One of the most colorful celebrations in Sussex County—the Lewes Tulip Festival—is happening right now, from April 1 to 19. You can find all 33,000 tulips and spring bulb plantings using the “Tiptoe to the Tulips” map on the Lewes Chamber of Commerce website. It’s a great plan-your-own tour, and the site also includes background on the festival and other activities around Lewes. The Chamber partners with Lewes in Bloom to bring this annual burst of spring color to life, and this year marks the event’s 17th anniversary.
Historic Lewes (formerly the Lewes Historical Society) is also hosting a special educational event on April 18 and 19 called Hearty in the Cause, tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
On May 9th, Historic Lewes will hold its second annual Shanty Fest from 1 to 7 p.m. on its Shipcarpenter Street campus in the heart of town. Shanty Fest celebrates Lewes’s maritime roots through music, art, and history. Expect everything from scrimshaw and tattoos to historical demonstrations, crafts, and live sea shanty performances.
The maritime theme continues the following weekend with Lewes Maritime Day on Saturday, May 16. This event is part of the national celebration of National Maritime Day, observed each year on May 22. It highlights the importance of maritime resources in the local community and showcases Lewes’s rich coastal heritage.
The day kicks off with a brief opening ceremony at 11 a.m. in Canalfront Park, followed by exhibits, arts and crafts, demonstrations, ship tours, and boat rides until 3 p.m. It also marks the seasonal opening of the Lightship Overfalls.
The Cambria Hotel will host the Southern Delaware Wine, Food and Music Festival on Saturday, May 30, celebrating its 10th—and final—year. (Last year’s event was held at Schellville.)
This popular festival features unlimited tastings from 20 restaurant vendors, more than 100 selections of wine, beer, and mocktails, plus live music. It also serves as a fundraiser for local charities, with this year’s proceeds benefiting Celebrate Wellness, a nonprofit that supports the mental health of hospitality workers.
While that festival is wrapping up, a new one is just getting started. The Brandywine Spring Festival of the Arts will debut in Talleyville on May 16 and 17. Located just north of Wilmington near the Pennsylvania line in New Castle County, it’s a bit of a drive from Sussex County beach towns—but it could make for a great weekend getaway.
This new, pet-friendly event is organized by the same team behind the Brandywine Festival of the Arts.
Finally, the Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Festival returns to Milton on Saturday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (It was canceled last year.)
The festival will feature more than 60 local vendors, from food trucks to educational booths and hands-on exhibits focused on Delaware’s coastal ecosystem. Highlights include a petting zoo, representatives from Prime Hook Refuge and the DuPont Nature Center, and a variety of environmental and community organizations.
However you choose to celebrate, spring in Sussex County (and beyond) offers something for everyone—whether you’re strolling through fields of tulips, diving into local history, enjoying fresh coastal flavors, or soaking up live music by the water. With longtime favorites returning and new traditions taking root, it’s the perfect season to explore, connect, and make the most of the region’s vibrant coastal culture.
By Mary Jo Tarallo, Resident Journalist
Mary Jo Tarallo spent much of her career in public relations with various non-profits and spent 40 years involved with the ski industry as a journalist, public relations director for a national trade association and as executive director of the Learn to Ski and Snowboard initiative. Prior to her ski industry involvement she worked for the Maryland International Center in Baltimore and United Way of Central Maryland. She won a Gold Award for TV programming for a United Way simulcast that starred Oprah Winfrey. She has been cited for her work by numerous organizations. Mary Jo grew up in Baltimore, attended the University of Maryland and Towson University, lived in Washington, DC for 21 years and has been a full time resident of Rehoboth Beach and Milton since May 2019.
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