrapple, the state has long embraced it as a staple. The dish is deeply rooted in Delaware’s history and is celebrated each year at the Apple Scrapple Festival, which honors two of the state’s major agricultural products.

With such a strong local legacy, it’s worth trying scrapple at a diner before judging its bold flavor.

‘The shore’ vs. ‘the beach’

When Delawareans say they’re going to “the shore,” don’t assume they mean Delaware. The phrase typically refers to the beaches in New Jersey.

In fact, Delaware residents are so particular about the distinction that the state Senate passed a bill in 2003 designating the coastline as the “Delaware Beaches.” With its own stretch of shoreline, locals want their beaches to stand apart from those in neighboring states.

The Running of the Bull isn’t only in Spain 

The famous “Running of the Bull” takes place each July in Spain during the Festival of San Fermín, where runners sprint alongside bulls along a roughly half-mile course.

While Delaware doesn’t have free-roaming bulls, the state hosts its own version each summer in Dewey Beach. During the “Running of the Bull,” participants chase a bull mascot down the beach. Hosted by The Starboard, this year’s event marked its 29th anniversary on June 27.

The du Pont legacy 

Often described as Delaware’s “First Family,” the DuPont Co. and family have been a part of Delaware’s identity since 1802, when E.I. du Pont established a gunpowder plant on the Brandywine.

Descendants of the formerly “du Pont” family still reside in Delaware, and most of the family’s previously owned properties are now operated by nonprofits and opened to the public.

Some of the estates connected to the family’s legacy include:

Longwood Gardens

Winterthur Museum Garden & Library 

Mt. Cuba Center 

Hagley Museum and Library 

The many state parks 

Many visitors may overlook Delaware’s natural beauty. This year, Delaware State Parks celebrates its 17 parks, developed over the past 75 years.

Each park offers something unique, from acres of open meadows to a natural rock-climbing wall and everything in between. With parks spread across the state, it’s not uncommon for locals to have visited several of them.

Tax-free shopping 

Delaware is one of the few states with 0% sales tax on all retail purchases. Out-of-state visitors from neighboring states utilize this, which draws big crowds. 

In Delaware, there’s only one notable mall, as stores in the Concord Mall continue to close. That said, locals know exactly when to avoid the Christiana Mall, which draws shoppers not only from Delaware but from surrounding states and becomes a major retail hub during peak times.

Know your ‘blue hens’ 

When a local says, “Let’s go, Hens!” you may be confused. In Delaware, this phrase, and similar ones, refers to the University of Delaware as a blue hen is the university’s mascot. The saying is said throughout the First State among students, alumni and fans. 

You may be wondering why a blue hen is the school’s mascot – it honors a famous Revolutionary War regiment from Delaware. Bonus, you can visit the University of Delaware’s campus and see “real” blue hens! 

Movie filmed in Delaware 

The iconic film “Dead Poets Society” was filmed at several locations across Delaware.

Shot over three months from November 1988 to January 1989 and starring Robin Williams, the movie used sites including St. Andrew’s School, the Everett Theatre, New Castle, Westover Hills and Middletown.

Lauren Lingle is an intern with Delaware Online/The News Journal. Contact her at @llingle@gannett.com

• Delaware is still in a drought, despite heavy rainfall in New Castle County since July 1.
• The Brandywine and Christina Rivers are recovering.
• Kent and Sussex Counties are in “extreme drought.”

Some parts of Delaware saw about 4 inches of rainfall over the past few days, but the state could still be in a drought.

Delaware issued a statewide drought watch in June, and has not lifted it as of July 12. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of Kent and Sussex Counties are in an extreme drought as of July 9, with New Castle County in a wetter moderate or severe drought.

According to the drought monitor, historic impacts of extreme drought can cause crop loss and financial stress in the agriculture industry.

Rainfall totals from the past five days throughout Delaware are concentrated in northern New Castle County, which is not as drought stricken as downstate. A rainfall total map from July 7 to 12 shows 4 to 5 inches in Hockessin, and 3 inches around Wilmington and Claymont. The same map shows an inch or less throughout Kent and Sussex Counties.

Director of the Delaware Water Resources Center Gerald Kauffman said the recent rain in New Castle County has helped stream flows. The Brandywine River has seen 4 inches of rain so far this month, he said, and salt levels in the Christina River have declined to near normal levels.

“After a brutally hot Fourth of July holiday, the 4 inches of rain since the first of the month in the Brandywine River watershed for instance has forestalled the worsening of Delaware’s drought watch,” he said July 12.

Before that heat wave, Kauffman said groundwater levels were lower than normal. Kent and Sussex Counties rely on groundwater for most of their water supply.

But the rainfall could’ve been more useful. National Weather Service meteorologist Ray Martin said if the rain in northern Delaware fell over a longer period of time it would’ve been more helpful to stream and groundwater recharge. But the rainfall was good for reservoirs, which are critical to northern Delaware’s water supply.

More on the hot summer: Is wet bulb heat changing how the Eagles practice this summer?

Look ahead: When do we fall back for standard time? It’s early this year

“It’s not going to quickly end the situation,” he said.

Temperatures are expected to hit the high 90s again this week, and heat indices could reach the triple digits. Kauffman said he and other figures in state agencies are meeting July 14 to look at the drought’s status statewide ahead of the next heat wave.

What are journalists missing from the state of Delaware? What would you most like WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

Delaware is once again earning national recognition for the strength of its arts community.

A new report from Southern Methodist University DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, ranks Delaware No. 11 in the nation for arts vibrancy, while Wilmington placed 57th among the country’s 100 most arts-vibrant communities. The 10th annual Arts Vibrancy Index analyzed all 50 states and more than 900 communities using data on arts activity, audience participation and government support.

The recognition highlights Delaware’s long-standing investment in arts organizations and artists, as well as the role local audiences play in supporting cultural institutions across the state.

“That Delaware ranks eleventh in the nation for arts vibrancy reflects what sustained public investment in the arts can produce,” said Jessica Ball, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “Through annual appropriations …, Delaware has built a cultural infrastructure of national consequence.”

Wilmington’s recognition emphasizes the city’s concentration of arts organizations from established institutions like the Delaware Art Museum, Grand Opera House, Delaware Theatre Company, OperaDelaware and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra to community-based organizations including the Christina Cultural Arts Center, The Music School of Delaware and First State Ballet Theatre. Signature events such as the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival also draw audiences from across the region, contributing to the city’s cultural footprint.

How were the rankings tabulated?

Andrew Truscott, the Delaware Division of the Arts program officer for marketing and communications, said the rankings are based on measurable data rather than subjective opinions about artistic quality.

“In plain terms, the first being how much art the community produces, how many people show up for it and spend their own money on it, and then how much the government invests in it,” he said. “Those researchers out of those three buckets call those supply, demand and public support, and those roll up into 13 different measures, everything from the number of arts organizations and working artists, all the way to ticket revenue and public and private philanthropy.”