This newsletter is a publication of Rehoboth Beach Main Street. President: Greer Maneval. Executive Director: Dan Slagle. Newsletter Executive Editor / Communications Committee Co-Chair: Peter J. Pizzolongo. Reporters/Editors: Dan Slagle, Jerry Filbin, James Mease, Cindy Lovett, & Ed Chrzanowski.

Just as Spring morphs into Summer, and living becomes easier, Rehoboth Beach welcomes visitors by the tens of thousands to our seaside resort. And this year, in addition to our usual influx of visitors mainly from the mid-Atlantic region, the end of the yearlong COVID-19 lockdowns, along with Delaware’s own newly elected President of the United States, who maintains a beachhouse here, we can most assuredly expect an influx of first-time visitors to our shores. And to start the Summer season off with a bang, the annual Fourth of July Fireworks extravaganza, on July 3^rd, is guaranteed to delight the masses as they view the display from a myriad of locations along our beach and boardwalk.

Enjoy the sun and surf along our beaches during the day. Let the fun continue with special events scheduled throughout the summer season from concerts at the bandstand to a sandcastle competition on the beach. Other things to do include world-class ocean and bay fishing expeditions, nightlife/entertainment, and biking and jogging trails, along with an array of restaurant choices to satisfy everyone’s palate. It is guaranteed to be a welcome respite from the grind of everyday life. As the nation awakens from the throes of a global pandemic, Rehoboth Beach stands ready to ensure everyone has a fun-filled relaxing time enjoying their favorite pastimes for the duration of their stay—be it one day, one week or longer. While here be sure and check out the RBMS Official Guide to Downtown Rehoboth Beach in hotel lobbies and street newsboxes across town for new and exciting things to do.

RBMS’ Official Guide to Downtown Rehoboth Beach Is Back on the Street

Start Planning Your Rehoboth Beach Vacation with RBMS’ Official Guide to Downtown Rehoboth Beach! The free Guidebook has information on events, restaurants and retail in town and includes dozens of coupons for discounts with downtown establishments that have been re-validated for the current year. The Guide can be found in hotels and restaurants in town, as well as in brightly colored news boxes—and you can download it for free, as well!  

Nicola Pizza celebrated 50 years of business on June 11. Nick, Sr., and Joan Caggiano founded the Rehoboth business in 1971, and Nicola Pizza soon became famous for its Nic-o-Bolis. The 50th anniversary celebration was a family affair. Pictured are (l-r) Nick Caggiano Jr., Kelly—Sr.’s niece and restaurant manager, Nick Caggiano Sr. and his 17-year-old grandson Vincent Caggiano. Congratulations to Nick, Sr., and the Nicola Pizza family! For more information, see the Nicola Pizza website and the Cape Gazette article, "Nicola Pizza celebrates 50 years of business."

Coastal Hobo

Rehoboth’s home for luxury beach accessories is Coastal Hobo, a family-owned manufacturer and retailer for handmade vegan soap, soy candles, and Turkish towels. The products are are all natural, with no animal fats and no synthetic chemicals. Coastal Hobo’s outstanding customer service features doorstep delivery, too. The store was founded in 2008 with the mission to combine contemporary with traditional—exceptional comfort and style can be achieved with techniques hundreds of years old. Shop Coastal Hobo’s luxury beach accessories to see exactly what they mean! For more information, visit the Coastal Hobo website at Luxury Beach Accessories | Coastal HoBo.

Rehoboth Beach’s Premier LGBTQ+ B&B Is the Rehoboth Guest House.

Looking for classic charm and modern convenience for your stay in Rehoboth Beach? You get that and more on a quiet, downtown residential street just a block from the Boardwalk. The Rehoboth Guest House is a charming gay-owned and -operated, adults (18+) only, Victorian bed and breakfast, and has been in existence for over 40 years—although the 2 houses date to the 1870s and 1880s. The Guest House was purchased in 2013 by owners Frank Colonnello and Garrett Wood and has been expanded and modernized without the loss of any of its original charm. The lodging has 18 rooms and 16 baths and features breakfast for the guests. Innkeeper, Tom Kelch says, “Our guests come back again and again because it’s like visiting a friend’s house at the beach.” It’s hard to beat the atmosphere and convenience footsteps from all that downtown Rehoboth has to offer. See more information and pictures of the Rehoboth Guest House on Maryland Ave at their website. And call for more information: 302-227-4117.

