Between October 15 and November 8, Rehoboth Beach has four big weekends in a row, and they don't all happen in the same place. The Jazz Festival fills the Convention Center and spreads to stages beyond town. Sea Witch takes over Rehoboth Avenue on Saturday and moves to the Boardwalk on Sunday. Then the season's last major event, which carries Rehoboth Beach in its name, holds every screening in Lewes. If you live here, knowing where each weekend happens matters as much as knowing when.
| Dates | Event | Where it happens |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 15–18 | Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival | Convention Center, plus stages spread across the area |
| Oct 17–18 | Bark on the Boards, CAMP Rehoboth Block Party | Downtown Rehoboth |
| Oct 23–25 | Sea Witch Festival | Rehoboth Avenue, then the Boardwalk |
| Nov 1–8 | Rehoboth Beach International Film Festival | Lewes |
Mid-October Already Reaches Past the City Line
Rehoboth Beach Main Street's October 2026 newsletter packs the month tight. The Fall Sidewalk Sale ran October 2 to 4 and Greyhounds Reach the Beach runs October 8 to 11. Then come the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival from October 15 to 18 and Bark on the Boards on October 17. CAMP Rehoboth's Block Party follows on October 18.
The Jazz Festival shows the pattern early. Its 2026 show schedule lists six venues:
- the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center
- Cape Henlopen Performing Arts Theater
- Epworth United Methodist Church
- the Historic Lewes Farmers Market
- the Rusty Rudder and Rudder Deck
- the Cambria Hotel
Headliners include Boney James and Brian Culbertson. Damien Escobar plays with guests Peter White and Vincent Ingala, Gerald Albright with Keiko Matsui and the Eboni Strings, and Najee with Alex Bugnon and Regina Belle. A Rehoboth festival with a stage at a Lewes market previews how the rest of the season will go.
Sea Witch Saturday Belongs to the Avenue
Sea Witch runs October 23 to 25. This year the Friday has something new. The organizer's Sea Witch page announces a 1st Annual Community Fair for local nonprofits, community organizations and service providers on Friday, October 23. The festival program puts it at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand from noon to 5 p.m. In the past, Friday has mostly been the run-up to Saturday. The fair gives people who live in town a reason to come downtown before the parade crowds arrive.
Saturday is all Rehoboth Avenue. The costume parade starts at 11 a.m. Walkers begin at 4th Street, head west on Rehoboth Avenue to State Road, then turn east toward the Bandstand and finish back at 4th Street. The Old Fashioned Kids' Beach Games and Broom Toss follow at 2 p.m.
Living a few blocks off the Avenue means the parade affects how you get around. The City of Rehoboth Beach notice posted October 7 sets out the timeline:
- Thursday night, October 22, into Friday morning: no overnight parking in any Rehoboth Avenue space. Cars parked there between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Friday will be towed at the owner's expense.
- 1 a.m. Saturday: median parking ends and stays banned until the parade is over.
- 2 a.m. Saturday: Rehoboth Avenue closes to all traffic until the parade fencing comes down, around 4 p.m.
- Until 9:30 a.m. Saturday: cars can still cross the Avenue at 1st and 2nd Streets.
- Parade lineup: State Road, Sussex Street and 4th Street close. Most of Christian Street is closed for fence staging, and parking is restricted on Scarborough Avenue.
The City recommends parking on side streets next to the Avenue. Right after the parade, the Streets Department picks up any blankets, coolers and chairs left on Rehoboth Avenue. You can claim them outside its office at 20476 Lincoln Street until 4 p.m. on Monday, October 26.
Sunday Moves to the Boardwalk
On Sunday, October 25, the festival heads toward the ocean. Registration and judging for the costumed-dog contest start at noon near the Henlopen Hotel. The dog parade steps off at 1 p.m. and goes south on the Boardwalk to Laurel Street, and winners are announced at the Bandstand at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday is the Avenue, Sunday is the Boardwalk, and then the season leaves town. The next big weekend starts one week later, eight miles of Route 1 away.
