Eat Local

by

No Tricks, All Treats

It’s almost that time of year again, and Coastal Delaware no longer slows down in the Fall like it once did. We appreciate living in Delaware all year long, but there is something special about Fall in Delaware. After most of us spend all summer at the beach, the cool ocean breeze, corn fields and farmland that makes Delaware perfect for the Fall. We love to share the word about the best places and the most fun amusements you can enjoy in Delaware, so here we go! No matter what you like to do, whether it’s enjoy a cold drink or spend time with your kids, there is a ton you can enjoy in October.

We’ll start off by providing you the links to the most comprehensive October activity lists that already exist, and then below that hit on a few of our Lessard Builders favorites for October 2018 Fall Fun. The two links below are exceptional websites that have compiled all the October fun going on in Delaware and on Delmarva.

Visit Delaware’s Complete Fall and Halloween Event List

Delaware Haunted House’s Delaware 2018 Halloween Event Calendar

Those of us at Lessard Builders may not be full fledged Halloween experts, but we know a thing or two about Reese’s Cups, Snickers bars, trick or treating and Fall fun. Here are three local October events that are our:

October 2018 fun favorites

Boast The Coast, Saturday October 6th &  Coast Day, Sunday October 7th

Coast Day has been a University of Delaware Fall tradition for decades. It’s sibling event, the Boast the Coast celebration, is occurring for the 23rd year in conjunction with it. These back-to-back local festivals celebrate Delaware’s relationship with the ocean and Coastal Delaware’s centuries of nautical heritage. If you are looking for some first weekend of October fun, look no further!

We recommend you start off the festivities on Saturday exploring Downtown Lewes and Canalfront Park for Boast the Coast. Boast the Coast is a psuedo festival where many local businesses set up for a huge sidewalk sale with the very best of their ocean spirit: so, you can expect tons of food (seafood in particular), vendors, and activities. There will also be an Oktoberfest celebration from 2pm to 6pm in Canalfront Park for the second year in a row.

The next day, Sunday, University of Delaware’s Hugh R. Sharp (Pilottown Road) campus hosts their traditional Coast Day event! Coast Day is magnificent because it provides a fun, engaging, hands on event where people of all ages can learn about the ocean, modern ocean research, and our ocean history. Coast Day activities include seafood cooking demonstrations from local chefs, ship tours, touch tanks filled with ocean creatures for kids to learn about, food vendors, shopping, and over a dozen rooms filled with different talks and presentations. 

Bottom line: Boast The Coast and Coast Day are worth a definite earmark for the 6th and 7th!

 

Rehoboth Beach Sea Witch Parade Oct 26th-28th 

Sea Witch Festival Program- https://www.beach-fun.com/images/SWProgram2018.AsOf9.14.18.pdf

We love the Sea Witch Festival and Parade! The Sea Witch Festival is one of Coastal Delaware’s biggest Fall attractions and has continued to improve and grow with each year. 2018 should be more fun than ever. Residents and visitors alike flock to downtown Rehoboth on Saturday to watch as hundreds of local businesses and residents parade down the Rehoboth avenue in extravagant costumes and on ornately crafted floats! The parade and parade float/costume contest is one of the highlights, but there are also dozens of other activities. From a “witches cackle” contest, to dog costume competitions, to face painting and trick or treating you won’t want to miss this crown jewel of Fall Fun in Coastal Delaware.

Oh, be sure to keep an eye out for us and our Lessard Builders float in the parade on Saturday!

 

Cape Henlopen State Park’s 30th Children’s Halloween Fantasy Trail

Saturday October 26th 6pm – 8pm,  Sunday October 27th 6pm – 7:30pm

One of the best child-friendly Halloween activities in Delaware. Cape Henlopen State Parks transforms into a Halloween Fantasy Trail wonderland the weekend before Halloween. The State Park sets up their Fantasy Trail as a walking trick-or-treat trail filled with candy, toys, and it’s lined with all your kids favorite storybook characters along the way. Once your kiddies are finished trick or treating there is also entertainment, games and activities taking place under their big tent each evening. It’s a great way for you to take your kids whether you’re solo or you have a huge group of their friends. If you have questions about Cape Henlopen’s Fantasy Trail, call 302-645-6852.

 

We hope you all enjoy your October! 

 

by

Fifer Orchards in Wyoming, Delaware has to be one of the best places where childhood memories and family traditions are made in our little state.

