Rehoboth Beach Pride Festival matured from a simple weekend celebration into a week of activism, culture and community in 2025. Last year’s festival spilled out from the convention center onto the boardwalk and the town’s sun‑bleached streets, drawing more than a thousand people and dozens of vendors. On the main festival day the convention hall transformed into a marketplace of queer‑owned businesses, artisans and organisations, while outside groups handed out resources about health screenings, HIV testing and housing assistance. Drag performers and local musicians worked the room, a kaleidoscope of rainbow pottery, home‑baked pies and hand‑printed T‑shirts rotated across tables, and students from nearby Lewes and Maryland sold paintings and zines to raise money for homeless lgbtq+Q youth. That sense of grassroots purpose gave the day a distinctly local flavour despite the national attention that followed a protest at a drag brunch: the organisers staged a “Sashay at the Sands” demonstration after a nearby restaurant announced that its brunch would be limited to guests over the age of 21. Families carrying Pride flags joined volunteers from PFLAG, the Gay Women of Rehoboth and allied churches to chant and dance their way down the boardwalk, raising funds for shelters and services. Building on the momentum of 2025, Sussex Pride has announced that Rehoboth Beach Pride in 2026 will expand into a five‑day series of events from July 15 through July 19, with the main festival taking place on Saturday, July 18 at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. In past summers, that hall has hosted everything from craft fairs to worship services, but during Pride week it becomes a hub for celebration and mutual aid. Vendor spaces usually sell out months ahead of time because so many independent artisans want to be part of the event. Expect rows of tables lined with hand‑blown glass, vegan cupcakes, rainbow pottery and fresh lemonade. Community groups from across the Delmarva Peninsula will share information about HIV testing, mental‑health services and housing, and there will be sign‑ups for drag workshops, youth mentorship programmes and volunteer opportunities. The expanded schedule includes film screenings, beach yoga, a family picnic, bar takeovers and a sunset drag show. Organisers hint that national and regional performers will be announced in early summer, but one of the festival’s biggest draws has always been the people themselves. One afternoon on the convention centre lawn last year you could hear teens from Lewes laughing over cold brew coffee while a grey‑haired couple from Virginia browsed handmade jewellery. Kids in strollers stopped at a craft table to make Pride bracelets, while a retired schoolteacher chatted with a drag queen about a donation drive for a local food pantry. After the day wound down, the party continued at local bars like Blue Moon and Freddie’s Beach Bar, which hosted after‑parties featuring DJs and drag talent. Those late‑night events are expected to return in 2026, and the organisers hope to add daytime workshops on queer history and sign‑making for the Sunday rally. Rehoboth Beach itself is part of the appeal. The town’s mile‑long boardwalk, fudge shops and amusement rides give the festival a uniquely nostalgic backdrop. To get a good spot, many locals recommend arriving early; parking and beach space fill up quickly on summer Saturdays, but the convention centre is climate‑controlled and accessible, making it comfortable for older visitors and people with disabilities. The Jolly Trolley and DART Beach Bus both stop nearby, so it’s easy to leave the car at home. Because the event is free, donations collected during the week help cover costs and support Sussex Pride’s youth housing programme and mental‑health fund. Organisers say those funds are more important than ever as more queer young people seek safe housing and counselling. Beyond the entertainment, the Pride Festival remains rooted in activism. The success of the 2025 drag brunch protest emboldened organisers to continue pushing for inclusive policies and to partner with local faith groups, government officials and businesses to challenge discrimination. In 2026 they plan to host a town hall on youth homelessness, rally support for gender‑affirming care and invite parents to workshops on how to support trans and non‑binary kids. The festival is meant to be as much a call to action as it is a party, and that dual mission is what keeps people coming back each summer. If you are planning a trip to the Delaware shore next July, consider spending a few days in Rehoboth Beach to experience the full range of Pride events. Whether you are drawn by the vendor fair, the beach parties, the chance to learn more about queer history or simply the desire to be surrounded by a supportive community, this little coastal town will welcome you with open arms. For more details and the latest updates, visit the festival’s Official Website.

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