The Sea Witch Festival takes over Rehoboth Avenue on Saturday morning, but towing on the Avenue starts tonight, Thursday, October 22. Any car parked in a Rehoboth Avenue space between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Friday will be towed at the owner's expense, according to the City of Rehoboth Beach's festival notice posted October 7. The 36th festival runs October 23 to 25. The Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce produces and hosts it, and the City's calendar notes that the City does not organize the event.
Visitors get three days of Sea Witch. Anyone who lives or owns near the Avenue gets five, from Thursday's towing window to Monday afternoon's deadline for claiming lost chairs. This year the Chamber added one new event, and it's the one built around the people who live here.
The five-day calendar
Here's the weekend as it looks from the Avenue, using the City notice and the Chamber's 2026 festival program.
| When | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday night into Friday, 1 to 6 a.m. | No overnight parking; vehicles towed | All Rehoboth Avenue spaces |
| Friday, noon to 5 p.m. | New Sea Witch Community Fair | Rehoboth Beach Bandstand |
| Saturday, 1 a.m. | Median parking ends through the parade | Rehoboth Avenue median |
| Saturday, 2 a.m. | Avenue closes to all traffic | Rehoboth Avenue |
| Saturday, until 9:30 a.m. | Cross-traffic still allowed | 1st and 2nd Streets |
| Saturday, 11 a.m. | Costume parade steps off | 4th Street and Rehoboth Avenue |
| Saturday, around 4 p.m. | Avenue reopens after fencing comes down | Rehoboth Avenue |
| Sunday, 1 p.m. | Costumed dog parade | Boardwalk at the Henlopen Hotel |
| Monday, until 4 p.m. | Last chance to claim collected items | Streets Department, 20476 Lincoln Street |
The Thursday towing rule isn't new this year. The Chamber's 2025 program called it new, and the City's 2026 notice says it was in force last year as well. It's now part of the routine, and it lands on the night this post publishes.
Friday's new fair is aimed at people who live here
The rest of Sea Witch Friday is built around arrivals. The program lists an indoor artisan and vendor show with kids' activities at the Convention Center, plus live entertainment and the Dewey Beach businesses' trick-or-treat.
The 2026 addition is different. The new Sea Witch Community Fair runs from noon to 5 p.m. Friday at the Bandstand. It's free, depends on the weather, and is sponsored by Service Today. The Chamber's description makes the audience clear. The fair is a chance to "connect with local non-profits, community organizations and service providers that make our Resort Area a special place to live, work, and visit."
"Live" comes first on that list. The weekend's newest event takes place the day before the crowds arrive, at the downtown spot best known for summer concerts, and it focuses on the organizations people use all year. Friday afternoon is also the quietest stretch of the five days. The Avenue is still open, and the closures haven't started yet.
Saturday: the Avenue closes, and two details shift
The bigger shift on Saturday is about access. Rehoboth Avenue closes to all traffic at 2 a.m. and stays closed until the fencing comes down after the parade, around 4 p.m. Until 9:30 a.m., 1st and 2nd Streets are the only places to cross the Avenue. State Road, Sussex Street and 4th Street close for the parade lineup, most of Christian Street closes for fence staging, and parking is restricted on Scarborough Avenue. The Chamber's parking guidance adds that parking is prohibited on 4th Street and on portions of 5th, Sussex and Kent Streets.
The parade route is the same as in 2025. At 11 a.m., walkers leave 4th Street and head west on Rehoboth Avenue to State Road. They turn back east to the Bandstand, then return to 4th Street. Dewey Beer Co. is this year's grand marshal, followed by the Sea Witch Clipper Ship, which the program says is "pirated by" the Stewart Family. The confirmed bands are the Cape Henlopen High School band, the New Baltimore Christian Warriors, the Oley Valley Marching Lynx, the Sussex Central Golden Knights and the Woodland String Band/Mummers.
The route stayed put, but two Saturday details changed from the 2025 program. Anyone working from last year's habits should check these:
| Event | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Parade walker registration and lineup | Coho's Market & Grill and Loves Liquors, 305 Rehoboth Avenue at 4th Street | JAM Bistro and Loves Liquors, same address |
| Witch-cackle contest at Zelky's Beach Arcade South | 2 p.m. | 3 p.m. |
The rest of Saturday afternoon unfolds near the beach. Children's beach games and the broom toss start at 2 p.m. on the beach at Baltimore Avenue, and the cackle contest follows an hour later at the arcade. The Sea Witch Hunt runs from 1 to 5 p.m. The winner takes home $200 and is announced Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Bandstand. Check-in for the children's costume contest is 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Zelky's Beach Arcade South, with awards at 8 p.m. The Brigands are also on the program, playing sea shanties, ballads and fiddle tunes at the Rehoboth Beach Public Library.
Runners get their own Saturday. The program lists the Sea Witch Half-Marathon Classic and the First State Webfooters Triathlon, and the Sea Witch 5K Classic follows at 9 a.m. Sunday.
Getting in without a car
The Chamber's 2026 guide lists free parking at the Rehoboth Beach Park & Ride, at Coastal Highway and Shuttle Road, and at the Lewes Park & Ride. DART Route 201 runs Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. at regular fares. The Saturday bus stop is on Lake Avenue by the Henlopen Hotel, about a half-mile walk down the Boardwalk to the Bandstand.
For guests staying with you, those two park-and-ride lots are the easiest answer to the parking question. The City's notice suggests side streets for anyone who drives in and says parking on Rehoboth Avenue is not recommended.
Sunday belongs to the dogs
The costumed dog parade runs a different route at a different scale. Registration and judging start at noon beside the Henlopen Hotel, the parade begins at 1 p.m., and winners are announced at 2:30 p.m. at the Bandstand. The route:
- South along the Boardwalk from the Henlopen Hotel to the Star of the Sea Condominiums at Laurel Street
- Back along Laurel Street
- Along King Charles Avenue and First Street
- Onto Rehoboth Avenue and back toward the Bandstand
Entry is $5 per dog. The Brigands lead the parade, and Rehoboth Beach Animal Hospital is among its co-sponsors. The dogs reach the Bandstand on the same afternoon the Sea Witch Hunt winner is named there, which makes 2:30 p.m. Sunday the weekend's last big gathering downtown.
Monday at Lincoln Street
After Saturday's parade, the City's Streets Department picks up blankets, coolers, chairs and anything else left unattended on Rehoboth Avenue. Owners can claim those items outside the department's office at 20476 Lincoln Street until 4 p.m. Monday, October 26. The program notes that details can change, and the festival site at seawitchfestival.com posts any additions.
If you're hosting family for Sea Witch weekend and want an early start on your next coastal move, Betsy Perry knows these blocks around Rehoboth Avenue well, including which ones go quiet on a parade Saturday. Let's talk about your next coastal move.
