Festive Lewes traditions continue morning into night July 4

The City of Lewes will continue its long tradition of hosting old-fashioned games for children on Second Street beginning at 9 a.m., Thursday, July 4.  For the safety of participants, Second Street will be closed while the games are in progress and will reopen at their conclusion. Following the games, the Lewes Independence Day Boat Parade will wind its way down the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal from Roosevelt Inlet to Fisherman’s Wharf as part of the City of Lewes’ Fourth of July holiday festivities.

Parade entrants leave from Roosevelt Inlet across from the Coast Guard Station at 1:30 p.m., and at approximately 2 p.m., they will pass in front of the judges’ reviewing stand at Fisherman’s Wharf and turn before reaching the Savannah Road drawbridge. Lewes Mayor Andrew Williams will announce the parade with amplification in the area of Fisherman’s Wharf and the city dock.

The boat parade judges are members of Lewes City Council and Lightship Overfalls Foundation, along with Lewes-Rehoboth Rotary Club Past President Chuck Ward. This is the 18th year that the Overfalls Foundation has co-hosted the Independence Day Boat Parade and the seventh year of the Rotary Club collaboration. This year’s parade is sponsored by Freedom Boat Club of Delaware.

All preregistered boat entrants will be eligible for prizes including a grand prize trophy.  First-, second- and third-place prizes will also be awarded. Boats will be judged on the best use of patriotic decorations. After the parade, all boat entrants are invited to attend the awards ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on the Lightship Overfalls deck. To be eligible for a prize, the vessel must be registered no later than 3 p.m., Wednesday, July 3. Registration forms are available at the Lewes Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center in the Fisher-Martin House in Zwaanendael Park and the Lewes Harbour Marina Bait and Tackle at the end of Anglers Road. 

For more information, call the Lewes Chamber of Commerce at 302-645-8073. There is no charge to participate in the boat parade or to be a spectator. Good viewing spots line the canal on both sides and fill on a first-come basis.

The fun continues with the unique and quirky Doo-Dah Parade that forms in the vicinity of Lloyd’s Market on Savannah Road and winds its way down Kings Highway to Second Street, finishing on Savannah Road, heading back toward Lloyd’s. No preregistration is required and everyone is invited to participate. The time the parade kicks off is always unpredictable but that’s what makes this iconic Lewes 4th of July tradition so entertaining.

The day caps off with the annual, fully sanctioned fireworks that will be launched from a barge off Lewes Beach at dusk.

The fireworks are funded by donations from the Lewes-area business community, local residents and out-of-town donors. The Go Fourth Committee was formed with Chairman Russ Palmer leading the group of volunteers who have been meeting to coordinate the fundraising, promotion and logistics, and stage the event, which is open to the public.

For more information, go to GoFourthLewes.org, ci.lewes.de.us or LewesChamber.com.