Events & Happenings
Battery Park is Open to the Public
Special Events
The City of New Castle hosts many events throughout the year. Due to the Covid situation some events my be cancelled or modified.
Explore the links below for more information
2020
Shop small this Saturday, November 28th and all season long. Our local shops have a wide variety of unique gifts, including our museum shops. Our restaurants and services offer gift certificates, which are always a great gift.
Arasapha Wreath Making Workshops: Help decorate Historic New Castle for the Holidays.
Every year, Arasapha members and volunteers participate in a beloved New Castle tradition: decorating all-natural wreaths that adorn the Historic District during the holiday season.
You can help decorate the wreaths, or make one for your own home for only $25. No talent or experience needed! Stop by whenever you can, and they will show you what to do. Just bring garden clippers. Arasapha also needs donations of evergreen clippings from local backyards. For more information, including our social distancing plan, visit www.arasapha.org/holiday-greening.
- Tuesday, Dec. 1st, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 2nd, 10a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 3rd, 10 a.m. -1 p.m.
Come and visit New Castle and see the houses decorated for the season.
New Castle Historical Society Announces
Holiday House Decorating Contest
The New Castle Historical Society is sponsoring “Dressed in Holiday Style,” a holiday house decorating contest for residents of the City of New Castle. Open to all residents within the city limits, the contest will encourage exterior decorations, and award cash prizes in seven different categories: Best Overall Display, People’s Choice, Best Vintage/Traditional, Best Historical, Best Themed Display, Best Lighting Display, and Best Entranceway.
A panel of three judges will decide the winners in each category except the People’s Choice winner which will be selected through votes for photos of displays on the Historical Society’s Facebook page. The top prize is $250 for Best Overall display.
Advance registration, including a $5 registration fee, is required to participate in the contest. Judging will begin on December 9th, and winners will be announced on December 12th. The People’s Choice winner will be announced on December 28th to allow time for the public to vote. For more information and to register for the contest visit www.newcastlehistory.org or www.facebook.com/NewCastleHistory.
Spirit of Christmas *
Saturday, December 12, 2020
Presented by New Castle Presbyterian Church www.facebook.com/spiritofchristmasDE
Spirit of Christmas 2020
“A Way Home”
This Year’s 20th Annual Celebration will be a quiet reflection on years past. Although they cannot open their doors to welcome you, New Castle Presbyterian Church hopes you will join them as they continue their support for their Friendship House mission, “A Way Home.”
The church will be sharing recipes and offering a limited edition “print” as a thank you for your support. Visit newcastlepreschuch.org for more information. The City joins with NCPC in thanking the community of New Castle for your participation and support of Spirit of Christmas past!
Coming up in 2021
Guest Bartender Night at Jessop’s Tavern*
Jessop’s Tavern
114 Delaware Street
New Castle Senior Center
Guest Bartender Night
Mid January
Proceeds benefit the New Castle Senior Center.
May Market* (First Friday & Saturday in May)
Market Square – Behind New Castle Town Hall
201 Delaware Street, New Castle DE
Are you looking for the perfect plant for a special corner of your garden? Are you looking for a special herb plant for your kitchen, or something unique for your home? How about a bargain, or the perfect Mother’s Day gift? You’ll find all this and more at May Market, a New Castle tradition held on the first Friday and Saturday of May. Make this the start of a lovely day in historic New Castle. Come early for the best selection! Free expert gardening advice is available and credit cards are accepted. Proceeds benefit the gardens of New Castle’s historic Amstel and Dutch Houses.
Annual A Day in Old New Castle* (Third Saturday in May)
Experience Life on the River: Pirates, Colonial Craftsmen, Open Homes & Gardens, and so much more.
- Historical Reenactments
- Plundering Pirates
- Colonial Craftsmen
- Music, Performers
- Open Museums
- Tours of Rarely Open Homes and Gardens
- Beer Garden on the Wharf
- Deck tours of Tall Ships, as available (included with ticket)
- and much more!
Separation Day & Colonial BBQ Competition* (Second Friday & Saturday in June)
Friday Knight – Separation Day Kickoff Party
Saturday 11:30 Parade on Delaware Street
Saturday Noon Colonial BBQ Competition Starts
Saturday Noon in Battery Park, Music, Crafters, Rides, Food ending with a concert at 8:00 p.m. and Fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
This unique event celebrates Delaware’s Birthday, when we “separated” from Great Britain and Pennsylvania on June 15th 1776.
Summer Solstice
“Dining in the Street”*
Mid June
“Dining in the Street” Join your friends and enjoy Dining in the Street. Good food, good friends and music in the heart of Historic New Castle. Tickets can be purchased on www.eventbrite.com, just click on “Dining in the Street”, tickets will also be available at Jessop’s Tavern and the New Castle Senior Center. Hurry, seating is limited.
![]() Free to the public, this is always the summer’s hottest ticket! Each week features a different music group. Last Sunday in August
Art on the Green is an annual Art & Craft Show in Historic New Castle Delaware
First Saturday in October The annual River Towns Ride & Festival was converted into a recreational ride-only event for 2020 due to Covid-19. Riders will visit the historic riverfronts of New Castle, Delaware City and Wilmington, earning medals based on distance completed. Go to www.rivertownsfestival.com for more information.
Oak Knoll Book Fest is the first Saturday and Sunday in October (in even numbered years.) For details call (302) 328-7232. www.oakknoll.com/fest Hauntings in History: Ghostly Walking Tours of Old New CastleFridays & Saturdays in October Hauntings in History Walking Tours If you are brave enough to explore the darker side of New Castle’s history, then join the New Castle Historical Society this October for a journey into New Castle’s supernatural side. You will be guided through New Castle’s darkened streets and alleyways where you will hear macabre tales of hauntings, Victorian death & funeral customs, and crime & punishment that span the almost 370-year history of this Delaware River town.
|
||||
*Annual Event