The Rehoboth Festival That Screens in Lewes
The 28th annual Rehoboth Beach International Film Festival runs November 1 to 8. Public ticket sales opened October 3, at $15 for Rehoboth Beach Film Society members and $18 for everyone else. Coastal Point reports that this year's lineup has 113 films from more than 32 countries. The "International" in the name isn't new this year. A Do More 24 Delaware profile says the festival dropped "Independent" for "International" in 2025.
According to the festival program, every screening venue is in Lewes, and parking is free at all of them:
- Cinema Art Theater, Main and JEMS screens: 17701 Dartmouth Drive
- Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware: 30486 Lewes-Georgetown Highway
- Lewes Public Library: 111 Adams Avenue
- Festival hub for pass pickup: Hyatt House, 17254 Five Points Square
Opening night is Sunday, November 1, with "Jimmy" at 7:30 p.m. on the Cinema Art Theater's Main and JEMS screens, followed by a talkback with actress Jen Lilley. The festival ends on Sunday, November 8. That morning the Glass Wave Award Breakfast Ceremony runs from 10 a.m. to noon at Hyatt Dewey Beach, and the last film on the program, "Test," screens at 5:45 p.m. at CAT Main.
A few rules matter if you're planning around the Lewes screenings. Ticket holders need to be in line at least 30 minutes before showtime. Late arrivals aren't guaranteed a seat, and rush seating opens five minutes before the film if seats are left. Active military tickets are $12 and student tickets are $9 with ID. The "Beach Ball" pass costs $350 and covers films and panels during the final weekend, Friday, November 6, through Sunday, November 8. Rehoboth still has a role. The program puts the ticketed Cinema Art Theater Anniversary Member Spotlight on Monday, November 2, at RBCC in Rehoboth Beach.
What's Open Downtown Between Weekends
Downtown Rehoboth's restaurant lineup is shifting while the events move north. Main Street's newsletter introduces Jerk & Jambalaya, a new casual Jamaican and Southern restaurant from owners Sintelle Taylor and Godfrey Fitzgerald. It's at 70 Rehoboth Avenue, on the ground floor of First Street Station at the Wilmington Avenue end. The menu includes Yardie Jerk Chicken, Braised Oxtail Stew, and Ackee & Saltfish Brunch, plus Jamaican Black Cake for dessert. This fall it's open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Sunday.
On the oceanfront, Kiwi's Cove at 101 N Boardwalk, under the Atlantic Sands Hotel, will close for the winter soon and reopen in spring. The newsletter gives no closing date, and the restaurant's number for current hours is (302) 567-2855. Its new sister restaurant, SeaGlass Bistro at 23 Baltimore Avenue, is the one to watch this winter. Main Street says to look for locals' events there and at the Sands, such as wine pairing dinners and breakfast with Santa. The Cape Gazette reported in March that SeaGlass was coming to Baltimore Avenue. Its website now says it's open Tuesday through Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m., but doesn't say whether those hours last all winter.
Main Street's newsletter also points out a small off-season perk for anyone heading downtown for dinner. You don't have to feed the parking meters during the off-season.
After the Film Festival, Both Towns Take Turns
After November 8, the big events alternate between the two towns. In Rehoboth, Schellville's winter celebration runs November 21 through December 30. The Christmas tree lighting is November 27 from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., and the Holiday Stroll follows on November 28.
Lewes marks the solstice while Schellville is still running. The City of Lewes has scheduled its Winter Solstice Lantern Parade for Monday, December 21, at 5 p.m. at Canalfront Park. Lantern-making workshops come first, on December 19 and 20, with 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. sessions both days.
If you own a second home here, these weekends may decide when you come down and which town you base yourself in. At Choose Wisely Group, we keep track of how the Delaware Beaches calendar changes from Rehoboth Avenue to Lewes. We're glad to talk through timing for owners juggling visits, vendors or a future sale around these dates. Let's Connect.
