Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of…
Is it just me or was that the fastest summer on record? I think every friend and relative came to visit this year, but who can blame them? We love it here and they do too.
The song in my head is an older tune about the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Hmph! There is nothing lazy about competing with several hundred thousand visitors for food and parking. For me, it’s the lazy, hazy, crazy days of fall that I look forward to! Lazy, when our picturesque little towns are much less crowded and a lot more relaxed; hazy from the food and drink specials offered by restaurants trying to woo the locals through the doors; and crazy when my calendar gets busier and busier as I pencil in all the festivals and events headed our way. Since tourism is a two billion dollar industry in the First State, trust me, the fun never ends here at the Delaware beaches.
What’s on your calendar? Intriguing options for September include Polkamotion by the Ocean at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center featuring award-winning Polka bands, a radio production of Casablanca complete with sound effects and commercials of the 1930s and 1940s at the Rehoboth Beach Museum, the Lewes Artist Studio Tour where 20 local artists open their workspace to the public, the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Wine Lovers’ Sunset Cruises, the Disc Golf – Learn & Play Event at the 18-hole disc golf course at Cape Henlopen State Park, a Bollywood Dance Program at the Lewes Library, Milton’s Outdoor Antiques Show, The Blue Jean Ball at the Nassau Valley Vineyards, the Dewey Beach Music Conference, the Elvis Fest at the Rusty Rudder, or the Harvest Festival—Brats & Beer at the East Coast Garden Center (and that’s just to name a few!)
October highlights include the Celebrity Chefs’ Beach Brunch in Dewey, Boast the Coast Maritime Festival in Lewes, Wings and Wheels Fall Festival in Georgetown featuring vintage planes, Oktoberfest celebrations in Lewes, Rehoboth and Dewey, the Lewes Historical Society Craft Show, the Rehoboth Christmas Shop held at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, fall sidewalk sales in Rehoboth, Lewes, Bethany and Dewey Beaches, Dewey Goes Pink at the Starboard, the hugely successful Sea Witch Halloween & Fiddlers’ Festival, the Rehoboth Jazz Festival, the Delaware Wine & Beer Festival in Dover, or the season’s opening of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra at Baywood Greens. Again dear readers, this is just a partial list!
Now is the time to check out new restaurants, and revisit some old favorites because off season specials are back! (If you play your cards right, you shouldn’t have to cook again until May). It’s ridiculous how much food you can get for so little, particularly during happy hour. Jake’s Seafood (the Route 1 location) offers cheeseburgers during their lengthy happy hour (3-7 pm) for just $5. At the Pickled Pig Pub, all their apps are just $5 during happy hour, and Rigby’s amazing burgers (with fries) are just $7 every Wednesday All. Night. Long. The best place to check out all the deals is the Off-Season Hours & Specials list at Rehobothfoodie.com.
In other food news, the new Buffalo Wild Wings, featuring 16 different wing sauces and count ‘em, 64 TV screens is now open. Chipotle is close behind with an expected opening date of September 18, and Morgan & Gower Cheesemongers will open on Baltimore Avenue sometime in October.
May your lazy, hazy, crazy, days…start now!
Deb Griffin is a real estate agent living full time at the beach with her honey bunny, Greer, and two Jack Russell terrors. Email Deb Griffin