Lewes to host children’s games and boat parade July 4

The City of Lewes will continue its long tradition of hosting old-fashioned games for children on Second Street beginning at 9 a.m., Tuesday, July 4. For the safety of the participants, Second Street will be closed while games are in progress and will reopen at the conclusion of the games. Following the games, the Lewes Independence Day Boat Parade will wind its way down the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal from Roosevelt Inlet to Fisherman's Wharf as part of the City of Lewes' Fourth of July holiday festivities.

Parade entrants will leave Roosevelt Inlet across from the Coast Guard Station at 1:30 p.m. and at about 2 p.m., they will pass in front of the judges' reviewing stand and turn before reaching the Savannah Road drawbridge. Mayor Ted Becker will announce the parade with amplification in the area of Fisherman's Wharf and the city dock. The parade judges are members of the city council, board directors from the Lightship Overfalls Foundation and the Lewes Chamber of Commerce.

This is the 14th year the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and the Overfalls Foundation have jointly sponsored the Independence Day Boat Parade.

All preregistered boat entrants will be eligible for prizes, which include a unique handcarved figurine by local carver Bert Long, a member of the organizing committee. The figurine will be awarded to the most creatively decorated boat. First-, second- and third-place ribbons will also be awarded. All boat entrants will receive merchandise prizes from the Overfalls Foundation. Boats will be judged on the best use of patriotic decorations. At the conclusion of the parade, all boat entrants are invited to attend the awards ceremony on the deck of the Lightship Overfalls at 3:30 p.m.

To be eligible for a prize, the vessel must be registered prior to 10 a.m. on July 4. Registration forms are available at the Lewes Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center in the Fisher-Martin House in Zwaanendael Park, and the Lewes Harbour Marina Bait and Tackle at the end of Anglers Road. For more information, call 302-645-8073. Late, unregistered entries are invited to join the parade by arriving at the Roosevelt Inlet at 1:30 p.m, tuning a VHF radio to channel 65 and following instructions. There is no charge to participate as an entrant in the boat parade or to be a spectator. Good viewing spots line the canal on both sides, and go on a first-come, first-served basis.

The day caps off with a unique and quirky Doo-Dah Parade that forms in the vicinity of Lloyd's Market on Savannah Road, winds its way down Kings Highway to Second Street, and ends on Savannah Road, heading back toward Lloyd’s. No preregistration is required, and everyone is invited to participate. The time the parade kicks off is always unpredictable, but that's what makes this iconic Lewes Fourth of July tradition so entertaining.