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Divas and delights await local jazz fans;
movie magic will once again brighten local screens; and there’s more
to do than ever in Rehoboth this fall!
Folks who think that Rehoboth’s
culture, attractions, and visitors fade away along with the summer are
always thrilled to find out just how busy our little resort town stays
well into the winter.
Jazz Festival
Coming up this fall is the Autumn Jazz Festival (in its 13th year!) with
headliners Patti Austin,
Chaka Kahn, and Boney James.
The line-up for the October 17-20
festival, which draws between 15,000 and 20,000 jazz lovers to town also
will include Will Downing, Peter White, Rick Braun, Bob Baldwin, Marion
Meadows, Deanna Bogart, the City Rhythm Orchestra, Koko Taylor, and
Keisa Brown.
According to the Celebration of Jazz, the
non-profit organization overseeing the annual Festival, this year’s
line-up is better than ever. The Sunday Gospel Brunch, a huge favorite,
will feature the winners of the Mid-Atlantic Gospel Championship. Once
again, the festival will conclude with a Grand Finale Jam at Sydney’s
Blues & Jazz Restaurant.
This year, in addition to events in
Rehoboth and Dewey Beach, there will be a concert at Cape Henlopen High
School in Lewes. The festival, which began with a single act on the
Rehoboth Bandstand in 1990, now features 11 main stage ticketed events
in addition to over 30 clubs and restaurants presenting national,
regional, and local jazz talent.
The Jazz Fest is set to open on Thursday
night October 17 at the Bay Center in Dewey Beach. The evening includes
samples from many Rehoboth Restaurants and an evening of music by the
City Rhythm Orchestra.
 Well-known
jazz powerhouse Patti Austin is back for a second time to perform at 8
p.m. on Friday October 18 at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.
Austin, known for her duets with James Ingram and work with Quincy
Jones, will surely sell-out the Convention Center gig. She will perform
along with Will Downing.
The Jazz Festival has a schedule chocked
with performances, including:
Friday, October 18 • 8 p.m. and 10:30
p.m. Maynard Ferguson at 1776 Restaurant; 10 p.m. Koko Taylor at the
Rusty Rudder;
Saturday, October 19 • 1 p.m. Rick
Braun and Peter White at the Convention Center; 4 p.m. Keisa Brown at
the Rusty Rudder; 8 p.m. Chaka Kahn at the Convention Center; 8 p.m.
Carl Fisher & the Organic Groove Ensemble at 1776; 10 p.m. Deana
Bogart at the Rusty Rudder; and 10:30 p.m. Bob Baldwin and Marion
Meadows at Cape Henlopen High School.
Sunday October 20 • 10:30 a.m. at Bay
Center Ruddertown, Gospel Brunch; 2 p.m. at the Convention Center, Boney
James; and 5 p.m. the Grand Jam at Sydney’s Restaurant with the jazz
greats from the festival and surprise guests.
In addition, all over downtown Rehoboth,
restaurants will be host jazz breakfasts, brunches, lunches, and
dinners, plus late-night entertainment. It’s one huge festival and
there’s sure to be something for everyone. Call 1-800-29-MUSIC for
tickets or visit www.rehobothjazz.com.
The Annual Sea Witch Festival is
often thought of as a Halloween event for youngsters. But the highlight
each year is the pet costume parade from the boardwalk to the bandstand.
Frankly, more and more Letters readers
seem to be bringing the hounds, felines, turtles, whatever to the event
and watching their pets strut their stuff. It’s quite hilarious and if
you can let your imagination run wild and talk your terrier or spaniel
into a stroll on the boardwalk, it’s great fun. This year the parade
is set for 12:30 p.m. starting at the Henlopen Hotel.
Other interesting Sea Witch events
include a demonstration of horseback riding on the beach, several 5k
races, an antique car show at Grove Park at the entrance to Rehoboth,
and a dog agility show, also at the park.
At the movies
Five years and still growing! Get set for the Fifth Annual Rehoboth
Beach Independent Film Festival, November 6-10. Founded in 1988, the
festival has grown from 6,000 ticket sales the first year to over 15,500
in 2001.
 New
Festival Programming Director Joe Bilanco, who comes to Rehoboth from a
similar post at the DC’s Annual International Gay and Lesbian Film
Festival, is working with the Film Society Board and staff to make this
year’s film fest the biggest and most successful yet.
According to Film Society
representatives, this year’s selections will be as diverse as always,
with films appealing to every segment of Rehoboth’s movie-going
public. From independent films with big Hollywood buzz, films that took
prizes at other festivals, gay-themed films, films for youngsters, many,
many foreign films, and more, you can never quite know what to expect.
With about a hundred independent films to
choose from over the five festival days, you can pace yourself so that
avid film buffs get their fill while the casual filmgoer can sample some
of the best films around. The amazing thing about this annual event is
that it makes independent film buffs out of the most casual viewer!
People who never imagined they’d be able to sit through more than two
or three films over the course of the weekend wind up taking in 3-5
films a day…or more. It’s infectious, it’s fun, and it’s one
great big movie weekend here in Rehoboth.
Look for the posters all over town, check
out the ad in Letters, and become a Film Society Member and get great
discounts and perks by calling 302-645-9095.
Bring your friends and don’t delay
ordering tickets—sell-outs abound.
Have you heard about the dolphins?
If you see one 6-ft. acrylic dolphin statue around town this fall, you
will probably see 20. That’s how many dolphin sculptures will be
delivered to the Rehoboth Art League in early October to get ready for
next spring’s Dolphins Around Town Project.
Rehoboth Beach Main Street and the Art
League have teamed up to bring sculptor Ned Silver’s dolphin design to
town and have 20 businesses each sponsor a dolphin and 20 artists go to town painting and decorating them.
Following in the hoof prints of the
Chicago Cows, the paw prints of the Wilmington Dinosaurs, and fin spans
of the Baltimore Fish, Rehoboth will get its outdoor art project this
spring.
The sculptures will be displayed on the
boardwalk and at selected sites around town from April-June. After that,
they will be auctioned off to benefit the Art League and Main Street.
If you are interested in sponsoring a
dolphin, call Nancy Alexander at the Art League at 227-8408.
While there are only 20 sponsorship
opportunities (and there will be a great deal of publicity for the
sponsors), the rest of the community and its visitors will have one more
exciting attraction to see here in Rehoboth this fall, winter, and
spring.
When the dolphins are delivered here and
assigned to various artists, there will be an opportunity to see the
blank dolphin “canvas” and watch them take their artistic form all
winter long. Stay tuned for dolphin news!
Calling all seniors
Whether we are willing to admit it or not, some of us are over 21. Well,
here in Rehoboth, Friday, September 21 is Senior Day. There will be
activities all day long in and around the Convention Center, and all
seniors are welcome. There will be some health screening and many other
outreach programs and services available to our older population. Plus,
it’s a fun day, so stop by if you get a chance.
Make it a habit to come to the beach
all year long!
There’s something to do in downtown Rehoboth Beach every single
weekend this fall, and lots to do during the week, too.
And
there’s no time like the fall for a great getaway—the beaches are
emptier, but still luscious, the restaurants start running their fall
and winter specials, there are plenty of wonderful rentals available,
along with B&B and hotel deals. Come enjoy the fall in Rehoboth
Beach. Who knows, you might bump into a jazz superstar, the Sea Witch, a
famous film director, or a noted politician. Rehoboth has it all, all
year long.
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