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Revelers welcome 2026 at early Lewes anchor drop

Family-friendly event brings big crowd to lightship
The anchor on the Lightship Overfalls as it was being lowered at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Lewes held anchor drops at 7 p.m. and midnight, for the first time. BILL SHULL PHOTOS
Bill Shull
January 2, 2026

It’s 12 o’clock somewhere and, on New Year’s Eve, Lewes celebrated with the traditional anchor drop at the same time Lewes, England, was welcoming 2026.

The 7 p.m. event brought an estimated 500 people to the Lightship Overfalls for hot chocolate, popcorn and a countdown to the new year.

“We’re excited to have a new tradition in Lewes – two anchor drops. Kids and families can enjoy the evening one, and then we have the midnight one,” said Mayor Amy Marasco.

Vivian and Sasha Kearns won an online contest to go on deck and officially lower the anchor.

Other contest winners blasted the ship’s fog horn.

Marasco and Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes, rang the ship’s bell.

The celebration was one of the events that marked the start of the Lewes 250 celebration of the nation’s semiquincentennial.

 

Sasha and Vivian Kearns seen here moments after they officially lowered the anchor on the deck of the ship. The girls had their names drawn from a list of online entries.
Lewes Mayor Amy Marasco, left, and Sen. Russ Huxtable rang the ship’s bell at 7 p.m., to coincide with midnight in Lewes, England.
Mary Alice Kelly, Lewes 250 committee chair, left, and Dave Shook, Overfalls Foundation president, pick the winners from an online contest to drop the anchor and blow the ship’s fog horn at the early celebration.
These young revelers could not wait to get the party started on New Year’s Eve at the Lightship Overfalls. Shown are (l-r) Lillian Robinson, Clark McGrath and James Robinson.
The Lightship Overfalls was open for tours before the early anchor drop. The traditional anchor can be seen at the top of the mast.
An estimated 500 people filled Canalfront Park for the city’s first early anchor drop. Hot chocolate and popcorn were served.

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Bill Shull has been covering Lewes for the Cape Gazette since 2023. He comes to the world of print journalism after 40 years in TV news. Bill has worked in his hometown of Philadelphia, as well as Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He came to Lewes in 2014 to help launch WRDE-TV. Bill served as WRDE’s news director for more than eight years, working in Lewes and Milton. He is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University. Bill is an avid aviation and wildlife photographer, and a big Penn State football, Eagles, Phillies and PGA Tour golf fan. Bill, his wife Jill and their rescue cat, Lucky, live in Rehoboth Beach.

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