Annual special events set for The Starboard
Dewey Beach commissioners voted unanimously Feb. 18 to allow The Starboard to temporarily expand its premises for three annual special events.
Starboard owner Steve “Monty” Montgomery applied to temporarily expand his restaurant’s premises for opening weekend Friday-Sunday, March 18-20; Running of the Bull Saturday, June 25; and Dewey Goes Pink Saturday, Oct. 8.
Town Manager Bill Zolper said he, Police Chief Sam Mackert and Dewey Beach Patrol Capt. Todd Frichtman reviewed and approved all requests. Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Carol Everhart called in to the virtual meeting to express support for the expansion of premises for the opening-weekend event.
For more than two decades, The Starboard’s opening weekend has kicked off Dewey’s tourist season while also celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. The parking lot will be enclosed by a heated tent featuring live entertainment.
“Even though we now stay open, we still celebrate the opening, as it’s basically the start of the season,” Montgomery said by email Feb. 23. “This will be the first time in three years we can get back to this annual tradition.
“Exactly two years ago, we were all set and ready to go when the phone call from the governor’s office came in regarding those first few cases of COVID hitting UD, so we canceled our celebration and closed at 6 p.m. that entire weekend, before all restaurants were shut down that following Monday,” Montgomery said. “So this year we expect a large crowd of happy people to come out and finally celebrate the start of the season, St. Patrick’s Day and The Starboard’s reopening the weekend of March 17-20.”
From 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, March 17, The Starboard will host the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce mixer; then Irish rock band La Unica of Washington, D.C., will take the stage from 8 to 11 p.m.
“We are all very excited and thrilled to be able to host this opening weekend after these past two years,” Montgomery said. “We'll get back to our annual tradition of having our famed Starboard VIP cards available at opening this year, with one major change. To get one, we'll ask for a donation of $5 to $10 to go directly to our local Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company. We'll offer those both online with a donation and in person over opening weekend at certain times.”
A slew of in-house DJs will perform on Friday; Kristen & The Noise will perform from 3 to 6 p.m., Saturday, March 19, in the tent, with Bryen O’Boyle of Mr. Greengenes on stage from 2 to 6 p.m., Sunday, March 20.
The 25th anniversary of Running of the Bull will take place Saturday, June 25. A parody of the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, the event raises funds for the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company. Last year’s event raised $17,000 for the department, Montgomery said.
Live music will begin about noon, and several libations later, thousands of runners decked in signature red-and-white colors will cross the highway for the big run on the beach, followed by the main event – the bullfight.
In years past, Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione, and actor and Delaware native Ryan Phillipe have played the matador; there’s no word yet on who will don the bullfighter’s cape and hat this year.
The 11th annual Dewey Goes Pink 5K is set for Saturday, Oct. 8, including a race, pig roast and music, with proceeds benefiting the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.
In the event’s first 10 years, $963,000 has been raised to support DBCC, including $235,000 in 2021 alone.
“This year, we’ll top the $1 million mark in total since its inception,” Montgomery said.
