Lewes 250 celebration kicks off this month
The City of Lewes is ready to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. There is now a clock on the city’s website, counting down to July 4, 2026.
The city will officially kick off the 250th celebration with two events this Easter weekend. The events honor the legacy of Paul Revere’s midnight ride April 18, 1775.
Legend has it that Revere warned colonists that “the British are coming,” which sparked the Revolutionary War.
The city is encouraging citizens and businesses to take part in Two Lights for Tomorrow Friday and Saturday, April 18-19, by placing two lights in their windows as a symbol of hope and unity. The event is a nationwide effort by the Daughters of the American Revolution. It is a reference to the two lanterns hung in Boston’s Old North Church that signaled the British were arriving by sea.
The city will host a free community bonfire from 4 to 6 p.m., April 18, on Savannah Beach.
The city has also announced a collaboration with a local florist for a symbolic red-and-yellow Lewes tulip. The plan is for the bulbs to be planted this fall and bloom next spring to commemorate the city’s Dutch heritage. The city said more details will be announced soon.
More information can be found at ci.lewes.de.us.
A committee has begun meeting to plan the celebration for this year and 2026.
“It’s not so much that we’re creating lots of new events; we’re leveraging what we currently do with an emphasis on America,” said Councilwoman Amy Marasco, a member of the committee, at the March 27 mayor and city council workshop.
The panel is made up of city leaders, Historic Lewes (formerly the Lewes Historical Society), the Lewes Chamber of Commerce, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and various nonprofits.
The committee is chaired by Terri Malewski of the Greater Lewes Foundation, which is coordinating the planning and fundraising for the 250th celebration.
GLF will soon unveil an official Lewes 250 logo.
An app and challenge coin are also being considered.
The group meets at 10 a.m. on the last Monday of every month at the Lewes Public Library. The meetings are open to the public.
