Dover Days

This Year’s Dover Days Activities and Events

The 92nd Anniversary celebration of Dover Days will be Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3, 2025.

Friday, May 2:

5 pm Street Closure (streets directly surrounding Legislative Mall – will remained closed until 4 pm Saturday)

6 – 9:30 pm
Kick-Off Event with food vendors, lantern tour, live band, fireworks
Legislative Mall & The Green

Featuring:

7 – 8 pm
Lantern Tour of the Dover Green 
meets at the John Bell House, 43 The Green

7- 8:30 pm
Milford Community Band
far east side of Legislative Mall

~9 pm
Fireworks Show
Legislative Mall (fireworks will be shot off from behind/east of Legislative Hall)

Saturday May 3:

7 am – noon: Wesley UMC AYCE Pancake Breakfast
Adults are $11 in advance or $12 at the door. Children’s tickets are $5 each. Children under age 6 eat for free. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted. Proceeds will help fulfill the groups’ various mission projects, locally and worldwide. Look for the Grace Fellowship Hall at Wesley UMC. There will also be bake sale items available for purchase until noon or when they sell out. 

9 – 10:30 am Parade
Starts at Hazel Rd and runs south on State St, through Division St AND Loockerman St, North St, to the Green (parade stage on west side) and disperses at Water St. 

9 am – 2 pm (weather permitting): Tethered Hot Air Balloon rides on Legislative Mall
$10 per person, first come, first served

11:30 am (or earlier if parade ends earlier) – 1 pm:  Maypole Dancers
West side of The Green

1:15 – 2:45 pm: “History on Stage” on Green Stage – several reenactors presenting in first person

Also on the Green:

• Friends of Old Dover exhibit (323 S. State St, between North St and The Green)
• Living History inside and behind the John Bell House (43 The Green)
• Historical Reenactors on the Green (Diamond State Lacemakers, The Wheelmen, 1st Delaware Regiment, colonial trapper)
• Urban Sketchers Delaware (12 – 3 pm), mostly on the Green but may roam.
• Dover Century Club ice cream parlor and (upstairs) craft show (10 am to 3 pm)
• The Old State House open for tours 10 am – 4 pm
• Historical Reenactors behind Old State House (native tribes, WWII)

10 – 11 am, 11:30 – 12:30 pm, 1:30 – 2:30 pm: Ampersand Band performs on Legislative Mall stage

1 pm: Children’s Theatre of Dover performs selections from current season on Legislative Mall stage

Also on Legislative Mall:

• Watergun Fun games and trackless train (Federal St)
• Sand Castle Art – off of Leg Mall, corner of North and Federal St
• Vendor Village – all around Legislative Mall
• Food Vendors on MLKJ N
  Asian Taste

  Amy’s Grill

  Zach’s Street Grill

  Sherri’s Crab Cakes

  Barkley BBQ

  Carl’s Gourmet Hots & Sandwiches

  Top Five BBQ

  White & Associates
  Little Connie’s Kettle Corn

  Frios Gourmet Popsicles

  Johnson Family Funnel Cakes

  Byler’s Donuts

  Fun Stuff 4 Kids

  Pirate Pete’s Soda

  Fifer Orchards *on the southwest corner, near the stage and with other, non-food vendors
• Kris & Holly – balloon animals and fun, roving
• Kapow Show with Evan 
• Bounce houses 
• Car Show (on Legislative Ave)
• Legislative Hall open for tours 10 am – 3 pm

Elsewhere:

• Woodburn and Hall House tours, 9 am – 2 pm
• Johnson Victrola Museum open 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
• The Biggs Museum of American Art: open 10 am – 5 pm, free admission, Art Workshop 11 am – 2 pm, Guided Tour at 2 pm AND special Dover Days History Hero scavenger hunt activity available all day. Several parade floats will be out front for you to view as well. 
• Christ Episcopal Church tours 10 am to 2 pm (501 S State St)
• Delaware Public Archives “Uncovering Cemeteries” program at 10:30 am
• Dover Art League Hosts Art Swap (open 10 am – 5 pm), 1 – 4 pm
  This event is free and open to the public.

