This Free Thursday Night Hangout Is a Local Summer Gem

Rise and shine, 302—your microwave was born from a melted candy bar. In 1945, engineer Percy Spencer noticed his snack had turned gooey while he was testing radar equipment. Turns out, the magnetron he was working on was the surprise culprit behind the first microwave oven.

Your 302 Rundown:

• 🎶 Thursdays at the Museum: Free, Fun & Artsy

• 🐈 DE’s Cutest License Plate Does Good

• 💎 Forbes Names Delaware’s Richest Towns

• 🐢 Endangered Bog Turtles Get a Fighting Chance

Let’s get to it

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Sculpture Garden Happy Hours Are Summer’s Best Kept Not-So-Secret

The Delaware Art Museum’s Sculpture Garden Happy Hours have been heating up Thursday nights — and if you haven’t made it out yet, it’s officially time to change that.

Every Thursday from 5 to 7:30 PM, the museum’s garden turns into a lively, art-filled hangout with live music, local food trucks, and a cash bar practically begging you to try a seasonal cocktail. It's free to get in, and the vibe? Immaculate.

Themes change weekly — one night it’s salsa dancing, the next it's honoring veterans or celebrating Pride — but the energy stays the same: easy, breezy, and just the right amount of artsy.

You don’t need a reason to go. Just show up, grab a drink, and let the garden do the rest.

👉 Check out the schedule

🚘 🐾 Fur Real: A New Delaware License Plate for Animal Lovers

Delaware’s new animal welfare license plate is here—and it’s paws-itively adorable. For a one-time $50 fee, you get a colorful plate featuring furry friends, and $35 of that goes directly to the State Spay Neuter Fund. That means more affordable surgeries for low-income pet owners, support for community cat programs, and help for shelters across the state.

You don’t have to wait for your registration renewal—order online or by mail anytime. If you're an animal lover, this is a stylish way to show it.

🤑 Greenville Tops Delaware's Wealth List

In a revelation that surprises absolutely no one, Forbes just crowned Greenville as the richest spot in Delaware. With a median income of $159K, it’s a place where the landscaping is meticulous and the brunches come with bubbles.

Hockessin, North Star, and seaside Henlopen Acres round out the top-tier club, each bringing their own flavor of affluence—think curated wine cellars, picturesque trails, and golden retrievers who probably have their own monogrammed towels.

It’s all in good fun—and hey, who doesn’t enjoy a little glimpse into the luxe life of the First State?

🐢 Delaware’s Tiniest Turtle Gets VIP Treatment

Delaware’s rarest reptiles are getting a helping hand. With only about 20 adult bog turtles left in the state, DNREC has been working to boost their numbers. Since 2022, eggs have been collected and hatched at the Brandywine Zoo. The goal? To establish five thriving bog turtle sites across the state within 20 years.

These little guys, maxing out at 4 inches, are tracked with radio transmitters to monitor their progress. It’s a small-scale operation with big hopes for Delaware’s tiniest turtle.

FORECAST AT A GLANCE

Thursday
56 🌡️ 50 | 🌧️ | 64% | 💨 NE 9 mph (8 knots)

Friday
64 🌡️ 49 | ⛅ | 9% | 💨 WNW 14 mph (12 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 61ºF
Temperature readings taken from the Atlantic Ocean in Rehoboth Beach.

WEEKNIGHT SOCIAL

Thursday

• Autumn Arch Beer Project | Team Trivia | 7:00 PM

• Chancery Market | Music Bingo with DJ Taven | 6—8 PM

• Grain H2O | Matt’s Classic Bingo | 7—9 PM

• Trolley Tap House | Full Band Guitar Hero w/ Drums & Mic | [Time not specified]

