DELAWARE

Delaware Seashore to cap 50th anniversary by celebrating the Inlet

Doug Ferrar
The Daily Times
A view of the Indian River Inlet in 1977.

The 50th anniversary events at Delaware Seashore State Park will come to a close Sept. 23 with "Celebration of the Inlet."

“The goal of the 50th anniversary event series was to highlight the major parts of the park that make up the heart and soul of Delaware Seashore,” said Interpretive Programs Manager Laura Scharle. “We celebrated fishing at the spring surf fishing tournament, we celebrated the beach at the sandcastle contest, and we celebrated the bay at our paddlefest event. Now it’s time to celebrate the Indian River Inlet.”

Camping at the old Key Box Campground in 1960.

The summer-long party was designed by park interpretive staff to celebrate the features of the park that have drawn visitors for generations. A major component has been the Family Scrapbook project, in which staff encouraged visitors to submit old family photos of people enjoying the park.

RELATED: DE Seashore State Park: 50 years of family traditions

The anniversary celebration opened in May with "Celebrate Fishing," which coincided with the annual Spring Surf Fishing Tournament at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle. "Celebrate the Beach" debuted on July 8 in conjunction with the annual park sandcastle contest at the South Inlet beach area. "Celebrate the Bay" on Aug. 26 included a 3-mile kayak tour of marshlands and islands on Rehoboth Bay.

The final festivities will begin at 5 p.m. at the North Inlet Day Area.

Chorduroy Band, a local favorite, will perform from 5-8 p.m.  

Food trucks from Rosenfeld's Jewish Deli and Zogg’s Sea Hogg will sell food from 5-8 p.m.

A view of the Indian River Inlet in 1955.

There will be a beach bonfire from 6:30-9:30 p.m., and guided bridge hikes at 7, 8, and 9 p.m.  

To top it off, the first 300 participants will have the opportunity to make their own Delaware Seashore 50th anniversary tote bag.

Scharle said that families have been coming to Delaware Seashore State Park to camp on the beach long before the land even became a state park. 

RELATED: Delaware Seashore State Park to host new kayaking event called 'Paddlefest'

Park staff are allowing visitors an exclusive, one night opportunity to camp directly on the beach, something that hasn't been allowed since before the park opened in 1967. The camping aspect has been so popular that all sites are booked and there is a waiting list for alternates.

Camping on the beach in 1955.

“Just because beach camping is booked, doesn’t mean people can’t still come to the event and be nostalgic about the good ol’ days,” Scharle said. “On top of all the activities we have planned, we will have our park history exhibit on display, as well as a slideshow of all the user-submitted photos we’ve collected over the last few months as part of our Family Scrapbook project.”

"Celebrate the Inlet" is free, but daily park entrance fees will be in effect. For more information, please visit destateparks.com or call the Indian River Life-Saving Station at 302-227-6991.

An early bridge over the Indian River Inlet, date unknown.