They’re everywhere—really, everywhere! Delaware’s coastal towns are ga-ga over festivals and galleries popping up all over. We shared a few favorites in a previous article—here are some more worth adding to your calendar.
The Dewey Beach Arts & Fun Festival is set for Saturday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You’ll find more than 100 artists and crafters showing off paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and more. There’ll also be live music, food, and drinks around the Rusty Rudder area—and yes, parking is still free.
The Developing Artist Collaboration (DAC) kicks off its Creative Market summer season on May 20 with a lively opening party featuring food from Brandylynns BBQ and Shore Island, plus music by the band Gold Star.
After opening night, the Creative Market runs every Monday and Friday from 5 to 9 p.m., starting Memorial Day weekend and continuing through September. Artists rotate throughout the season, so no two visits are quite the same. Expect live music, a bar, and a rotating lineup of food trucks.
While you’re there (the Market is located across from Tomato Sunshine in West Rehoboth), take a short stroll over to the Artpothecary for pop-up art displays that change regularly. It’s just a few steps away and always worth a look.
The 20th Annual Bethany Beach Seaside Craft Show takes place Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along the boardwalk. This popular juried show is sponsored by the Bethany Beach Cultural and Historic Affairs Committee and always draws a great crowd.
In nearby Ocean View, Gallery One is a co-op of local artists who exhibit their work together year-round. Established in 2005 and relocated to its current home on Atlantic Avenue in 2009, the gallery nearly doubled its exhibit space and now features a wide range of art—from paintings and mixed media to glass, photography, pottery, sculpture, and textiles. The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and you’ll always be greeted by one of the artists.
That same weekend as the Bethany show, Historic Lewes (also known as the Lewes Historical Society) hosts its 19th Annual Mid-Atlantic Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival. This two-day event runs June 6 and 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, rain or shine.
Held on the Historic Lewes campus on Shipcarpenter Street, the festival features more than 75 sea glass and coastal artists, along with history and identification experts, educational talks, and the largest sea glass exhibit in the area. There’s also live music and plenty of food to enjoy while you browse.
Vendors showcase a wide range of unique art forms, including sea glass creations, jewelry, home décor, woodwork, metal sculpture, ceramics, photography, textiles, and paintings. Members of the Delmarva Antique Bottle Club will be on hand all weekend to examine any beach finds you bring along and help identify your treasures.
Admission is $10 per person, per day. If you buy tickets in advance, just bring your receipt for entry. Children 12 and under get in free.
Still need an art fix? Keep an eye out for the Milton Art Guild’s Art Walk in the fall, or stop by the Guild’s gallery on Federal Street in Milton. You can also sign up for classes there. Lessons are available throughout the area as well, including at the Mispillion Art League in Milford, the Rehoboth Art League, the Developing Artist Collaboration, and the Raye of Light studio in Ocean View.
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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