BOAST THE COAST EVENT ON OCTOBER 7
The 27 th annual Boast the Coast event will take place on Saturday, October 7, 2023. Boast the
Coast was conceived in 1996 to showcase Lewes’ nautical heritage and to feature activities that
complemented the already long-established University of Delaware’s annual “Coast Day” event
that takes place on the first Sunday in October. This year’s Boast the Coast activities are
sponsored by Irish Eyes Pub & Restaurant, Delaware Public Media and Beebe Healthcare with
partial funding from Southern Delaware Tourism.
There are a number of free activities associated with Boast the Coast taking place in 1812 Park
adjacent to the City Dock on the canal from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Freedom Boat Club will offer free
boat tours leaving from City Dock, also from 11a.m. – 2 p.m. There are no advance reservations
for these short excursions on the canal. It will be on a first-come, first-served basis with 6-8
passengers per trip. Visitors to the park and dock will be entertained by Lewes-vocalist Jgar
Helwig, who will be performing his repertoire of Broadway show tunes and other popular
favorites from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Chuckles the Pirate will be demonstrating balloon artforms
and giving them away to the audience from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Copy Cat Paint Parties will be doing
free face painting from Noon – 2 p.m.
Other activities simultaneously taking place at the City Dock in 1812 Park and in the park
include a Seafood Tasting with food priced individually and Cape Water Tours is offering two,
hour-long narrated tours departing from City Dock at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The tour, entitled
“Floating Through Lewes Maritime History,” will be narrated by Marcos Salaverria, Director of
Education at the Lewes Historical Society. The cost is $20/adults and $15/ children under 12.
Reservations are available to purchase online at CapeWaterTours.com.
Two other chamber members-the Lewes Historical Society and the Overfalls Lightship- are
partnering with the chamber on Boast the Coast to offer free tours. The Lewes Historical
Society’s Lewes Maritime Museum at the Cannonball House at 118 Front Street and the U.S.
Life-Saving Station in Canalfront Park will be open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and the Overfalls
Lightship, also in Canalfront Park, will be open as well.
The annual Lewes Merchants’ Fall Sidewalk Sale has long been associated with Boast the Coast.
It is a three-day event, wrapped around Saturday’s Boast the Coast events, beginning on Friday,
October 6 through Sunday, October 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The majority of the retail businesses
in the Historic Lewes Business District participate.
Other events taking place on October 7 are the Historic Lewes Farmers Market at Lewes
Elementary School parking lot, Peninsula Gallery’s Opening Reception for Brook Hedge’s
photography exhibit, Coastal Concerts’ performance by pianist Michelle Cann , Cape Artists
Gallery’s sidewalk/tent art sale, Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park’s Annual Bird Seed Sale
pickup and the Zwaanendael Museum’s “Mysteries of History” walking tour.
For more information about all the Boast the Coast activities, visit the Lewes Chamber of
Commerce website – www.LewesChamber.com – or at 302-645-8073; 877-465-3937.