• Wilmington Brew Works | BoomBox Bingo | 7—9 PM

LIVE MUSIC

Thursday

• Academy Building Lawn | Newark Spring Concert Series | 7—8 PM

• Argilla Brewing Co | Open Mic Night | 7—11 PM

• Bar XIII | Asylum 13 Presents DJ Brad Scott | 9 PM

• Bellefonte Brewing Company | Tim Jaudon | 7—10 PM

• Chesapeake Inn | The Everafter | 6—9 PM

• Christiana Pub | Karaoke Night | 9 PM — 1 AM

• Deer Park Tavern | DJ Niknax & DJ Joey G | 9 PM

• Delaware Art Museum | Sculpture Garden Happy Hour featuring Joshua David Barrett | 5—7:30 PM

• Docklands Riverfront | DJ Trick Dawson | 5—10 PM

• Grain Exchange | Troll Tribe | 5—9 PM

• Hummingbird to Mars | Encore | 7—10 PM

• Kelly’s Logan House | Ed Dwornik & Friends | 5—8 PM

• Kelly’s Logan House | DJ Willoughby | 10 PM — Closing

• Klondike Kate’s | Tiz | 10 PM — 1 AM

• Klondike Kate’s | Nelli | 10 PM — 1 AM

• Nomad | R&B Night w/ DJ Shaun Klassic | 8—11 PM

• Saint Georges Country Store | Joey Fulkerson | 6—9 PM

• Six Paupers | John Boyles | 7:30—10:30 PM

• The Reef Seafood & Steak | Joe Pettis & Friends | 7 PM

• Tonic Seafood & Steak | DJ Hugh in Lounge | 4—7 PM

Friday

• Academy Building Lawn | Newark Spring Concert Series | 7—8 PM

• Autumn Arch Beer Project | Cindee & Jimi | 6—9 PM

• Bar XIII | Metal Mayhem—A DJ Night of Pure Heavy Metal! | 9 PM

• Bardea Garden | Emily McNatt | 7—11 PM

• Blue Crab Grill | The Todd & Jody Duo | 8—10 PM

• Catherine Rooney’s | Cherry Crush | 10 PM — 1 AM

• Chesapeake Inn | Twin Tides Acoustic | 4—7 PM

• Chesapeake Inn | Billy Walton Band | 7—11 PM

• Constitution Yards | Side Hustle | 7—10 PM

• Crabby Dick’s Delaware City | Judy Sings the Blues | 7—10 PM

• Deer Park Tavern | Lucky Stone | 10 PM

• Docklands Riverfront | DJ B-Lee // Kicking Sunrise // DJ Kardiair // DJ Willoughby | 5 PM—1 AM

• Grain H2O | A Blonde Moment | 7—10 PM

• Hummingbird to Mars | Andrei Radu Band | 9 PM—12 AM

• Kelly’s Logan House | God Given Blades // The World Without Us // The Reveilers | 8 PM — 1 AM

• Kelly’s Logan House | DJ B-Lee | 10 PM—Closing

• Kennett Flash | Hive Mind, Ephemera, Sam & the Vampire | Doors: 6 PM // Show: 7 PM

• Kid Shelleen’s Branmar Plaza | Rich O’Hanlon | 6—9 PM

• Klondike Kate’s | DJ Amaze | 10 PM—1 AM

• Nomad | Genesis Z | 9:30 PM—12:30 AM

• Saint Georges Country Store | Venom Blues Featuring Kitty Mayo | 6—9 PM

• The Creamery Kennett Square | Tracey A. Group | 7—10 PM

• The Gap Pub & Grill | Elon Busk | 7—10 PM

• The Grand | Roger McGuinn | 8 PM

• The Hideaway | Cosmic Debris | 8—11:30 PM

• The Opulent | The Grown Folks Line Dance Party | 7—11 PM

• The Opulent | Magical Mystery | 7—9 PM

• The Reef Seafood & Steak | Flashback Band | 8 PM

• Tonic Seafood & Steak | Lou & Feuda | 8—11 PM

• Wilmington Brew Works | Kevin Burns | 6:30 PM—9 PM

• Zollie’s | Kick Off The Weekend at Zollies Live Jazz | 6:30—9 PM

APPRECIATE YA!

Appreciate you sticking with us — now share this with a friend, or just leave it open on their laptop “by accident.”

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