Delaware
This Delaware event made a list of the wackiest US festivals. Have you ever been?

Farmers celebrate promising fall harvest thanks to weather
New Jersey farmers anticipate a strong apple and pumpkin harvest after a great growing season.
Delaware is known to have some unique happenings, but the one that just got a shoutout on this list of the wackiest fall festivals in the United States might surprise you.
Wacky fall festival in Delaware
There are plenty of odd and whimsical Delaware traditions that out-of-towners, and even some Delawareans, might see as a bit weird. The one that Thrillist, a media company, chose to highlight for its list of the weirdest and wackiest fall festivals in the country is the Sea Witch Festival in Rehoboth Beach.
If you don’t know what a Sea Witch Festival is, Rehoboth Beach prefaces the event with the following eerie blurb:
“Not all witches hang out in caves with their cauldrons; sometimes they have a strong affinity for the wide-open sea.”
In short, it’s to celebrate the lore of the alternative mermaid mentioned above.
This year’s festival runs from 8 a.m. on Oct. 25 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 27. It includes a haunted bonfire, hayrides, a pet-friendly costume parade with nautical floats, a broom-tossing competition and a lantern-lit story time that tells the “true tale” of a ship that sank off the coast of Delaware in 1785.
Oh, and apparently, ghosts will be in attendance …
Weirdest, wackiest fall festivals in the US
Whether you’re a Sea Witch Festival regular or you’ve never attended the event, some of the other festivals on Thrillist’s list make Rehoboth’s celebration look completely ordinary.
Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw & Festival
Although this takes place on Aug. 30 and Aug. 31, Thrillist added it to the list because it’s “too absurd to skip.” This festival in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, stems from the old practice of using dried buffalo chips – poop – as fuel to warm the houses of pioneers.
Now, Wisconsin keeps the spirit alive with its festival that includes music, arts and crafts, magicians, a “cow chip breakfast” and chip throwing.
Arcola Broomcorn Festival
The Arcola Broomcorn Festival in Arcola, Illinois, ran from Sept. 6 through Sept. 8 and celebrated all things related to broomcorn, a plant that can be dried and bound together to make brooms.
Aside from making brooms, festivalgoers could enjoy arts and crafts, live music, a 5K and 10K and a broom-sweeping contest. A parade featuring the Lawn Rangers, a lawn mower drill team that has been a staple event since 1980, also was on the agenda.
World Chicken Festival
The World Chicken Festival in London, Kentucky, runs from Sept. 26 to Sept. 29 in Laurel County, the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, according to Thrillist.
The festival is four days of fun that includes a “Rooster tail” mullet contest, Colonel Sanders impersonation competitions, live entertainment featuring the Gin Blossoms, carnival rides and the world’s largest stainless-steel skillet.
Nearby in Corbin, the Sanders Café & Museum highlights the 11 herbs and spices of the original KFC recipe and other memorabilia. This location is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Trailing of the Sheep Festival
The Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Sun Valley, Idaho, runs from Oct. 2 to Oct. 6 and highlights 1,500 sheep as they embark on their annual migration through Main Street in Ketchum.
Event highlights include sheep storytelling, a sheep jam, farm-to-table dinners, wooly items for purchase, sheepdog trials and a Q&A with sheep ranchers.
FireAnt Festival
The FireAnt Festival in Marshall, Texas, is on Oct. 12 and celebrates its 42nd celebration this year.
The festival began in 1982 to heighten morale during a period of economic hardship and, according to Thrillist, the name was given at random just because it sounded nice and fun.
The event is characterized by fire ant mascots; a parade; the Diaper Derby; a chicken chunkin’ contest; a fire ant calling contest; and a gurning contest, which is about making the most horrible and grotesque facial expressions possible.
… To each their own!
Fall fun at the beach: A powwow, greyhounds and crafts: Fall festivals and events at the Delaware beaches
North American Wife Carrying Championship
The North American Wife Carrying Championship in Newry, Maine, on Oct. 12 is self-explanatory.
The sport of wife-carrying began in Finland due to the local legend of a robber stealing food and women from the towns he pillaged. Now, it’s an annual sport competition – in its 23rd year – that requires participants to carry their partners through a dry and muddy 278-yeard obstacle course. Partners can be carried fireman-style, piggyback or in the Estonian carry, which is flipped upside down with legs around the runner’s shoulders.
Wondering why people do this? The winning team wins their partner’s weight in beer and five times their weight in cash.
Bridge Day
Bridge Day in Fayetteville, West Virginia, is on Oct. 19 and celebrates New River Gorge, the 63rd National Park.
The event is held annually on the third Saturday in October and focuses on the allure of jumping off or rappelling down the park’s 876-foot-tall bridge, which BASE jumpers have done since 1980. The bridge is the world’s second-longest arch bridge.
BASE jumping stands for the four categories of fixed objects that can be jumped from: buildings, antennas (radio masts), spans (bridges) and earth (cliffs).