One of Rehoboth’s newest go-to restaurants for breakfast and lunch this season is the recently opened Sunny Bay Café, located at 236 Rehoboth Avenue in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Owner and Chef Laurie Orfanidis, along with co-owner Ben Stoner, may be new to Rehoboth’s restaurant scene but together they bring decades of successful restaurant operations with them to the beach location, having worked together in one of the top ten Best Breakfast/Brunch restaurants in Harford County, Maryland. Luckily, for us they are just in time to wow beachgoers looking for an escape from the throes of the pandemic and all its restrictions. Be sure to check out their online menu at www.sunnybaycaferb.com, which features comfort foods including crepes along with an array of mouthwatering desserts to satisfy any palate. “They want their customers to walk in and be happy and when they leave they want them to be happy and full.”

Sunny Bay Café is open seven days a week from 8:00am–4:00pm Monday–Friday and 7:30am–4:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. They are currently in the process of obtaining a liquor license, after which, Ben assures us, they plan on hosting a fantastic Happy Hour. For more information call 302-567-2344 or email them at sunnybaycaferb@gmail.com.  

Boutique W carries jewelry and clothing brands such as Planet, Alembika, Magnolia Pearl, and Clara Sunwoo, to name a few. For more information, go to www.shopboutiquew.com.

For the safety and well-being of everyone, Rehoboth Beach Main Street is humbly promoting patience and understanding. When you go into a restaurant or retail business, please stay calm. Many downtown merchants are experiencing staffing issues, and current staff associates are constantly working long hours and double shifts. Most business owners are still having hiring challenges, and they ask for patience while they increase staffing. Many of the downtown restaurants & retail stores are hiring for all positions!

Matt Gaffney planned, secured a grant through “Walmart Giving,” and added Bloom’s new garden at the east end of Rehoboth Avenue by the turn-around. Flowers include Rudibeckia American Goldrush, grasses, and Blue Salvia. The Rudibekia Sunny Smileyz are already blooming, and they are HUGE! Matt and Kim Catts will tend this garden throughout the season.

Are You Ready for the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand Summer Concert Series? 

The Bandstand Summer Concert Series is back for a 2021 season! The Rehoboth Beach Bandstand is a music and entertainment venue at Rehoboth Avenue and the Boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The Rehoboth Beach Bandstand Summer Concert Series takes place every year from mid-June through Labor Day Weekend and has been providing FREE entertainment for Rehoboth Beach and its visitors since 1963! Each year, over 40 bands are selected to perform in an open-air concert venue just steps from the beach. The goal of the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand is to provide entertainment through music, movies, variety acts, and other local, regional, and national performances. All performances begin at 8:00pm, Friday–Sunday (unless noted). All concerts are sponsored by the City of Rehoboth Beach. For more information on the events, visit the Bandstand website.

Rehoboth Beach has been known as Our Nation’s Summer Capital for decades. The most common explanation for this is Coastal Delaware’s proximity to Washington DC—many Washingtonian natives and “come here’s” travel to Rehoboth Beach for a weekend, week(s)-long, or full-summer getaway, year after year. Others claim that our beach’s reputation as the Summer Capital goes back to the Richard Nixon Administration, when daughters Trisha and Julie and their friends regularly visited Rehoboth Beach; others claim it was during the then-POTUS Lyndon Johnson’s era, when daughters Lynda Bird and Luci Baines and friends were the to-Rehoboth travelers. Regardless—Rehoboth Beach IS Our Nation’s Summer Capital. And, the area’s claim is now even stronger—and known throughout the world—as POTUS Joe Biden and family visit their purchased-in-2017 North Shores residence for their getaways—most recently to celebrate FLOTUS Jill Biden’s 70^th birthday. Of course, the Bidens have long been familiar faces in Rehoboth Beach. Both Joe and Jill have hosted book-signing events at Browsabout Books; frequented Double Dippers, often with the grandkids; lunched at Lori’s Oy Vey Café and had dinner at DiFebo’s; and worshiped at St. Edmond Roman Catholic Church.

The President’s presence in Rehoboth Beach causes some changes in our regular routines. Marine One, the Presidential helicopter, lands in the Gordons Pond State Park parking lot—causing the park to be closed on arrival and departure days. Presidential limousine caravans can cause havoc in our typically crowded streets in the summer. But many are happy to put up with these inconveniences, as the President and First Lady are accommodating “celebrities,” stopping often to take selfies with folks, chatting with fellow customers in the restaurants and shops they visit, or having their pictures taken as they sit on the bench in front of Browsabout Books. For more information about Our Nation’s Summer Capital, check out the Washingtonian Magazine article (written before the Election) or the more-recent Washington Post article and Washington Blade article.

