Delaware Tailgating Games & Fireworks Festival offers family fun in Georgetown
It’s the fun of tailgating without the pro sports game — and the expensive ticket.
That’s one thing Laura Rimmer said about the Delaware Tailgating Games & Fireworks Festival, a new event coming to 16 Mile Brewery in Georgetown on Saturday, Sept. 30. Rimmer is development officer for Sussex and Kent counties for Children & Families First, the beneficiary of the event.
There will be time with friends, food and of course, the tailgating games, she said.
“We’ve put all that into this day,” she said.
The tailgating games are one aspect of the family festival, which has free admission. Teams can range from 2-4 people who are ages 16 and older, and the cost is $50 for a standard team and $40 for a team including a first responder before Wednesday, Sept. 27, according to the event website. On-site registration will raise to $70 and $50, respectively.
The event is held at a brewery, so there will be beer available for purchase. However, drinking is not required for any of the tailgating games, said Dan Young, owner of Young Consulting Group, who has been working to plan this inaugural event. He is also part-owner of a tailgating company.
The tournament starts at 2 p.m., and Young said it will start with a “knockout” game to get the field down to eight teams and continue until there are only two teams left and one is crowned the winner.
Different tailgating games will be included, and it’s a surprise which ones they are, Young said, although the news release mentioned examples of cornhole, ladder ball, KanJam, and life-sized Beirut.
Prizes are $250 for the first-place team and $100 for the second-place team, according to the event website.
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Both Rimmer and Young are looking forward to the fireworks display, which will start at about 8 p.m. It’s been many years since there were fireworks in Georgetown, Young said.
There will also be food trucks, music, vendors and a Kid Zone.
“It’s really a family festival,” Young said.
The festival’s location — Georgetown — is also the place where county residents came together hundreds of years ago because of its central location.
“Everything about this celebrates our proud history,” said Brett McCrea, owner and founder of 16 Mile Brewery, in a news release. “An event that welcomes everyone and benefits our most vulnerable families and children honors and continues our legacy as a community gathering space.”
For adults ages 21 and up that choose to partake, there is a VIP Festival Pass that includes 10 beers from 16 Mile. The cost is $25 before Wednesday, Sept. 27, and $40 otherwise, according to the event website.
Rimmer said funds raised by the Delaware Tailgating Games & Fireworks Festival will stay in Sussex County. The nonprofit has a variety of programs that work toward its mission — the organization “helps children facing adversity on their journey to adulthood,” according to its website.
Rimmer talked about some of Children & Families First’s programs, including early intervention for high-risk moms, group counseling for families, foster and adoptive programs and the Seaford House, a group home for youth.
Children & Families First will be on-site at the festival, Rimmer said, raffling off a $500 gift certificate to a Carnival cruise.
There will be a lot of different activities going on that Saturday on the lawn at 16 Mile.
“I think there’s really a little bit of something for everybody there,” Young said.
IF YOU GO
Delaware Tailgating Games & Fireworks Festival
When: Saturday, Sept. 30, 2-8 p.m. (fireworks at 8 p.m.)
Where: 16 Mile Brewery, 413 S. Bedford St., Georgetown
Cost: Free admission
Tournament: $50 per team/$40 for team with a first responder before Sept. 27; on-site registration is $70 per team/$60 per team with a first responder
VIP Festival Passes: $25 per person before Sept. 27 or $40 on-site
Info: www.deltg.com