Contact: Helen Haughey, Delaware State Parks Marketing Director, phone: (302) 739-9181
or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, phone: (302) 739-9902

Don’t Miss These Summer Events at Delaware State Parks!

Ladies and gentlemen, moms and dads, teens and tweens, mark your calendars! This summer, Delaware State Parks will be dishing up lots of cool fun under the hot sun, including these five don’t-miss-’em special offerings.

• Delaware Seashore State Park Sandcastle Contest – 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 8, 130 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, rain date July 15

For more than 20 years, a host of fanciful creations from towering castles to merry mermaids have risen from the sandy shores of the park for this family fun event. Prizes are awarded in two age categories: children 12 and younger and the “all ages” open class. Look for the Delaware State Parks registration tent on the beach at South Inlet Day Area on the day of the event. No entry fee. Participants and spectators pay only the regular park entrance fee of $4 for vehicles with Delaware registration and $8 for vehicles with out of state tags. For more information, call 302-227-2800.

• Candlelight Ghost Tours of Fort Delaware – 6:30 p.m. Fridays, June 23, July 21, Aug. 4 and 11, Sept. 8 and 22, on Pea Patch Island off Delaware City

Because of planned renovations and repairs, the Fort will close early for the season on Aug. 1, but select programs will still be offered including this popular spine-tingling tour, now in its 10th season. Ghost Host Ed Okonowicz and the staff will lead a lantern-lit tour of the Civil War fort’s most haunted areas. Tours cost $14 per person, by reservation only, and are limited to groups of 65. Slots fill up quickly so reserve early. All tours depart by ferry from the dock at Delaware City. For information and reservations, call the Park Office at 302-834-7941.

• Family Fun Night at the Brandywine Zoo – 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, June 22 and July 27, located at 1001 North Park Drive, Wilmington

Enjoy a summer evening of wild food, fun, games, crafts, activities and live animal presentations at Delaware’s only zoo and see your favorite animals by twilight. The zoo, which celebrated its centennial last year, stands on 12 acres neat the Brandywine River and features a variety of wild creatures, including Siberian tigers, river otters and Andean condors. Admission is $1. For more information, call 302-571-7788.

• Revolutionary Dover at First State Heritage Park at Dover – 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 6 through Aug. 31

Tories! Whigs! Militia! Insurrection! Dover was a hotbed of revolutionary and loyalist activity during the struggle for American Independence. While suspicion was cast on some of its residents, others would achieve national acclaim for their actions during this trying time. Revisit Revolutionary days on the Dover Green in these special tours, which begin at the Delaware State Visitor Center, located just off the Green on Federal Street. No reservation is required. Admission is free. For more information, call 302-739-9194.

• 2nd Annual Mosquito Blues Festival – 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, Port Penn Interpretive Center, Port Penn

Got them “Ol’ Mosquito Blues?” Get the cure at the Port Penn Mosquito Blues Festival. Join us for this evening of free music, refreshments and activities for the kids as we thumb our noses at those pesky little “critters.” For more information, call 302-834-7941 or 302-836-2533.

For more information on Delaware State Parks, visit www.destateparks.com. 
 

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