Cell: 302-249-6525 Office: 302-227-2772 Email: dan@downtownrb.com

Peter Pizzolongo is a member of the Rehoboth Beach Main Street Board of Directors, Editor of the Rehoboth Beach Main Street Newsletter, Co-Chair of the newly organized Communications Committee, and a member of the Organization Committee. He has also been instrumental in the development of several grant proposals for RBMS in 2020 and 2021. Peter and his spouse, Carlos Prugue, moved to the Rehoboth Beach area full-time in 2018 when they purchased a home in the Redden Ridge community. Previously they were part-time residents, with a condo in Eagles Landing, since 2010, and have been visitors to Rehoboth Beach since the 1970s. Peter is an early childhood educator and served as an administrator and teacher-trainer for various organizations, including Zero To Three and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), as well as several consulting firms and institutions of higher education in the Washington, DC, area, and his alma mater, U DE. He enjoys yoga, Tai Chi, biking, scootering, and cooking. In addition to his roles with RBMS, Peter is a member and former Vice-President of the Delaware AEYC affiliate; Clear Space Theatre Producer’s Circle and Development Committee member; appointee to the U DE College of Education and Human Development Dean’s Advisory Council; and member of the Redden Ridge Social Committee.

Tours are coming! Rehoboth Beach Main Street is pleased to announce the formation of Downtown Walking Tours of Rehoboth Beach starting in July. The tour has everything from history to fun facts about your favorite beach town! More information will be released soon on our social media accounts and website. Follow us at www.DowntownRB.com.

The Rehoboth Art League is pleased to continue its Cottage Tour in 2021. The League is hosting a 2–week self-paced virtual tour you can enjoy from the convenience of your home. The Tour is now in its 71^st year. Though health and safety concerns prevented RAL’s event from happening in 2020, they are excited to announce that the 71st Annual Cottage Tour will be held virtually this July and will be filled with online home tours, homeowner videos, virtual tours of artwork, and much more. The Cottage Tour Committee, a group of volunteers, has worked hard to vet and secure another incredibly special selection of local homes that showcase the best of the area’s art and design. The homes on this event’s 2021 tour offer a variety of landscapes, interior, and architectural designs, ranging from historically significant to contemporary and sleek. Some homes have quite an evolving history and many homeowners showcase memories, artwork, and collections in creative ways. The Art League’s Historic Peter Marsh Homestead will again be featured on the Tour, reinvented with contemporary furnishings and feel, thanks to the creative vision of the League’s event underwriter. To purchase tickets, go to https://www.rehobothartleague.org/ 

Join along with the cast and sing-along at Clear Space Theatre’s Saturday 2:00pm matinee performances of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Mamma Mia, and The Sound of Music. Click here to view the full calendar of performances, including Sing-Along Saturdays.

Tickets for Clear Space Theatre performances can be purchased from their website: Clear Space Theatre » Artistic endeavors of integrity and risk

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

July 5

July 26

August 16

MAMMA MIA!

July 12

August 2

August 23

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

July 19

August 9

To encourage more people to come into town on what is often a quieter night, Rehoboth has once again launched free parking on Monday evenings for dining, shopping, boardwalk fun, and walks along the beach enjoying the sunset. This a great opportunity for locals to support small businesses and promote economic opportunity and growth. Meterless Mondays enables locals to drive downtown and get free parking during the summer season. Parking is free from 4:00pm to 10:00pm through September 14. 

The city will take COVID safety precautions at the fireworks display, as approved the Division of Public Health, including providing hand-sanitizing stations, mandating masks for those who are unvaccinated, and encouraging social distancing between groups. For more information: Boom! Bang! Ahh... Rehoboth Beach fireworks are on! | City of Rehoboth

For easy transportation in and out of the city, the Jolly Trolley and DART buses will be running. For parking information, visit https://www.cityofrehoboth.com/.  

The City of Rehoboth Beach will hold its annual municipal election from 10:00am–6:00 pm on Saturday, August 14, 2021, in the Convention Center, located at 229 Rehoboth Avenue. Two seats for City Commissioner will be contested. Terms of office are three years for each position. To be eligible to vote on August 14, you must register at City Hall on or before Thursday, July 15, 2021. The deadline for voter registration to vote in the 2021 municipal election is close of business on July 15, 2021. City Hall is open from 8:30 am–12:30 pm Saturdays through July 10 (except for July 3) to help facilitate matters related to the election.

For additional information about the elections, go to Elections | City of Rehoboth. For information about the candidates, go to Candidate slate set for Rehoboth’s 2021 municipal election | Cape Gazette.

Rehoboth Beach Homeowners Association and CAMP Rehoboth invite you to join them for a Candidate Forum on July 17th at CAMP Rehoboth, starting at 10:00am. The forum will feature the candidates running to be commissioner in Rehoboth Beach. CAMP Rehoboth members may send questions in advance to info@camprehoboth.com.