Top honors for three Delaware festivals

Punkin Chunkin, Apple Scrapple and the Sea Witch Festival are among the top events on the continent, according to the American Bus Association.

The organization ranked the top 100 best events in North America and three Delaware traditions made the list.  The events were selected by a group of tourism experts judging their overall entertainment value for tour groups and individual travelers.

“Being featured on one of the most prestigious lists utilized by travel professionals, group tour operators, and the general public enhances the state’s visibility as a preferred travel destination,,” says Delaware’s Director of Tourism Linda Parkowski.  “We want to have travelers to visit Delaware and extend their stay to experience these spectacular events and all that Delaware has to offer.”

World Championship Punkin Chunkin is perhaps the Delaware event that’s best known outside of the First State.  The annual event in which competitors use their ingenuity to fling pumpkins hundreds of feet across a Bridgeville field typically draws more than 100,000 people.  The event has been featured on Discovery Channel and on WHYY’s First.  This year’s competition will be held November 4 – 6.  

The Sea Witch Halloween and Fiddler’s Festival is also right around the corner.  The annual event in Rehoboth Beach draws up to 175,000 people every year.  The costume parade and contest, Sea Witch hunt and other events will be held October 28-30.

The Apple Scrapple Festival celebrates the state’s agricultural community and as its name indicates, features two local favorites: scrapple and apples.  Like Punkin Chunkin, the festival is held in Bridgeville and draws about 30,000 visitors every year.  This year, the Apple Scrapple will be held on October 14 and 15.

The fact that all three events are held in Sussex County during the autumn “shoulder” season that follows the busy summer beach season in the county further solidifies efforts of the Tourism Office to draw visitors to the state on a more year-round basis.

You can find the full list of the top 100 events in North America online at buses.org, or in the September/October issue of Destinations Magazine.