Texas Bigfoot Conference
The Texas Bigfoot Conference in Jefferson, Texas, is on Oct. 18 and Oct. 19 and honors the city’s name as “The Bigfoot Capital of Texas,” according to Thrillist.
Although the location of Bigfoot varies according to witness accounts, the Texas Bigfoot Research Center reports a long history of sightings in the state. The annual conference features dinners, Bigfoot enthusiasts and speakers.
Conference attendees also can stop by the Bigfoot statue in the Port Jefferson History and Nature Center. The area between the train bridge and the entrance is known as “Bigfoot Alley.”
Punkin Chunkin’
Punkin Chunkin’ in Clayton, New York, is on Oct. 19 and leans into medieval fun.
Attendees build their own catapults and trebuchets to launch pumpkins into the St. Lawrence River, with many donning Viking helmets with horns. The pumpkins reach 150 miles per hour and reach at least 1,000 feet. Other activities include a farmers market, live music, a kids’ competition and a barbecue contest.
West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta
The West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta in Tualatin, Oregon, is on Oct. 20 and is hosted by the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers, whose goal is to grow “obscenely large vegetables,” according to Thrillist.
The regatta is the main event and features fifteen competitors dressed in costumes as they race in giant hollowed-out pumpkins with a kayak paddle on the Lake of the Commons. Other events are the 5K, a Terminator pumpkin weigh-off and pumpkin golf.
Fall festivals in Delaware: Delaware fall festivals you must hit up in 2024, for kids and adults
Woolly Worm Festival
The Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk, North Carolina, is on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20 and celebrates the woolly worm.
Some people believe that the hue of each of the worm’s 13 brown segments will predict how severe the following 13 weeks of winter will be, dubbed the Woolly Worm Forecast. Darker colors signal harsher weather for a given week while lighter colors mean more agreeable conditions.
The festival highlights the tradition and also includes vendors selling pottery, photography and worm houses and hosts a worm race. Winning worms get a cash prize and are used to predict the weather of the upcoming winter.
The Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival
In Manitou Springs, Colorado, the Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival is on Oct. 26 this year and celebrates Emma Crawford, a woman who was sick with tuberculosis and went to the town for its healing mineral water.
The mineral water did not turn Crawford’s health around and she later died, requesting for her casket to be buried atop a mountain. When Manitou Springs flooded years later, her casket was unearthed and slid down the mountain into the town.
The story inspired the town’s coffin races of today, which feature costumed teams of five racing through the town in heats, hoping to win prizes like “best Emma,” “best coffin” and “best entourage.” Aside from the festival, the town is big into Halloween and hosts movie nights and ghost tours throughout the month.
Tarantula Awareness Festival
The Tarantula Awareness Festival in Coarsegold, California, is on Oct. 30 and aims to educate people about the California Brown Tarantula during spider mating season in October.
Halloween and spider fun come together for events like scream-offs, a costume parade, a rice of spiders, a pumpkin cheesecake contest, a tarantula poem contest and the hairy leg contest for humans.
PA Bacon Fest
The PA Bacon Fest is a two-day festival on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 in Easton, Pennsylvania, that celebrates the beloved food. Thrillist reports that the event has been named one of the top five bacon fests.
During the festival, attendees will find live entertainment, a bacon-eating contest (complete with a big trophy), a bacon and craft beer pairing, a hog calling contest, a mascot dash for bacon and bacon-related costumes and pig and wiener dog races. Plenty of bacon-themed food will be in store, too.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.

Delaware
Delaware fireworks bill would toughen penalties for violations
Fourth of July Fireworks light up the sky at the Wilmington Riverfront
Residents and visitors gather to watch the 4th of July fireworks light up the night sky along the Wilmington Riverfront after a day of celebration.
A bill making its way through the Delaware General Assembly seeks to toughen the state’s longstanding ban on most consumer fireworks by imposing steeper penalties, regulating sales and funding public education.
Sponsored by Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton and Sen. Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, House Bill 63 aims to clarify existing laws, deter illegal use and give the State Fire Marshal more authority to enforce regulations and prevent fire-related incidents.
If passed, the legislation would be the most significant update to the state’s fireworks laws in years. Violators of the law would be fined up to $1,000. Retailers who continue to operate without a permit could be fined up to $10,000.
Fireworks laws ignored or misunderstood
Delaware prohibits most consumer fireworks, including aerial mortars and bottle rockets. Only sparklers and ground-based fountains are permitted under specific circumstances. These items may be sold between June 4 and July 4, and again from December 1 to January 1. Use of these products is restricted to July 4, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and the third day of Diwali.
Despite annual reminders, officials say many residents remain unaware of the rules, leading to widespread noncompliance and safety concerns.
Under the proposed amendments, anyone caught violating the fireworks ban could face escalating fines of up to $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second and $1,000 or more for subsequent violations. Revenue from permit fees would fund public education and support enforcement efforts.
Fireworks bill targets misleading advertising
Lawmakers also hope to curb confusion caused by aggressive marketing from out-of-state retailers, who promote banned aerial fireworks to Delaware residents through ads on TV, radio and billboards.
