Historic Lewes attractions await book festival guests Sept. 23-25
Visitors to the Sixth Annual History Book Festival in Lewes will find themselves surrounded by history – and not just from the bestselling, award-winning authors who will discuss their historical fiction and nonfiction works during the event’s free public presentations.
Settled by the Dutch in 1631 and known as the First Town in the First State, Lewes boasts an appealing historic district with architecture dating from the 17th century. Located where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Henlopen, the quaint downtown area features museums, hotels, shops, farmers markets and restaurants within walking distance of History Book Festival venues.
The 2022 History Book Festival begins Friday, Sept. 23, with a keynote presentation by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Buzz Bissinger and concludes Sunday, Sept. 25, with a closing address by Ada Ferrer, winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in History. Tickets for the keynote and closing presentations must be purchased in advance at bit.ly/hbf22-tickets.
Nineteen bestselling authors and promising new writers will discuss their books from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 24. Festival events take place in the Lewes Historic District at the Lewes Public Library, 111 Adams Ave.; the Rollins Community Center and Lewes History Museum, 101 Adams Ave.; and Bethel United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, Fourth and Market streets.
A gathering for presenters, audience members and volunteers will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the Lewes library, where attendees may mingle and discuss their day at the festival. Admission to the Sept. 24 author presentations and later discussion is free.
A free, specially marked Lewes Line bus will run among venues from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturday, also stopping at Second and Market streets in downtown Lewes. Regular Lewes Line bus service to other destinations is available for $1 per trip.
Free parking for festival attendees is available Sept. 24 at the Bethel church and Lewes Public Library parking lots.
Visitors also may park at Cape Henlopen High School, 1250 Kings Highway, and ride a Lewes Line bus from the parking lot to any of the venues for $1.
On-street parking also is available throughout Lewes. At metered spaces, payment is required between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
During the festival’s lunch break from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Sept. 24, visitors can dine at nearby restaurants or patronize food trucks parked outside the Bethel Fellowship Hall and in the Rollins Center parking lot.
Festival attendees interested in the area’s history can learn more at the Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway. The museum, modeled on the former City Hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, serves as a showcase for the Lewes area’s maritime, military and social history. For details, call the museum at 302-645-1148.
The Lewes History Museum is in one of the History Book Festival’s venues – the Margaret H. Rollins Community Center. The museum is operated by the Lewes Historical Society, which maintains several historic structures in town. Properties include an 1898 building at 302 Savannah Road which now serves as a museum store featuring iconic Lewes products, books and apparel, as well as locally sourced art, food and crafts. For more, go to historiclewes.org.
For information on local businesses, shops and restaurants, the Lewes Chamber of Commerce is a handy resource online at leweschamber.com and at its visitor center, open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, at 120 Kings Highway.
Full details on 2022 festival authors, book summaries, schedules and presentation venues are available online at historybookfestival.org. All events except the keynote and closing addresses are free.
Books featured in the festival are available for purchase at each presentation. Biblion in Lewes and Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach will have books available for purchase ahead of the festival. History Book Festival titles also may be borrowed through the Delaware Public Libraries system.
Presenting sponsors of the festival are Delaware Humanities and The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Distilling Company is the funding partner for the keynote address; Joe and Debbie Schell are funding partners for the closing presentation.
The History Book Festival is the first and only book festival in the United States devoted exclusively to history. Its organizers believe in the power of history, literature and civil dialogue to influence the future for the better.
