Hello, Saturday … it’s been a week.
With a 40% chance of rain, it is looking like a wet weekend. Hopefully, the Phillies can get in their second game with the Cubs.
At least if it does rain today, “Fast X” is opening this weekend. It may be a good weekend to check out a movie. Let’s also hope that the wet weather doesn’t affect those attending their proms.
But we are going to stay positive that we can enjoy some of the following weekend activities.
Is the ocean calling your name?
As reporter Ryan Cormier observes, a lot happens in the restaurant and bar world at Delaware beaches in the eight months between Labor Day and Memorial Day.
“Some close and vanish from the scene while others sprout in their place, looking to see if they will have better luck capitalizing on the busting Delaware beach towns (and the crowds they draw.),’’ Ryan writes.
Well ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Ryan rounds up five new spots to grab a meal, sip a drink and catch a tune from Rehoboth Beach all the way down to Indian River Marina.
You can almost hear the gulls …
We are so ready for beach season ourselves (and with all the great weather lately, even more hyped!), and we already have lots of beach-related news for you live online – everything from parking info to surf fishing updates to new nightlife intel.
But we are gearing up to bring you more than a dozen new stories about making the most of the on-coming season well before the holiday weekend.
‘Secret’ beaches close to home
Delaware has three of “America’s Favorite 100 Secret Beaches,” according to Family Destinations Guide.
The website dedicated to family-friendly hotels, resorts and destinations surveyed 3,000 U.S. families “to determine the hidden beaches they most want to visit in summer 2023,” writes Shannon Marvel McNaught.
Hawaiian beaches took three of the top five spots. Delaware beaches took spots 83, 97 and 100.
Before the beach season gets underway, get the scoop on these coastal treasures.
And stick with us all season as we deliver on all the latest Delaware beach-related news.
Asparagus, strawberries and ramps, oh my!
It’s farmers market season, one of our favorite seasons. Asparagus, baby lettuce, ramps and fiddleheads, what’s not to like? Check out our guide here.
It’s a luscious time of year to grab a basket and head out to your favorite market, meet a few friendly farmers, and load up for weekend kitchen and patio inspiration.
For weekly exclusive food and dining news, sign up for Delaware Eats here.
Ashley McBryde kicks off season at The Cork in Dewey
In Dewey Beach, the Bottle & Cork will host its first concert of the season Sunday, May 21, when country star Ashley McBryde performs after an opening act set by Harper O’Neill. Tickets sold out almost immediately when they went on sale back in February.
Next up after that on the Cork concert calendar is the semiannual appearance by the Bacon Brothers, who will play at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 1 ($40). As of Monday, there were 235 tickets remaining for Kevin and Michael Bacon’s show at the 1,100-capacity venue.
Bellefonte Art Fest is back
Whether it’s performance, visual or culinary art — the Bellefonte Art Fest has it all.
Feel free to bring your lawn chair and enjoy live music from performance artists like Kitty Rotten (10 a.m.), Hot Breakfast (11:30 a.m.), Mississippi Earl Brown (1 p.m.), The PJs (2:30 p.m.) and Darnell Miller (3:45 p.m.).
When it comes to visual art, there are at least 50 artists showcasing various items from ceramics and jewelry to clothing, woodwork and other mediums.
A dozen food vendors will be on tap, including the food truck Burgers By Wildwich and the dessert truck Sweet Josephines.
Festival parking is available at Mount Pleasant Elementary School (500 Duncan Road, Bellefonte).
Handicapped parking is also available in the municipal lot between 901-913 Brandywine Blvd.
The rain date for the festival is Sunday.
Festival of Fountains rains down fun
The nation’s most visited paid public garden attracts so many Delawareans that you’d think it was in the state’s backyard.
Longwood Gardens has a habit of making a splash with its annual Festival of Fountains, which runs May through September.
This festival, one of Longwood’s most visited attractions, displays more than 1,700 gushing jets that spout water as high as nearly 200 feet.
Timed admission tickets are required. These world-famous fountains at Longwood are enough to make Aquaman shed tears of joy.
