THE BALLOON MAN

The Sea Witch returns
 After more than two decades, festival will expand into Dewey

 

Zachary Clayton, 10, his father Jeff and grandfather David dress as 'bumpkin chunkers' in the annual Halloween parade in downtown Rehoboth Beach. / Scott Nathan photo
Written by Jon Bleiweis
from:  delmarvanow.com
Oct 22, 2012
REHOBOTH BEACH — What started 23 years ago as a Halloween celebration on a $5,000 budget has transformed into the one of the biggest events of the year.

The celebration, of course, is the Sea Witch Halloween & Fiddler’s Festival, organized annually by the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce.

This year’s event, set to take place Oct. 26-28, should attract more than 175,000 people, according to Chamber President and CEO Carol Everhart.

“If you look at the program, where else are you going to have a Sea Witch,” she said. “Where else are you going to have a horse promenade on the beach? Where else are you going to see that many people in a coastal community? It’s got to be the largest gathering of costumes and folks having fun.”

New this year, Sea Witch will extend south into Dewey. There, a number of free events will take place, including a haunted bonfire at the beach and trick-or-treating with area businesses Friday night. Free shuttle service from the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand will be provided courtesy of the Jolly Trolley.

On Saturday, Alley Oop will host the annual skimboarding event, with participants in costume. There will also be Halloween parties for the over-21 crowd at a number of Dewey Beach bars.

Kelly Ranieri, executive director of the Dewey Business Partnership, said Dewey business owners are excited to participate in the event.

“We want to be part of it,” she said. “The DBP is committed to bringing shoulder-season events to Dewey Beach, and we thought it was a perfect opportunity to expand Sea Witch into Dewey.”

As always, thousands of costumed participants are expected to participate in the costume parade, which will have a full slate of 50 floats and rolling vehicles.
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