Milton set for Horseshoe Crab & Shorebird Festival May 24-26

Every spring, the Cape Region is the epicenter of both a huge shorebird migration and spawning by tens of thousands of horseshoe crabs. Milton celebrates this unique natural phenomenon annually with its Horseshoe Crab & Shorebird Festival. This year’s main event is scheduled for Saturday, May 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with new special events Thursday and Friday. Also new this year for the 15th annual festival is live music.

Saturday’s festivities take place at both Milton Memorial Park and at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, with a free shuttle bus taking festival-goers between the two locations. Milton Memorial Park will feature 27-plus nature-themed vendors, food trucks, entertainment, a children’s activity tent and a nature education tent. Prime Hook NWP has scheduled guided canoe trips, nature walks, bird house building and other activities. Admission to Saturday’s festival and activities is free.

Among the special events Thursday and Friday is a presentation on the diamondback terrapin by Olivia McDonald from Delaware Seashore State Park  Thursday, and a screening of the documentary “Feast on the Beach” with the director, Michael Oates, on Friday. Both will be held at Milton Historical Society at 7 p.m.

The festival is hosted by Milton Chamber of Commerce, Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and Milton Historical Society. Major sponsors are Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Bayhealth Medical Center and Irish Eyes Pub & Restaurant. 

For a complete schedule and more information, go to www.historicmilton.com.