All activities free and available 9 am – 3 pm unless otherwise noted.

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL MAP

View the full program (some changes have occurred since publication)

If you are a vendor, parade participant, or entertainer registered for the event, please contact [email protected] with questions and concerns. 

For the latest updates about this annual festival, check the Facebook page. 

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The Dover Days Kickoff 

Friday evening launches the Dover Days Festival. This portion of the festival will begin at 5 p.m. and continue through 9 p.m. During this period, visitors can enjoy a wide range of food trucks from local vendors, giving you a taste of Kent County’s best food. You can also join historical walking tours, where locals will take groups through the city and highlight its rich history. 

At dusk, visitors can relax and watch a firework show lighting up the Dover sky in vibrant colors. 

The Dover Days Parade 

The Dover Days Parade showcases Delaware’s history and culture with displays and groups planned by local organizations and businesses. Many participants dress up in fun costumes or as historical figures to further engage the audience and draw attention to themselves. Some past organizations include Kent County firefighters on fire trucks and local elementary schools with student representatives. 

The parade will work through the city, starting at 9 a.m. Parade signup is now open! 

Traditional Maypole Dancing 

Maypoles are a traditional way to celebrate the coming of spring. While maypole dances traditionally happen on May 1, Dover welcomes spring a few days later during the Dover Days Festival. You can participate in a traditional maypole dance by holding a ribbon while twirling around a decorated floral pole. As the ribbons twist around the pole, it will make a beautiful, multicolored wrap that showcases spring’s vibrance. 

Many participants wear colonial clothes for the maypole dance. The outfits bring an interactive element to the activity, transporting participants and observers back through time. 

Tethered Hot Air Balloon Rides 

Get an overlook of Dover with Dover Days’ hot air balloon rides. These rides are perfect for people who love relaxing and enjoying the view. Because a tether connects each balloon to the ground, you can drift comfortably without moving, allowing your group to take in the sights of Dover. 

Historical Reenactments 

Visitors can get closer to Dover’s colonial history with historical reenactments. Volunteers will dress up as famous historical figures, speaking about significant events that took place in Delaware, Kent County and Dover. Many performers have authentic props, giving visitors more insight into life in colonial and revolutionary Dover. 

The Dover Days Festival brings history further to life with the historical artisan village and demonstrations. Costumed volunteers will sell authentic items from the colonial and revolutionary periods while hosting demonstrations on how to make items with tools from that time. This portion of the festival is perfect for visitors who love history. 

Local Vendors 

If you get hungry during the festival, no worries! Dover Days attracts a diverse selection of local food vendors to feed visitors. On Friday and Saturday, vendors will sell delicious food that can satiate any palate, so everyone in the family can find something they’ll love. You might even discover your next favorite dish. 

In addition to food, you can also find local craft vendors with stalls on Saturday of the Dover Days Festival. Local artisans will show off their skills with quality products that can make a lovely addition to your home or souvenir from your travels to Dover. You might even find the perfect gift for a loved one to cherish. 

Like the food vendors, each artisan will offer a different trade, creating a diverse array of goods to explore and purchase. 

Historic Downtown Dover 

While many come to Dover specifically for the Dover Days Festival, Dover’s historic downtown offers many activities for the whole family, making it perfect for an extended stay. The beautiful colonial-style brick buildings create a scenic backdrop for anyone who loves to meander and explore the city, which you can also enjoy throughout the festival. Here are some other activities you can consider during your visit to Dover. 

• Old State House: Located on the Green in historic downtown Dover, the Old State House served as the first state’s capitol from 1791 to 1933. Now, the building is a free museum where visitors can leave contemporary times behind and step into the past. Tours are available for anyone who wants to learn more about the building, its significance and Delaware’s history. 
• Johnson Victrola Museum: If you want to see the origin place of innovation and change, you must visit the Johnson Victrola Museum. This site walks visitors through the history of the Victor Talking Machine Company, which produced phonograph records. Founded by Delaware citizen Eldridge Reeves Johnson, the company’s operations changed the recording industry and technology. 

With so much to do and learn in downtown Dover, you can continue celebrating Delaware’s long history and culture in its historic district and many museums.