Festival of Fountains erupts at Longwood Gardens (1001 Longwood Road, near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania) through Sunday, Sept. 24. For tickets and more info, visit longwoodgardens.org or (610) 388-1000.
Star comics bring ‘Two Funny Mamas Live’
Comediennes and friends Sherri Shepherd and Kym Whitley from the podcast “Two Funny Mamas” are coming to the First State with a live twist on their show.
Tickets are selling quickly for “Two Funny Mamas Live,” so you’ll want to buy yours asap.
“Two Funny Mamas Live,” presented by Gamma Mu Nu Foundation, features stand-up routines from Shepherd and Whitley, while they also address current events.
Shepherd is a comic and actress who won an Emmy Award for hosting “The View.” Whitley is a longtime performer who’s appeared in everything from TV series like “Reno 911!” to “Guy’s Ultimate Game Night,” per IMDB.
Whitley and Shepherd will bring lots of laughs with “Two Funny Mamas Live” to The Grand (800 N. Market St., Wilmington) at 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $55-$60. Visit thegrandwilmington.org or (800) 37-GRAND.
‘Classics & More’ ballet show
Ballet Theatre of Dover is pushing the envelope with its annual spring show that mixes classical ballet with outside-the-box contemporary choreography.
“Classics & More” includes a tribute to Basilio Bautista, “an exceptional man who dedicated his life in service of the arts and humanity in Delaware,” according to press materials.
The tribute features a dance to “Pie Jesu” and an African fusion piece, “Bombe.”
After the show, guests will have an opportunity to meet Bautista’s family, who inspired his service to the local community.
Additional pieces in the show include dances from the ballet “Le Corsaire” (the pirate), based on Lord Byron’s romantic-era poem
The show will premiere “Rockin’ Through the Ages,” a contemporary ballet that takes the audience on a musical adventure with dances that span classic rock to modern rock.
“Classics & More” will dance through the Capital City at The Dance Conservatory (522 Otis Drive, Dover) at 7 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12-$15. Visit dancebtd.com or (302) 734-9717.
Slower Lower: Film Festival is going down
Movie buffs will get the chance to witness some hidden gems at the Slower Lower: Film Festival.
The event, presented by Revival House and the Milton Theatre, offers a collection of local shorts that deliver comedy, suspense, drama and more.
Slower Lower: Film Festival will hit the Milton Theatre (110 Union St., Milton) at 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $4.50-$12. Visit miltontheatre.com or (302) 684-3038.
Delaware Voices Uplifted!
Not everything good civic action or community improvement in Delaware makes our radar.
Aimed at connecting underserved audiences and shining light on those doing the hard work of improving their communities, we’d like to introduce you to Delaware Voices Uplifted.
Our new Facebook Group is a gathering place for Delaware residents to share the good things happening in their neighborhoods, projects and efforts to bring about positive change.
Led by Anitra Johnson and Cameron Goodnight, this new virtual space is meant to both inform and inspire you.
“We thought that we should have a place where communities throughout the state could converge, post about events and learn who is doing what,’’ writes Anitra in introducing the group. “These posts will help keep neighbors informed, work to make a community healthier, and connect people!’’
Hope to see you there! And be sure to let us know what you think.
A night to remember
It’s prom time and we are here for it.
We are covering many more proms this weekend, so tell your friends to check us out on Delaware Online for many local galleries of young people making memories that will last a lifetime.
You can enjoy photo galleries of all of the proms we’ve covered so far here.
How well do you follow the news?
Are you a newshound who knows more about what’s going on than anyone around you?
Well, do we have a quiz for you!
Fresh off the local headlines, we’ve created a weekly Delaware Online news quiz that will test your news IQ based on what happened the previous seven days.
Our quiz hits all our favorite topics – sports, food, history, politics and more. We release a new quiz every Friday, so look for it when you want to exercise those brain cells.
Need a good debate, chased with a bingewatch?
Check out this story that ranks every “Fast and Furious” film, including Vin Diesel’s new ”Fast X.”
Then, if it’s going to rain, the rest of the day is you, the couch, the remote and your favorite “Fast and Furious” snack foods.
You’re welcome.
Andre Lamar contributed to this story.
