Member Events

The stories of those buried in this historic cemetery help reveal the meanings behind the elaborate rituals associated with death and mourning in the 19th-century as you are guided among the ornately decorated tombstones of the Wesley United Methodist Church’s old historic cemetery. Uncover the meanings of the carefully chosen and crafted funeral art that decorates the tombs of the high and low alike and what those symbols might reveal about the people buried beneath them. Varied and often unusual funerary customs of the Victorian Period will be revealed including mourning clothes and customs and how the Civil War helped develop methods of preserving the dead.

Space is limited; call 302.739.9194 for reservations.

Lantern tours cancelled due to inclement weather will not be rescheduled.

$10 per person

From Horses to Horsepower all in one great weekend! Celebrate the History and Heritage of Dover like never before! The 85th Annual Dover Days Festival and NASCAR at Dover International Speedway!

Don't miss this great weekend in Delaware's Quaint Villages with the 85th Annual Dover Days on Saturday, May 5, 2018  and Spring NASCAR Races May 4-6, 2018!

The 85th Annual Dover Days Festival, is one of Delaware’s largest and longest-running free events, is entirely dedicated to promoting our state’s heritage and culture.

Dover Days is easily the biggest parade in Kent County, with  Delaware’s Governor serving as Grand Marshal.

Each year’s Dover Days activities showcase our state’s history and heritage, as well as highlights from more contemporary times such as the parade, traditional Maypole Dancing, vintage automobile rides, games, moon bounce village, over 200 craft and food vendors, music, colonial artisans’ village and historic re-enactment groups for the Revolutionary War, WW II and the Civil War.

 Dover Days is a true celebration of the first state — right in the heart of the first capital! Dover Days was placed among the Top 100 USA Events by the American Bus Association.

NASCAR Spring Races May 4-6, 2018

In the Spring, the “AAA 400 Drive for Autism” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is set for Sunday, May 6, with Jimmie Johnson looking for win No. 12 at Dover. Earlier in the weekend, watch the “OneMain Financial 200” NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash race on Saturday, May 5 and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, May 4. For more information about NASCAR Races or to buy tickets, click here. 

We invite you to attend one of two Information Sessions that will be held in downtown Dover to provide an overview of Unlock the Block! 

To register to attend, click here:  

Feel free to share this information with other interested parties, and they too can sign up for Updates about Unlock the Block and learn more at the Unlock the Block Project Website.  They may also use the above link to sign up for the Information Session.

Business Plans: The creation of a business plan is not a requirement to attend the Information Session, but if you would like to create, or update your business plan, see attached. These are several guides, from basic to more complex.  

If you have specific questions, please contact one of the following:

• Downtown Dover Amenities and Local Incentives: Tina Bradbury, Program Manager, Downtown Dover Partnership tina@downtowndoverpartnership.com

• City of Dover Incentives, Processes, Licensing/Inspections: Dave Hugg, Planning, City of Dover dhugg@dover.de.us

• Properties and Business Questions: Rick Ferrell, Retail Market Answers, LLC, Business Development Consultant RickFerrell@hotmail.com

• General Questions about Unlock the Block:  Diane Laird, State Coordinator, Downtown Delaware Diane.Laird@state.de.us

Join Delaware Humanities and the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve for a night of horseshoe crabs!  We will discuss the article “Turned Around and Flipped Over” and share two poems on horseshoe crabs.  Then, we will head to the beach to conduct a mock horseshoe crab survey.

This event is free, but registration is required.  Please contact Rebecca Vermeesch to register (302-739-6377 or rebecca.vermeesch@state.de.us).