Downtown Newark Hosts Food & Brew Fest

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☀️ Rise and Shine, 302. Confidence isn't knowing you'll succeed. It's trusting you'll be okay if you don't.

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Enjoy kid-friendly activities, wander the garden, and learn about history while having fun across the Winterthur estate and especially in the award-winning, three-acre children’s garden, Enchanted Woods. Terrific Tuesdays in July and August is a fun-filled way to introduce history, art, conservation, and storytelling to kids ages 3–10 for just $5. And adventure packs filled with guides, stories, and ideas for exploring are free with admission any day you visit.

Come explore this place of enchantment and discovery. Learn more about ongoing and upcoming events.

Reserve your tickets today!

Time for a little local history challenge. Before lawmakers settled in Dover, they met somewhere else along the Delaware River. Can you name it?

Source: State of Delaware News

Delaware public health officials confirmed multiple measles cases in Kent County on July 22. All cases identified so far involve unvaccinated adult males. Officials did not release an exact case count, citing medical privacy restrictions.

The Delaware Division of Public Health is urging unvaccinated residents, pregnant persons, immunocompromised individuals, and children under six months to contact their primary care provider or the Office of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at 302-744-4990 if they have had contact with a suspected case. The MMR vaccine is available at pharmacies, health centers, and public health clinics statewide.

Residents can check their vaccination records through the DelVAX Public Portal or by contacting their primary care provider.

Source: WDEL

One of the main southern routes into Wilmington is getting squeezed in half starting today. The South Walnut Street Bridge between Interstate 495 and the Chase Fieldhouse is dropping to a single lane in each direction.

State transportation crews are restricting traffic and imposing a 20 ton truck weight limit after finding deterioration in the support columns of the 1938 span. Workers are currently identifying the damaged areas and will spend the next few months reinforcing the structure.

A full replacement is planned, but that project is on hold until local sewer work and a nearby indoor track facility are finished. Drivers looking to bypass the bottleneck can use Interstate 95 or Interstate 495 to 12th Street.

Source: Delaware Business Now

The Wilmington Blue Rocks changed hands on Tuesday after Main Street Baseball sold the minor league team to OnDeck Partners. The state-owned Riverfront Development Corporation, which owns Frawley Stadium, approved the transaction.

OnDeck Partners is headed by billionaire investor Marc Lasry and recently acquired two other minor league baseball teams in Alabama and California. The financial terms of the Wilmington deal were not disclosed, but the new ownership group confirmed the current front office staff remains in place.

The Blue Rocks previously signed a lease extension to keep the club at the Wilmington Riverfront stadium through the 2030 season. The team continues to operate as an affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

Source: Delaware Online 🔒 PAYWALLED

A family-owned barbecue spot has landed on East Main Street in Newark. BBQ Unlimited opened July 17 at 108 E. Main St., Suite 101, relocating from a catering operation on Harrison Avenue in Wilmington. The owners said they had long wanted to run a sit-down restaurant.

The menu runs from barbecue pork ribs and fried whiting to homemade mac and cheese and Southern-style collard greens. The restaurant offers dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering, with customizable options the owners describe as a "new twist" on soul food.

BBQ Unlimited is closed Mondays through Aug. 24. After that, regular hours run noon to 10 PM. Monday through Thursday, with later closes on weekends.

Source: Delaware Online

The company behind the upcoming P.J. Whelihan's Pub and Restaurant in Pike Creek officially nailed down a timeline for its debut. Management confirmed the launch is timed to coincide with the start of the upcoming football season. The restaurant is taking over the vacant space at the Pike Creek Shopping Center on Limestone Road, which was previously home to a Ruby Tuesday.

Residents have known about the planned expansion for some time, but the exact opening window remained unclear until yesterday's update.

Connor Creative House now brings our trusted story-driven content creation approach to individuals and families celebrating life's big occasions, such as weddings, showers and other private events.

We document everything you'll want to remember — candid moments, behind-the-scenes details and guest interactions, delivering raw footage within 24 hours and edited recap videos (Reels) within 48 hours.

View video samples and learn more, or email Krista Connor at [email protected] to reserve your event date.

(And businesses, we're still creating content for your brands, corporate events and social media, too!)

Source: Spotlight Delaware

A federal judge denied a request from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation to temporarily block enforcement of Delaware's Elections Disclosure Act while the group's lawsuit works through the courts. The ruling, issued after a June hearing by U.S. District Judge Jennifer Hall, keeps the state's campaign finance transparency rules in place ahead of the September primary.

The foundation, backed by the Koch brothers, sued Delaware in April arguing the law's donor disclosure requirements chill political speech under the First Amendment. Attorney General Kathy Jennings defended the ruling in a public statement, and a department spokesman said the office will continue defending the law's constitutionality.

Americans for Prosperity appealed to the Third Circuit two days after the denial. Arguments on the preliminary injunction are due by July 29, and the foundation asked for a hearing before September 4.