Fifer Orchards Delaware Farm Logo
Family owned and operated since 1919

What’s not to love about Fifer Orchards Family Fun festivals with live music, pick your own fruit, hayrides, petting zoos, hand dipped ice cream, pick your pumpkin, choose your fresh cut Christmas tree, freshly baked apple cider donuts, corn mazes, s’mores by the fire and homemade apple cider? Whether it is a larger featured festival or just a fun, U-Pick strawberries weekend there is always a reason to get out of the house, save the television shows for later and enjoy the sunshine at Fifer’s farm.

strawberry picking at fifer orchards delaware
You Pick Strawberries!     Photo credit: Fifer Orchards

 

U Pick Blueberry Season Photo Credit: Fifer Orchards
You Pick Blueberry Season   Photo Credit: Fifer Orchards
Pick Your Pumpkins! Photo Credit: Fifer Orchards
Pick Your Pumpkins!       Photo Credit: Fifer Orchards

From April to December, Fifer’s hosts a variety of events geared toward the current growing season. August is national peach month and I could not miss the popular Camden-Wyoming Peach Festival with peach ice cream day at Fifer Orchards. Every year the famous peach festival gets better and better!

Fifer Orchards Delaware Peach Festival
Just peachy!

A little bit of peach history. Delaware was the place to be for peaches in the 1800 and early 1900s. Spain first introduced them to our state in the 1800s and the crop flourished in Delaware’s fertile environment dubbing us the “Peach State”. In 1919 Charles Frederick Fifer moved to Delaware from the Shenandoah Valley in nearby Virginia.  He started with 300 acres of land and a vision of growing high quality produce, crop diversification and farmland stewardship. Ninety five years later, his third and fourth generation family members are dedicated to growing and selling high quality produce while preserving the environment, serving the community and maintaining family values.

As the “Peach Blossom” state, you can find many peach festivals in our small towns during the month of August but Fifer’s is the first weekend and always well attended. I attribute the popularity to Fifer’s Peach Ice Cream Day!

They have various activities including live music, food vendors, games for the kids, train rides a petting zoo and free peach ice cream! The foodie in me was very impressed by the food selection, everything was well thought out and usually had a peach flair to it. My personal favorites were Nage Restaurant, Abbott’s Grill and Frankfurt Bakery.

Fun at Fifers Peach Festival
Climbing wall, inflatables and games for all

 

Chance of rain was no match for this crowd!
Chance of rain was no match for this crowd!
Live Music at Fifer Orchards
Live music! I even heard some of my favorite songs!
Frankfurt Bakery at Fifer Orchards
Frankfurt Bakery – they had peach cupcakes! So good!
Nage at Fifer Orchards Peach Festival
Peach Cobbler and Crab Cake from Nage = A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

Don’t miss a Nage Restaurant & Fifer Orchard event on September 12th! See below for event details.

Peach Ice Cream at Fifer Orchards
Fifers Peach Ice Cream! A Delaware Favorite.
We took a tractor tour of the Fifer farm!
We took a tractor tour of the Fifer farm!
We learned about the new tomato tunnels!
We learned about  each crop & the new tomato tunnels!
The land was beautiful!
The land was beautiful!
Peaches at Fifer Orchard Delaware
Getting expert peach advice!
What is a farm festival without a corn or peach costume?
What is a farm festival without a corn or peach costume? Too cute!
Fifer Orchard Express Train for Kids
All smiles on the Fifer Express!
Grilled Peach Chicken from Abbotts Grill in Milford. Yum!
Grilled Peach Chicken from Abbotts Grill in Milford. Yum!

While August is a great month for celebrating peaches, it is also a great reminder that my favorite season, fall is just around the corner! That means apple cider donuts, hot apple cider, pumpkin spice everything, delicious farm to table foodie events and s’mores! Fifer Orchards is a great place to visit with your loved ones to make great memories and support a local family owned and operated farm.

Mark your calendars for these upcoming events at Fifer Orchards:

– September 12th:  Dinner on the Farm with Nage Restaurant, local beer tastings, local music, local wine tastings & 3 course localvore dinner!

– September 15th to November 1st: Fall Fest at Fifer Orchards! Corn Maze,  hayrides, you pick pumpkins, you pick apples, apple cider donuts, pony rides, farm tours & much more !

– October 25th: Harvest Hustle 5K, proceeds benefit The American Cancer Society in Memory of Pat Vincent.

– November 29th – December 13th: Fifers Cider Fest Enjoy hot apple cider, holiday hayrides, s’mores by the fire, fresh cut locally grown Christmas trees, fresh locally made wreaths, handcrafted gift baskets and more.

