Rehoboth fireworks blast Cape Region into Independence Day

From morning to night, lots of July 4 activities taking place throughout the area

The Rehoboth Beach fireworks July 3 light up the Star of the Sea condominiums. There’s plenty to do to celebrate Independence Day in the Cape Region. CHRIS FLOOD PHOTOS

Chris Flood

July 4, 2022

Story Location:
The Boardwalk

Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
United States

A perfect beach day July 3 was followed by a perfect night for fireworks in Rehoboth Beach. A nice breeze kept the humidity at bay for the most part. The beach and Boardwalk were shoulder to shoulder during the colorful display. The Funsters kicked off the show with a lively performance at the Bandstand, which is celebrating its 60th year in 2022. The crew from Zambelli Fireworks set off more than 1,000 fireworks.

If you missed the fireworks in Rehoboth, or you want to have more Independence Day fun, there’s plenty happening July 4:

• In Dewey, fireworks are set to go off at 9:30 p.m.

• In Henlopen Acres, the eighth annual Independence Day Parade begins at 9:15 a.m. It’s a walk around the block. Participants are encouraged to dress in their finest red, white and blue

• In Lewes, there’s Old-Fashioned Children’s Games at 9 a.m. on Second Street. An Independence Day Boat Parade will start at 1:30 p.m. The annual Doo-Dah Parade will step off in the vicinity of Lloyd's Market at 5 p.m. The Go Fourth fireworks celebration will blast off at dusk from a barge off Lewes Beach

• In Millsboro, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church will host the annual Children’s Parade at 11:30 a.m. Children – and dogs – of all ages will don their brightest red, white and blue to parade around the church labyrinth

• In Milton, the chamber of commerce will host the annual festival known as Bring Mayberry Back to Milton in Memorial Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information on all the events, check out the Gazette’s regional wrap up under the headline Cape Region to celebrate July 4 weekend.

Grandmother Margaret Sloan and her grandson Dylan Marden were the first to set up shop at the Bandstand for the Funsters show. The show started at 8 p.m. This picture was taken around 4 p.m.

Liz and Kevin Toney are one of two husband-and-wife teams that help get the fireworks off every year.

Lew Harrington, The Avenue Inn shuttle driver, is Top Gun-like in his shades and American eagle polo.

Dottie and Reggie May are the second husband-and-wife team working for Zambelli Fireworks.

Technician Michael Pukatsch shows off a firework called red coconut with crystal flower.

Lead pyrotechnician Cynthia Ferguson starts to fill in the cases that will be used for the finale. Called a finale string, it has 10 fireworks that will go off simultaneously.

Looking south from the deck at Above the Dunes, the only open patch of space on the beach is where the fireworks crew is setting up.

It may be a celebration, but the city crews are still hard at work.

Enjoying a water break on the bench in front of Browseabout Books are Kiki Miller, left, and Karen Wadding.

Chiyo Alie’s cowboy hat with a sequin American flag design is about as celebratory as it gets.

Visitors flocked to the beach in droves earlier in the day.

Standing on top of beach patrol headquarters on Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach Patrol Lt. Ana Villabona surveys the scene prior to the fireworks starting.

Grandfather Michael Rodriguez said 3-month-old grandson D.J. Strickland was getting antsy in the restaurant so the two of them found a quiet place on Penny Lane.

Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Department Chief Chuck Snyder, center with sunglasses, hands out assignments to the EMTs on hand.

Matt Merritt’s family wanted no part of being in a picture with him.

The Funsters get the party started.

The Funsters play after the fireworks.

Funsters drummer Ed Shockley always has a facial expression to share.

Funsters frontman and lead singer Sherman Ward belts out a tune.

Braydon Blevins didn’t know his American-themed sliders would end up in the paper, but here we are.

The Hay family from Lewes rode their bikes at least part of the way in. Shown are mom Shea, dad Mackenzie, twins Reef and Ellis in the middle, Pippin by mom’s side and Remy in the front.

There were lots of pedestrian and vehicular traffic on Rehoboth Avenue.

Pat Rice of Milford tried unsuccessfully to have a seagull nab a French fry from his hand.

With a monitor set to infrared behind them, Rehoboth Beach Police Lt. Jamie Riddle and Delaware Department of Transportation South District Engineer Alastair Probert watch a drone land after monitoring the streets.