Fairs and events
The annual fixtures across Delaware. Dates come from the organizer, and where they haven't published next year's yet, this page says so instead of guessing.
That last number is the interesting one. Most organizers here announce dates a year at a time and publish no pattern, so this page shows the year I've confirmed and goes quiet afterwards rather than working out a date that might be wrong. Two are different: the Arden Club states that its fair is always the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, and the Brandywine Festival that it's always the weekend after — so those two can be computed years ahead, and the page says when it has.
23–25 October 2026
Rehoboth's Halloween weekend, with a costume parade, fiddlers, and the town at its busiest outside high summer. It lands after the beach dog ban lifts on 16 September, which makes it one of the few big weekends where dogs are legal on the sand.
Late October — the Chamber publishes dat→
4 September 2027
Worked out from the pattern
A one-day craft and antiques fair on the greens at Arden, run by the Arden Club, and in 2026 it's the 118th one. Bagpipes open it at 9:50 in the morning and close it at 6. In between there are over a hundred craft vendors, an antiques market, used books inside Gild Hall, live music in the Shady Grove, and games and rides for children. Getting in is free. What you can't do is park in the village, so plan on the shuttle.
Saturday before Labor Day→
11–12 September 2027
Worked out from the pattern
Two days of juried art under the trees in Brandywine Park, the weekend after Labor Day, and it has been running for well over half a century. Over 200 artists. Five dollars a day to get in, cash or Venmo. Park at Incyte on Augustine Cut Off and take the shuttle, which is the rare one that will carry your dog.
Saturday after Labor Day, 2 days→
Late July into early August — the fair publishes dates a year at a time and states no recurring rule
Ten days at the Harrington fairgrounds at the turn of July into August. Livestock, 4-H, grandstand concerts and rides. It's the largest annual event in the state and it fills Kent County accommodation for the duration.
Late July into early August — the fair p→
Late June — the county announces one date at a time and states no recurring rule
New Castle County's ice cream festival on the lawn at Rockwood, one afternoon and evening in late June that runs to fireworks at dusk. Ice cream vendors, food trucks, a festival train, carnival games, inflatables, a kids' DJ, an entertainment stage and tours of the house. Five dollars to get in, and children 12 and under come free with a paying adult. Nobody parks at the park — the county shuttles everyone in.
Late June — the county announces one dat→
Most local event pages get written once and then left alone. An out-of-date listing doesn't look broken, so nobody goes back and fixes it, and you find out the date moved when you're standing at the gate.
So the only events here are the ones I've confirmed with whoever runs them. That keeps the list short, and it grows as I work through more of them.
Know one that belongs here? Tell me. A link to the organizer's own page is enough to start.