– May: Annual Strawberry Festival

– June: Annual Blueberry Festival

– August: Annual Peach Festival

 

Connect with Fifer Orchards on Facebook, Twitter (@fiferorchards), Google Plus, YouTube or sign up for their newsletter.

 

Locations in Kent and Sussex County:

Farm & Country Store 1919 Allabands Mill Road Camden – Wyoming, DE 19934

Phone: 302-697-2141

Open: Monday – Saturday 8:00am – 6:00pm, Closed Sundays

Fifer’s Farm Market Cafe 200 Cullen Street Dewey Beach, DE 19971

Phone: 302-227-8680

Open: Monday – Saturday Call for hours, Closed Sundays

Fifers Farm Market Cafe in Dewey Beacb
Fifers Farm Market Cafe. They have coffee too!

Before you go – 3 More Things About Fifer Orchards:

1. Fifer’s participates in Delaware’s Farm to School Program to give students healthier choices at lunchtime.

2. In addition to local produce they offer local grass fed beef, free range eggs, local ground turkey, glass bottled local milk, homemade peanut butter, homemade almond butter & apple butter!

3. They have an amazing CSA or Community Supported Agriculture program that everyone raves about. Just take a look at one of the weeks below and find out more about it on their website.

Fifer
Fifer CSA Box    Photo credit: Fifer Orchards

 

Peach Festival
Making peachy memories at Fifer Orchards!

What are some of your favorite Fifer memories? If you haven’t had the Fifer’s Farm experience yet, I hope this post helps you get there! Fifer Fall Fest

Do you have a favorite Fifer Orchards Family Fun festival?! Feel free to share your thoughts with us. 

by

Keep It Local Delaware

Over the past few years, Delaware has been making headlines as one of the “best places to live” and “best places to retire” due to affordable property taxes, low income tax and reasonable travel time to Philadelphia, New York and Washington D.C. While these are the most talked about features that bring visitors to our state, those that live or spend a little extra time here understand why people fall in love with Delaware’s small town charm. From the beaches Lewes and Rehoboth to the capital, downtown Dover and the northern towns of the state like Middletown, Greenville and Trolley Square, there are so many local shops, restaurants and events distinctive to Delaware. There is always an opportunity to catch a nearby event like peach festivals, brewery tours, wine tastings, music festivals, the infamous Apple Scrapple Festival and of course, the good ol’ Punkin Chunkin.

5 Reasons to Live Local Delaware

1. Preserve Small Town Character & History

Delaware has the small town feel and historical character that you see on postcards with brick buildings, authentic cedar shake exteriors, lighthouses, cobblestone roads and traditional farm houses. Local business owners are more willing to keep the historical factor of the area, striving to blend in artistically with the surrounding town compared to the bigger “box” stores looking to replicate their chain of nationwide stores.

2. Locals Give Back To The Community

According to NFIB research, more than 9 in 10 small businesses owners give back to community. Studies show that local non-profits receive substantial continued support from locally owned and operated businesses. Local business owners care about the community they live in and often serve on boards to support numerous causes and community interests.

3. What Goes Around Comes Around 

Money spent locally has 3 times the impact on a community than dollars spent in large chains or other places. The concept is fairly straightforward, if you shop at locally owned and operated businesses, your dollars provide for local families, schools, community events and non-profits.

4. Shop Local To Keep A Relevant Supply Of (Diverse) Products

I’ll never forget the day that I stopped into the nearest Delaware Wal-mart to grab Old Bay for a birthday crab feast we were hosting and they did not have it available.  This scenario is a prime example of how national stores tend to stock items based on regional or national numbers, not by local demand. Local stores tend to have a broader range of choices because they cater to the needs of local people. In most cases, they will even start carrying a new product per your request.

5. Mom & Pop Shops: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Who doesn’t love the “mom and pop shop” in their town? They add a level of character and friendly service exclusive to their town and community. Local business owners view their work as an extension of themselves and bring an extra level of care to what they do. They get to know who you are and if there is a question or concern, you are only a few people away from the decision makers. You won’t have to submit a claim, complain on social media or call a 1 800 number repeatedly to receive service.

 

These are just few of the many benefits that come with supporting the area we live in. Do you try to “keep it local”? What would you add to this list? 

 

Thank you for reading Live Delaware! We hope you’ll visit often. You might even find or discover a new favorite place to eat, shop or live! Have a favorite local business, non-profits or event in Delaware? We’d love to hear about them. You can fill out this referral questionnaire, tweet them to us or start a discussion in the comments below!

Don’t forget to support the local small businesses who support the area where you live – Live Local Delaware!