Arts & Entertainment

For those that bemoan that winter is a dreary time to be at the beach, with nothing to do but trudge through until spring brings warmth and sunshine, the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce has just the ticket to warm things up a notch.

Colleagues, friends, associates and family gathered in Georgetown on Tuesday for the release and book signing of the final work of the late Dr. William H. Williams, professor emeritus at the University of Delaware.

After facing a lack of funding at the beginning of this year, Diakonia – a homeless shelter in West Ocean City, Md. – was in dire straights. They knew something had to be done or they wouldn’t be able to provide emergency food and housing assistance to those who needed it most.

Bethany Beach is a strange mix of timeless history and new tradition. Each year, the beach community swells as more and more people escape their previously hectic city lives for a taste of seaside serenity. And for many who have been taken in by Bethany’s charm, it all started with childhood trips to the seashore. Year after year, this summer pilgrimage was repeated, and now those memories compel many to share their love of Bethany with new generations.

With families and friends returning to the shore for the holiday weekend, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. But, for many, the Thanksgiving holiday brings with it something else: The SouthEastern Delaware Artist Studio Tour (SEDAST) will return to the region, granting a free peek for the public into the studios and workings of some of the area’s most renowned artists and craftsmen.

Delaware Does More – a collaborative effort among local non-profits, businesses, schools, faith-based organizations and others – kicked off Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Food Bank of Delaware’s Milford storage facility. Proposed by the food bank and United Way of Delaware, the statewide initiative has ambitious goals of raising 300,000 pounds of food and $250,000 this winter to help its neediest citizens by supplementing food supplies and offering utility assistance and emergency shelter for those less fortunate. Many of those people – because of things like layoffs and uncertainty in the housing market – put a new face on hunger.

Most U.S. households waste more food that they can imagine or would like to admit, and the United States collectively throws away a full quarter of its food. And restaurants – known these days for over-sized portions and being strangers to the “less-is-more” motto – are no different. So, Tony Parrill and the staff at Fat Tuna decided to do something about it.

While the height of the area’s busiest season is a few page-turns on the calendar behind us and the peak of shoulder-season events has passed us by, the ever-growing year-round nature of the Delaware shore area now provides a multitude of options for entertainment through the fall and winter. From independent films and art exhibits to athletic events and seasonal offerings, there’s plenty for beachgoers and inlanders of all ages.

For many students, their first chance to study abroad might be in college, if they ever get that chance at all. Jillian Harkness of Dagsboro got her chance this year as an 11th-grader and a member of 4-H.

For more than 60 years, the town of Selbyville has celebrated Halloween with a parade, and this year is no exception. It’s time for the annual Spooktacular Parade.

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, there will be food, fun and, of course, the timeless tradition of marching the streets of downtown Selbyville to celebrate the holiday.

Isabel Umanzor recently held a release party at for her original CD “Siete Días” at Salsa Matteo’s in Bethany Beach. Umanzor has been working on this, her second CD, for almost two years, recording it at the AMI Seagull Studios at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Md. The songs are all original and have a personal and social theme.

Just as an old lighthouse stands as a beacon of light and guidance for ships, The Lighthouse Women and Children’s Program exists to offer women with drug, alcohol and mental health issues with one thing often lost amidst the turmoil of addiction: hope.

The spirit of Billy Powell will be celebrated on Saturday, Oct. 4, in Bethany Beach. Powell, a 1972 graduate of Indian River High School in Frankford, and a past Bethany Beach lifeguard and captain, died of melanoma in September 1983 at the age of 28.

The future is here.

Driving down Route 9 just west of Five Points, near Lewes, it’s hard to miss the big silo with the cream cones on it. It’s enough to spark ice cream dreams — especially for its owners. For Christine Hopkins and her family, Hopkins Family Creamery was a five-year dream come true when they opened this June.

Note: This event has been canceled due to Tropical Storm Hanna.

On Saturday, Sept. 6, downtown Bethany Beach will once again be transformed into a colorful spectacle of artistic beauty and talent. More than 130 fine artists and crafters will pour onto the boardwalk, transforming the ocean-set backdrop into a gallery of splendor for the 30th Annual Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival, presented by the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce.

Bread is bread, right? Not exactly.

Let’s put it out there. I’m not a farmer.

So I have been told during the course of my reporting, as I have made my way around the county interviewing various farmers that participate in the beach area’s farmers’ markets. I ask crazy questions, I meet crazier people and I learn something new every day.

With a name like Chowderfoot, you might expect an amusing story behind the origin of the young Seaford band. The truth is, however, the laid-back foursome just wanted something catchy, something likeable, something that people would remember. Through nearly a decade and a sprinkle of band mates, the close friends have found their forté.