If enacted, HB 63 would increase fines for illegal fireworks use and create a permitting system for retailers. Under the new system, sellers would need to register with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, which would oversee compliance and ensure only permitted fireworks are sold.
Retailers operating without required permits would face a fine of $1,000 for a first offense, $5,000 for a second and $10,000 for each additional violation.
Fireworks bill aims to expand public outreach on safety concerns
The legislation also addresses safety concerns related to legally allowed fireworks. According to the State Fire Marshal, sparklers and other ground-based fireworks have caused multiple fires, often due to improper disposal.
Fire officials have warned that smoldering debris can ignite fires hours after fireworks are discharged, especially in trash bins or on rooftops where they may go unnoticed until they spread. This risk increases significantly during dry conditions.
The bill includes provisions to expand public outreach efforts, particularly around safe handling and disposal.
Fireworks legislation faces time crunch, hurdles
The bill has cleared a House committee and is headed to the House floor, where it awaits a full vote. If it passes there, it will move to the Senate. However, both chambers are in recess until Tuesday, June 10, for ongoing Joint Finance Committee hearings.
With the legislative session set to end on June 30, time is running short. Because the bill imposes a new license fee, it will require a three-fifths majority in both chambers to pass.
You can contact staff reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com.
Delaware
Delaware woman dies after crash involving EMS vehicle, police say

How to report a crime to Delaware Crime Stoppers
This video details what Delaware Crime Stoppers is and how to report a crime. 8/25/23
Delaware State Police are investigating a fatal crash involving an EMS vehicle in Milton.
A Ford Bronco travelling north on Mulberry Street was approaching Milton-Ellendale Highway at the same time that a Sussex County EMS Chevrolet Suburban, which was responding to an emergency call with its emergency equipment activated, was approaching the same intersection on Milton-Ellendale Highway, police said.
The preliminary investigation showed the Bronco going past a stop sign and into the path of the EMS vehicle, causing a collision on the passenger side of the Bronco. The Bronco struck a tree after the collision.
The driver of the Bronco was a 74-year-old woman from Ellendale, who was taken to the hospital, where she died. Police are withholding her name until family is notified.
The driver of the EMS vehicle was a 38-year-old woman who is a Sussex County Paramedic. She went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The investigation into the collision continues. Anyone with information is encouraged to reach out to Delaware State Police or Delaware Crime Stoppers.
Shane Brennan covers Wilmington and other Delaware issues. Reach out with ideas, tips or feedback at slbrennan@delawareonline.com.
Delaware
Delaware City residents angry over repeated emissions from refinery

Residents want harsher penalties for the Delaware City Refinery
More than 86,000 people live within a 5-mile radius of the refinery, more than half of whom are people of color, and 20% live in low-income households, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data.
George X has lived 2 miles from the refinery for decades, and is worried about health concerns reported by his neighbors over the years.
“We talked about a lot of things this evening, but they didn’t talk about when they’re going to stop the pollution,” he said. “We already know we’re being poisoned. We just want to know when you’re gonna stop.”
Residents and environmentalists for years have urged DNREC to direct harsher penalties on the refinery.
The refinery has historically been one of the region’s top polluters — releasing more than 4.6 million pounds of pollutants in 2023, according to EPA data.
The facility also has a history of violations, including three in just the past year.
In 2019, the refinery paid DNREC $950,000 to resolve a backlog of air quality violations. That same year, a fire that led to mechanical failures caused the emission of more than 842 pounds of hydrocarbons, 592 pounds of sulfur dioxide, 438 pounds of carbon monoxide, 80 pounds of nitrogen oxides and 4,300 pounds of sulfur dioxide, as well as an additional 4,300 pounds of sulfur dioxide from flaring.
According to the National Emissions Inventory, the refinery released more than 430,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide in 2020.
However, a spokesperson for the refinery said that since PBF acquired the facility from Valero Energy in 2010, there has been about an 83% reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions since 2022 compared to the last three years that Valero owned and operated it.
On Thursday, General Manager Michael Capone said he was regretful about the mechanical failure and aftermath, and promised to better communicate with the public in the future.
“We are working this thing around the clock to make sure that we get the unit complete, the work complete and the unit back online as quickly as possible,” he said.
“I want to assure all of the residents that we take each and every incident seriously. We do a detailed root cause … analysis to understand what that issue was and then we work to understand how to apply those learnings.”
-
News1 week ago
Video: Faizan Zaki Wins Spelling Bee
-
Politics1 week ago
Michelle Obama facing backlash over claim about women's reproductive health
-
Technology1 week ago
OpenAI wants ChatGPT to be a ‘super assistant’ for every part of your life
-
Technology1 week ago
SEC drops Binance lawsuit in yet another gift to crypto
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
The Verdict Movie Review: When manipulation meets its match
-
Technology1 week ago
Why do SpaceX rockets keep exploding?
-
World1 week ago
Two killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine before possible talks in Turkiye
-
News1 week ago
Oil companies face a wrongful death suit tied to climate change