Thousands attend Starboard’s Running of the Bull
Dewey Beach transformed into a sea of red and white for The Starboard’s annual Running of the Bull, drawing around 2,000 people on a warm June 28.
The event, which The Starboard owner Steve “Monty” Montgomery calls fun and silly organized chaos, raises money for the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company. According to Monty, this year’s event raised just over $12,000.
“Every year, we get a little better at coordinating everything, and the crowd gets a little better,” said Keith “Toastie” Kirk, who’s been working at The Starboard for more than 25 years. “Everybody’s here to have a good time.”
The tradition started at the bar 28 years ago, when Michael McDonnell and his friends decided to do their own wacky version of Pamplona, Spain’s Running of the Bulls with a bull costume and plenty of liquid courage.
Those brave enough to face the bull – or, rather, two guys in a bull costume – start at the popular Dewey bar and run down to the beach, down a block in the sand and then back to the bar. Then comes the bullfight between the bull and the matador.
This year, the bull, twin brothers and The Starboard employees Alex and Daniel Shives, defeated the matador, entertainment reporter Ryan Cormier, in an intense battle.
There was also live music by Kristen & The Noise and a flyover by the Delaware State Police helicopter.
Ellen McIntyre is a reporter covering education and all things Dewey Beach. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State - Schreyer Honors College in May 2024, then completed an internship writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In 2023, she covered the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand as a freelancer for the Associated Press and saw her work published by outlets including The Washington Post and Fox Sports. Her variety of reporting experience covers crime and courts, investigations, politics and the arts. As a Hockessin, Delaware native, Ellen is happy to be back in her home state, though she enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures. She also loves live music, reading, hiking and spending time in nature.