Source: Spotlight Delaware

The Colonial School District rolled out a proposal to redraw its elementary school boundaries to ease overcrowding and redistribute special education resources. Superintendent Jeff Menzer presented the plan to the board of education earlier this month, aiming to shift programs currently concentrated at Southern Elementary across the wider district.

The feeder pattern adjustments would impact roughly 330 students. Under the new map, some students currently zoned for Eisenberg, Castle Hills, and Wilbur elementary schools would be reassigned to New Castle, Carrie Downie, Pleasantville, and Southern.

The Colonial Board of Education will vote on the realignment recommendation on Sept. 8. If approved, the new boundaries will take effect for the 2027 to 2028 school year.

Source: State of Delaware News

The Delaware Forest Service deployed a wildland firefighting crew and a specialized engine to northern Minnesota earlier this week. The local team of three traveled to the Superior National Forest to help suppress the Bear Trap Fire.

The blaze, which merged with a neighboring fire, burned more than 34,000 acres of remote terrain in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The Delaware crew focused on protecting homes and private property near Big Lake, as well as clearing trails to improve access.

State forestry officials regularly send personnel across the country through mutual aid agreements. These deployments offer emergency support to other states while giving local crews practical experience for future responses.

Sip & Stroll | Brandywine Zoo. A family-friendly happy hour featuring animal viewing, live music, a local food vendor, and craft beer and wine. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for youth; admission is free for ages 2 and under. Thursday 5-7:30 PM.

Sculpture Garden Happy Hours: The Culture Edit Hosted by Amira Estell, featuring Mac Wondo & Harvey Road | Delaware Art Museum. A community evening blending fashion, art, and live music from DJ Mac Wondo and hip-hop and R&B band Harvey Road. The gathering features a fashion showcase, a hands-on upcycling activity, arts and crafts vendors, local food trucks, and a cash bar. Thursday at 5 PM.

Pick & Sip (21+) | Milburn Orchards. An adults-only evening on the farm featuring live music by Taylor Wallace, sunset wagon rides, berry picking, and a cider bar. Online tickets are required. 21+. Thursday at 6 PM.

Summer Concert Series: Bang Bang Blues Gang | Bellevue State Park. A live set by the Bang Bang Blues Gang at the Bellevue Bandshell, where attendees can pack a picnic or purchase food from locally owned food trucks. Thursday at 6:30 PM.

Fourth Friday Art on the Town | Newcastle Historical Society. A monthly town-wide event in New Castle featuring local artists and participating businesses across multiple venues. Friday 5-8 PM.

Bellefonte Arts Summer Shop & Stroll | Bellefonte Arts. An evening shopping experience featuring a curated mini-market of handmade and vintage vendors along Brandywine Boulevard. Free. Friday at 5 PM.

Twilight on the Terrace | Mt. Cuba Center. Live blues and roots rock from the Katie Henry Band, featuring after-hours garden access and free tours. Attendees can bring a picnic and lawn chairs, or purchase local food-truck fare, beer, and wine. Friday 5-8 PM.

Fort Folk Fest featuring Crys Matthews | Fort DuPont State Park. A free outdoor concert by lyricist and composer Crys Matthews, whose music blends folk, Americana, blues, and country with themes of social justice. Friday 7-9 PM.

Downtown Newark Food & Brew Fest 2026 | Main Street Newark. A pay-as-you-go restaurant crawl with more than 40 beers paired with food specials at participating Newark restaurants; the first 1,500 guests receive a commemorative 5 oz.-tasting mug at the Academy Lawn information booth. 21+ to sample beer. Saturday 12-7 PM.

Choir School of Delaware Performance | Tina Betz Urban Artist Exchange. A live performance by the Choir School of Delaware. Saturday at 7 PM.

Summer Concert Series: The E Core | Bellevue State Park. A live performance by local band The E Core as part of the 39th annual Summer Concert Series at the Bellevue Bandshell. Attendees can pack a picnic or purchase meals from locally owned food trucks. Sunday at 6:30 PM.

More happenings we couldn’t fit in the newsletter.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. Just things worth knowing. I’ll always flag sponsors clearly.

Thursday

81 🌡️ 62 | ☀️ Sunny | 0% | 💨 N 5 to 10 mph

Friday

84 🌡️ 63 | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 0% | 💨 E 0 to 5 mph

Saturday

84 🌡️ 64 | ☀️ Sunny | 2% | 💨 E 0 to 5 mph

Sunday

85 🌡️ 66 | 🌧️ Rain Showers | 15% | 💨 SE 0 to 5 mph

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 76ºF Temperature readings taken from the Atlantic Ocean in Rehoboth Beach.

The full events calendar includes live music, festivals, classes, markets, family activities, community gatherings, and dozens more happenings across Northern Delaware.

Submit an event →

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