America’s melting pot is brimming with a bunch of cool cultural festivals in Delaware that will inject extra flavor into your life this summer.
Here’s a gumbo of festivals across the First State that celebrate different a variety of different heritages.
Whether it’s hosting a wedding or winning an NBA MVP two straight times, Greeks love to go big. The proof is in the rice pudding. The 48th annual Holy Trinity Greek Festival is a six-day celebration of Greek heritage that offers lots of good excuses to not leave on an empty stomach.
There are also options for curbside take-out.
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Food offerings include moussaka and pastichio samplers, meatball and lamb sandwiches, keftedes, spanakopita, tyropita, dolmades, Greek salad, rice pudding and baklava, according to the festival’s website.
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (808 N. Broom St., Wilmington) from Monday June 5 to Saturday, June 10. Festivals times are 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Visit Facebook.com/WilmGreekFest or greekfestde.com.
The cherished St. Anthony’s Italian Festival is back to dish up the flavor of Italy with mouthwatering cuisine, plus rides and music. The menu includes everything from tasty gelato and brick-oven pizza to gourmet wings and more.
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This eight-day festival is pretty presidential, because Joe Biden used to frequent it, back when has was a Delaware senator, and later as vice president. The festival is the primary fundraiser for St. Anthony of Padua Grade School.
Italian Festival (901 N. Dupont St., Wilmington) from 4 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday, June 11; from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Monday, June 12 through Friday, June 16; from 4 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17; and from 2 to 6 p.m., Sunday, June 18. Admission is $5 daily for ages 16-61. Visit sapde.org or (302) 421-3700.
In honor of African American emancipation, the Delaware Juneteenth Association presents the Freedom Festival & Parade.
The event starts with a parade, followed by the festival, which includes games, food, vendors and performances. Additionally, the festival features special guest Chubb Rock, a rap legend known for songs like “Treat ‘Em Right” and “Just the Two of Us.”
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Freedom Festival & Parade is on Saturday, June 17. At 10 a.m., the parade begins on Rodney Square (1000 N. Market St., Wilmington) through 11th and King streets; At noon, the festival is at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park (Rosa Parks Drive, Wilmington). Visit delawarejuneteenth.org.
Everyone is invited to learn about the ancestral traditions of enslaved African Americans and the history of their descendants at Beyond Juneteenth Ancestors Festival: Afrosympoesium & Expo.
According to the event’s website, this year’s festival features an “AfrisymPOEMsium and Expo focused on the education, healing, protection, and adaptation of the human spirit.”
Delaware Art Museum (2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 18; Free event. Visit delart.org or (302) 571-9590.
Folks seeking to discover more about East Asian culture can hit up the annual CACC Chinese Festival. The three-day event will unleash dragon and lion dances.
There’s also authentic cuisine, martial arts, performances, children’s activities, Chinese yo-yo and folk dances. Special exhibits this year focus on oracle bone inscriptions, tea culture and calligraphy.
Chinese American Community Center (1313 Little Baltimore Road, Hockessin) from 5 to 9 p.m., Friday, June 23; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, June 24; noon to 6 p.m., Sunday, June 25. Visit facebook.com/CACCdelaware or (302) 239-0432
Long before Juneteenth became a federal holiday, the Inner City Cultural League’s “Positively Dover” African American Festival has been a staple event that’s paid homage to Black heritage, since the event was founded in 1991.
Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy delightful dishes and a variety of vendors, which usually include African-themed clothing, wares and more, all in an atmosphere that reflects African outdoor marketplaces.
Legislative Mall (410 Legislative Ave., Dover) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 24. Visit icclarts.org or (302) 883-2180.
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There’s a lot to appreciate about the diversity of Hispanic heritage across Delmarva at Maxima Hispanic Fest.
About 20,000 people attended the festival in 2022, according to the festival’s website. The popular event features scrumptious traditional food, arts and crafts, dancing and performances by international and local groups.
The schedule for this year’s event hasn’t been announced yet.
Downtown Georgetown (216 North Race St., Georgetown) Sunday, Sept. 17. Visit hispanicfest.festivalhispano.org or (302) 858-5118.
If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.
