Caption: Nobody should be bored this weekend… there is a festival, events, outing, sale or musical for everyone! Enjoy Delaware!
Our “Gotta Love the Weekend” Report: More than 500 classic vehicles headline a weekend filled with college football, festivals, living history, theater, outdoor programs, and fall family activities.
WILMINGTON, Del. — From classic automobiles and college football to fireworks, German food and Revolutionary War history, Delaware and the surrounding region offer a full schedule of activities this weekend.
Hagley Car Show
More than 500 antique and restored vehicles from the early 1900s through the early 2000s will fill the grounds of Hagley Museum and Library during the annual Hagley Car Show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20.
This year’s special feature, “American Independent Automakers,” celebrates companies that competed outside Detroit’s traditional Big Three. Three feature fields will highlight vehicles connected to those manufacturers.
The rain-or-shine show also includes a vehicle parade, motoring music, food trucks and access to “Du Ponts Down the Road,” an exhibition of vehicles once owned and used by members of the du Pont family. Featured pieces include a horse-drawn carriage, an early electric car, a 1918 Cadillac, a 1928 DuPont Motors Model G Phaeton and a World War II-era Indian motorcycle.
Advance admission is required and sold by the carload for up to eight people. Passes cost $30 for the general public and $25 for Hagley members. Dogs are not permitted. Passes will be sold until 11:59 p.m. Saturday or until the event sells out. Details are available on the Hagley Car Show website.
Blue Hens Host Coastal Carolina
The University of Delaware football team returns to Delaware Stadium at 11:30 a.m. Saturday to face Coastal Carolina in a nationally televised game on CBS Sports Network.
The Blue Hens enter the game with a 1-1 record after opening the season with a 42-7 victory over Merrimack and losing 35-26 at Vanderbilt. Saturday’s game is also Band Day at Delaware Stadium.
The game gives families and football fans an early Saturday option before visiting one of the afternoon or evening festivals. Tickets and game-day information are available from University of Delaware Athletics.
Riverwalk Freedom Festival
Downtown Milford will host the 26th annual Riverwalk Freedom Festival from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday along the Mispillion Riverwalk and throughout the downtown area.
The free event will feature more than 150 vendors, food trucks, live music, a car show, children’s games, a pet park and a brew garden. The Mispillion River Duck Dash begins at 3:30 p.m., with numbered ducks available for $5 and cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100.
The festival concludes with Milford’s only public fireworks display of the season at 8:30 p.m. Families should arrive early and bring blankets or folding chairs. Popular viewing locations include the Riverwalk and Memorial Park.
More information is available from the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Milford.
Battle at Chadds Ford
The Chadds Ford Historical Society will bring the American Revolution to life Saturday during the Battle at Chadds Ford and Historic Chadds Ford Days.
The daytime program runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and features Revolutionary War skirmishes, military encampments, artillery demonstrations, colonial trades, music, food and family activities. Visitors can watch blacksmithing, woodworking, candle making and other demonstrations showing what life was like during the Revolutionary era.
Tavern Night in the Grove follows from 6 to 10 p.m., offering period music, costumed entertainment, traditional food and beverages, cannon fire and fireworks. The event takes place at the historical society’s Barn Visitors Center, 1736 Creek Road in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
Tickets and the complete schedule are available from the Chadds Ford Historical Society.
Oktoberfest Returns to Newark
The Delaware Sängerbund Oktoberfest brings German food, music, dancing and family entertainment to 49 Salem Church Road near Newark from Friday through Sunday.
The long-running festival recreates the atmosphere of a traditional Bavarian celebration with live bands, German beer, folk dancing and foods prepared by Sängerbund members. The menu typically includes bratwurst, potato pancakes, schnitzel, sauerkraut, potato salad and German desserts.
Amusement rides are available for children, while the large festival tent offers music and dancing throughout the weekend. Admission is $10, with children 16 and younger admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Visit the Delaware Sängerbund for hours, parking and event details.
“Fiddler on the Roof” Opens at Candlelight
The Candlelight Theatre opens “Fiddler on the Roof” on Friday at its historic dinner theater at 2208 Millers Road in Wilmington.
The Tony Award-winning musical follows Tevye, a Jewish dairyman struggling to preserve his family’s traditions amid cultural and political upheaval in early 20th-century Russia. Its familiar score includes “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker” and “Sunrise, Sunset.”
The production runs through Oct. 25. Candlelight tickets include a meal served before the performance, and a full-service cash bar is available. Performance times vary. Tickets and show information are available from The Candlelight Theatre.
Delaware Nature Society Native Plant Sale at Coverdale Farm
The Delaware Nature Society is offering several outdoor programs for people interested in native plants, birds, wildlife and hiking.
Saturday’s activities include the Fall Native Plant Sale at Coverdale Farm Preserve in Greenville and Hawk Watch at Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin. Other programs include farm activities, nature art, marsh exploration and monarch butterfly programs at locations around the state.
Sunday opportunities include guided bird walks, another day of Hawk Watch and a hike through Flint Woods Preserve, which is not ordinarily open to the public. Times, fees and registration requirements vary by program. The complete schedule is available through the Delaware Nature Society events calendar.
More Weekend Options
The Delaware Seafood Festival will bring crabs, oysters, shrimp, lobster, crab cakes, live music and cooking demonstrations to Schellville near Rehoboth Beach on Saturday. Ticket and scheduling information is available through Visit Delaware.
Fifer Orchards near Wyoming is also opening its fall festival season with a corn maze, outdoor play areas, seasonal food and apple picking when available. Festival information and tickets are available from Fifer Orchards.
Meals on Wheels Delaware will hold its Hats & Heels fundraiser Saturday evening at Bally’s Dover Casino Resort. The event features food, music, fashion and contests while raising money to support homebound older Delawareans. Information is available from Meals on Wheels Delaware.
To Go Box
- What: Major weekend events across Delaware and the Brandywine Valley
- When: Friday through Sunday, Sept. 18-20
- Top attraction: Hagley Car Show, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday
- Sports: Delaware vs. Coastal Carolina, 11:30 a.m. Saturday
- Free event: Riverwalk Freedom Festival, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday
- Family options: Oktoberfest, Fifer’s Fall Festival, Chadds Ford Days and Delaware Nature Society programs
- Evening options: “Fiddler on the Roof,” Tavern Night, Hats & Heels and Milford fireworks
- Planning: Check individual event websites for tickets, registration, parking requirements and weather updates.
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