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Three Delaware festivals win honors as North America’s best

Delaware Wine and Beer Festival set Oct. 20
October 4, 2013

Three of the state’s most beloved festivals have been chosen among the best in North America by the American Bus Association, the leading trade group representing the motor coach, tour and travel industry in the United States and Canada.

The ABA noted its Top 100 Events and Festivals selection committee evaluated hundreds of nominations before including the Delaware Wine & Beer Festival, Dover Days Festival, and the World Championship Punkin Chunkin as three of the best events in North America to experience via motor coach in 2014.

“Considering the many thousands of events across the U.S. and Canada, it's an incredible achievement for Delaware to have three included in the Top 100,” said Linda Parkowski, director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “It just shows how hard people have been working up and down the state to promote these attractions, and how far Delaware has risen in the national consciousness.”

Most visible among the Delaware winners is Punkin Chunkin, which attracts national media attention and television coverage each year. Held in Bridgeville in the fall, the event attracts tens of thousands from across the country to watch teams hurl pumpkins using homemade contraptions, aiming to toss theirs the farthest and win the title. The fun includes live bands, food and rides. The event will be held Nov. 1-3 this year. See www.punkinchunkin.com for more.

Held on Oct. 20 this year in Dover, the Delaware Wine & Beer Festival showcases the First State’s finest wineries, breweries, and distilleries. In just four years since its debut, the festival has become Kent County’s premier event for learning about the art of wine and craft brewing, enjoying live music and fare by select local eateries, and browsing the works of Delaware artists and artisans. This event is also where Delaware’s home-brewing champion is crowned each year. See www.delawarewineandbeerfestival.com for more.

Blending modern-day fun with a look back at Delaware’s Colonial past, Dover Days Festival to be held May 2-4, 2014, offers a chance to celebrate spring’s charms with maypole dancing on Dover’s Green, a Civil War-era baseball game, and more than 350 vendors, crafters, and food purveyors. Now more than 80 years old, the festival also holds the distinction of being held at one of the sites of the nation’s newest national monument. Festival-goers also get free admission to the Old State House, Biggs Museum of Modern Art, and more. See www.doverdaysfestival.com for more.

Events are nominated for the Top 100 awards by ABA members, including state tourism offices. The 32-year-old awards serve to raise awareness of, and potentially increase visitation to, local destinations.

The complete 2014 Top 100 Events in North America is being published as a supplement to the September/October issue of Destinations magazine, the official publication of the American Bus Association.

The complete list of winners is available at www.buses.org/files/Top100/2014/Top_100_Final.pdf.

The Delaware Tourism Office, 99 Kings Highway in Dover, a division of the Delaware Economic Development Office, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information,go to www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free 866-284-7483.

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