We welcomed fall earlier this week as the first day of autumn graced our calendars, and while we were deeply saddened to say farewell to the summer of 2015, we are nonetheless excited for what the fall of 2015 has in store for us. Besides football, fall feasts, wardrobe changes and pumpkin spice as far as the eye can see, we love fall for the local events and festivals. Every weekend from now until Christmas is jam-packed with fun-filled events, from Wine on the Beach in Ocean City to Oktoberfest in Berlin. Bark on the Boards in Rehoboth, the SoDel Wine and Food Fest, Oysterfest in St. Michaels…our October Happenings article is sure to make your head spin with all the options. For now, we’re going to valiantly attempt to pick the five festivals that we are looking forward to the most. Here goes…
Apple Scrapple Festival – October 9 & 10
Anything with the word ‘scrapple’ in it immediately piques our interests. As born and bred Eastern Shore natives, we love any meal that tacks scrapple onto it. Held each year in Bridgeville, DE, the annual Apple Scrapple Festival started out as a small festival celebrating Sussex County’s finest – apples and scrapple. Now in its 24th year, the festival brings over 25,000 visitors each year! The two day event features food, food, and more food, but there’s also contests, the 5K Hogg Jogg, a craft show, Little Miss Apple Scrapple, live entertainment, children’s activities, over 500 vendors, and even a Scrapple Chunkin contest. We plan on attending this event with big appetites and our stretchiest pants.
Good Beer Festival/Autumn Wine Festival – October 10&11; October 17&18
These two events are separate entities, but each are held at Pemberton Park on back to back weekends in October so we’ll go ahead and give nod to both at one time. Up first is the Good Beer Festival, a local craft beer celebration that seems to grow more and more with each passing year. Over 100 different American craft brews will be on display, which includes a Local Beer Garden featuring Eastern Shore breweries. There’s also 12 live bands lined up for the event, along with the Sports Zone.
The following weekend, we return to Pemberton Park for the Autumn Wine Festival! Produced in partnership with the Maryland Wineries Association, the two day event includes samplings from over 20 Maryland wineries. It’s the perfect celebration of fall with plenty of local wines, great food, and live entertainment. And just in time to see the leaves change color at Pemberton Park!
You know we never miss a chance to include our four-legged companions. Presented by Delmarva Unleashed, Pooch Palooza is an annual fall festival for our loyal pups, with a full day of events such as the costume contest, pie eating contest, tennis ball lotto, cover model search, and the Delmarva DockDogs, to name a few. Look for plenty of vendors as well. Of course, leashed dogs are most welcome!
Waterfowl Festival of Easton – November 12-15
We don’t get to Easton enough, which is why we are especially looking forward to hitting the Talbot County town for their annual Waterfowl Festival. The four-day event is a major one for the picturesque town, with thousands flocking to Easton to enjoy the arts, kids activities, vendors, wine and beer pavilion, and waterfowl events. It’s the perfect excuse to get outside on a crisp autumn day for a little Delmarvalous fun. To boot, the event benefits Waterfowl Chesapeake and their ongoing mission to support waterfowl and the environment.
Sea Witch Festival – October 23-25
Each year the annual Sea Witch Festival of Rehoboth serves as our go-to event for getting into the Halloween spirit. The parade is massive, with over 3,000 costumed participants! Vendors are lined up and the stores are open and hopping as the town transforms itself for the celebration. There’s also hayrides, old fashioned beach games, local food, and the hunt for the Sea Witch. And don’t forget about the fiddler’s festival! If you love Halloween, fall, festivals, and/or Rehoboth, you’ll quickly make this event an annual tradition.
We could go on and on about some of our local fall festivals, especially since there are plenty more on our calendar. Stay tuned for photos, more event details, and plenty of fall fun!
