Beach towns bring the fun for the Fourth

Independence Day celebrations are happening up and down the Delaware coast, with major fireworks displays on tap Thursday, July 4 and Saturday, July 6.

Bethany Beach
The 40th Annual Bethany Beach Independence Day Parade will step off at noon, Thursday, July 4. Grand marshal is Lew Killmer, a former mayor and councilman. The parade will take its traditional 2-mile route through downtown Bethany starting at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Garfield Parkway.

The awards ceremony will take place at Bethany Beach Bandstand at 7:15 p.m., where the 1974 band will perform one-hit wonders from 7:30 to 9 p.m. 

The day’s festivities will conclude with fireworks at 9 p.m. For more information and updates, go to townofbethanybeach.com.

Dewey Beach
In Dewey, fireworks will be hosted by Highway One and set off Thursday, July 4, from a barge in Rehoboth Bay. The show will be visible from most establishments along the bayside in Dewey.

Lewes
Lewes will celebrate July 4 with old-fashioned games for children, the Independence Day Lewes Boat Parade, the Doo-Dah Parade and the Go Fourth Lewes Fireworks display.

Old-fashioned games for children begin at 9 a.m. on Second Street, which will be closed while games are in progress.

Following the games, the Lewes Independence Day Boat Parade will wind down the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal from Roosevelt Inlet to Fisherman's Wharf.

Parade entrants will leave from the inlet at 1:30 p.m., passing in front of the reviewing stand about 2 p.m. in the area of Fisherman's Wharf. 

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. In addition to a grand-prize trophy, the judges will award first-, second- and third-place trophies.

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 Doo-Dah Parade forms in the vicinity of Lloyd's Market on Savannah Road. No preregistration is required, and everyone is invited to participate. The parade is expected to begin around 5 p.m., but is always unpredictable.

In Lewes, the day caps off with the fireworks display presented by Go Fourth Lewes. The best visibility is from Roosevelt Inlet to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal. Details are available at GoFourthLewes.org. 

Organizers encourage attendees to arrive early to find parking. There will be no parking along Savannah Road and Cape Henlopen Drive. Bridges to Lewes Beach will be closed to eastbound traffic for safety and traffic control, with Savannah Road closing at 7 p.m. and Freeman Highway closing at 8 p.m. Pedestrians, bicycles and outbound/westbound traffic will be allowed. Bridges will remain closed during the fireworks.

All vehicle traffic will be held for at least a half-hour following the fireworks show to allow pedestrians and cyclists to leave. Lewes Beach traffic will go directly out on Savannah Road after the show. There will be no turns onto Gills Neck Road, Pilottown Road and Kings Highway, to keep traffic moving efficiently. Cape Henlopen Drive traffic will leave via Freeman Highway.

Also happening in Lewes is the annual 4th of July Celebration & Classic Car Show at Trinity Faith Christian Center, 15516 New Road. Beginning at noon and lasting until 3 p.m., the free event will offer food and games. The rain date is Saturday, July 6. For more information, contact 302-645-5446 or 302-752-8112.

Millsboro
The Clubhouse at Baywood, a restaurant and event venue near Millsboro, will hold an Independence Day Party from 5 to 9 p.m., Thursday, July 4. Food tent concessions will feature a wide variety of offerings, from burgers and hot dogs to walking tacos, fried chicken sandwiches, boardwalk fries and Hopkins Farm ice cream. Music will be provided by Eric Paul Levy. Fireworks will close the evening.

Milton 
Milton will play host to the annual Bring Mayberry Back to Milton event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday, July 4, in Milton Memorial Park.

The day features old-fashioned fun for all ages, including a dunk tank, train rides, relay and sack races, chess matches and more fun for children. A bike-decorating contest and bike parade will take place at 11 a.m., sponsored by Irish Eyes Pub and Restaurant. All bike-decorating contestants must register by 10:45 a.m. at Irish Eyes.

Musical entertainment at the gazebo will feature Downtown Dixieland Band at 3 p.m.

Rehoboth Beach
The City of Rehoboth Beach will keep the Independence Day party going with a fireworks display Saturday, July 6. Fireworks will launch at around 9:30 p.m. from the beach around Brooklyn Avenue. The display will be visible from along the beach and Boardwalk.

Festivities will begin with a free concert by the Funsters at the Bandstand, and they will continue performing after the fireworks.