DO Delaware: What's scarier, Frightland's opening weekend or the introduction of Gritty?
FREAK OUT
Halloween is only about a month away and Frightland is ready for it.
Frightland will be the first major First State attraction to open with eight themed areas across 350 acres of farmland that hugs Del. 1 just south of St. Georges.
The chills start on Friday at 6 p.m and again on Saturday at the same time, costing $30-$60 depending on how many of the haunts you want to scream in.
The fright fest draws about 50,000 people across its 18 nights and features a revamped hayride this year.
DRINK
Brews By the Bay sets sail at Indian River Inlet this weekend, landing at Delaware Seashore State Park at the Indian River Inlet Bridge.
The move allows festivalgoers to throw their car keys down for the weekend and book a campsite at the park.
The sixth annual festival will stick to its basic ground rules, limiting regular distribution beers and encouraging breweries to trot out one-of-a-kind, hard-to-find beers to impress First State beer nerds. (There are about 800 of them there each year.)
Wilmington reggae act Brixton Saint will team up with New York funk band The Phryg to supply the music and food will be handled by Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli, Taco Reho, The Sea Hogg Downtime Refreshment and The Hungry Spork.
Tickets are $40 with $10 designated driver passes also available.
GAWK
What in the actual hell is Gritty.
The Philadelphia Flyers unveiled their first mascot in more than 40 years earlier this week, and the internet had *thoughts* about the fuzzy, 7-foot orange creature with googly eyes.
ROCK
How do you promote a new residential community? Throw a music festival.
Wait. What?
That’s what’s happening this weekend at Fort DuPont in Delaware City.
In 2014, the state created the Fort DuPont Redevelopment and Preservation Corporation to lead the effort to redevelop the 400-acre former army base that dates back to the mid-1800s.
Construction is underway at the site, which will include restoring historic homes and commercial buildings, along with the addition of a marina, hotel, restaurants, new homes, retail stores and more.
To help market the project (and Delaware City as a whole), the corporation will host the Fortify Music Fest from 1 to 9 p.m. on Saturday at 260 Old Elm Ave., Delaware City.
Acts include Led Zeppelin tribute band Kashmir (8 p.m.), Joey DiTullio (7 p.m.), Montana Wildaxe (6 p.m.), Steal Your Peach (5 p.m.), Nappy Riddem (4 p.m.), Spokey Speaky (3 p.m.), Soraia (2 p.m.) and June Divided (1 p.m.) on two stages. Tickets are $50.
There will also be food trucks, a beer garden and Twin Lakes’ new Fortify IPA available, brewed just for the festival.
Go to fortifyfest.com for details.
SALUTE
Vet Fest returns to Middletown (801 Mapleton Ave.) Saturday for a day of honor, music and a parade.
The day kicks off with a motorcycle rally departing Minquadale Fire Company at 9:45 a.m., arriving at the festival site at 10:15 a.m. There is also a 10 a.m. ruck, 11 a.m. 5k run with a family walk as well.
At noon, a veterans parade kicks off before the three-hour music festival begins at 12:30 p.m.
There's a suggested donation of $5 to $25 for admission. The festival benefits 22 in 22, a Wilmington-based nonprofit that combats suicide among veterans.
WATCH
Your dad's new favorite show has a Delawarean in a lead role.
"Law & Order" titan Dick Wolf's new drama "F.B.I." debuted Tuesday night on CBS with Zeeko Zaki in one of the lead roles.
The role of an F.B.I. agent in New York City was written for a Hispanic actor, and Zeeko doesn't speak Spanish, his mother, Emon Zaki, said. But when Wolf, creator and producer, met Zeeko, who is a Muslim-American born in Egypt who moved to Delaware as a baby, he switched the role to fit Zeeko, says Emon.
Zeeko plays agent Omar Adom "OA" Zidan to Missy Peregrym's Maggie Bell.
PREPARE
We know what you're doing on Thanksgiving and it doesn't involve turkey.
"Creed II" lands that day, and a new trailer that dropped Wednesday has us counting down the days.
Watch the trailer and marvel at all things Michael B. Jordan and the return of the Drago family (!)