Weekend Spotlight is a round-up of the five best events to check out in Delaware over the coming weekend, curated by Arts + Culture Editor Cannon Taylor. This edition covers Sept. 18-20, 2026. What should be on our radar for future editions? Let us know!
With Heaven on Tour
Zach Bryan festival comes to Dover
Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19. The Woodlands. 1131 N. Dupont Highway, Dover. 5 p.m. Tickets: $80.
Delaware’s forested music venue, The Woodlands at Dover Motor Speedway, may be positioning itself for a comeback four years since the last Firefly Music Festival, an event that brought star-studded lineups to the city of 40,000 between 2012 and 2022.
This weekend, country hitmaker Zach Bryan will bring his stripped-back instrumentals and pleading vocals to the stage as part of his “With Heaven on Tour.” Whether Bryan’s two-day pit stop at the Speedway will restart the venue’s engine remains to be seen.
Hispano Harmonies
Festival Hispano features local, international musicians
Sunday, Sept. 20. Downtown Georgetown. 111 North Race St. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets: $20, free for kids 10 and under.
Regional Mexican band Operativo JT hopes to win the hearts of the crowd at the Festival Hispano with melancholic crooning and bright-toned acoustic guitar. Audience members will be able to vote on their favorite of three local bands, including Operativo JT, at the event.
Festival Hispano, now in its 31st year, will also feature salsa, merengue and bachata musicians, children’s activities and over 100 vendors selling food and goods from across Latin America.
Shaking Up Shakespeare
Delaware Shakespeare goes on tour
Through Sept. 27. Various locations statewide. Times vary. Tickets: $25.
Delaware Shakespeare is taking Jaques’ monologue from “As You Like It” literally this month: “All the world’s a stage…”
In that spirit, the theater company is bringing a rapid-fire, remixed retelling of William Shakespeare’s 36 plays to audiences throughout the First State, from libraries to a correctional facility. Designed for thespians and newbies alike, Delaware Shakespeare’s community tour is a reminder of how theater written hundreds of years ago remains relevant, touching and uproarious today.
Soul Searching
Soul of the City block party brings the beats
Saturday, Sept. 19. Christina Cultural Arts Center. 705 N. Market St., Wilmington. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.
In an increasingly disconnected and digital world, how does one make friends? Christina Cultural Arts Center seems to have found the perfect icebreaker: line dancing with your neighbors. Delaware duo Dem Jones Girlz will walk you through the basics at the 10th annual Soul of the City block party in downtown Wilmington.
This free, family-friendly event will also feature DJs, music and dance performances, food trucks and vendors.
Shellfish Giving
Seafood Festival to generate proceeds for charity
Saturday, Sept. 19. Schelleville. 36470 Seaside Outlet Dr., Rehoboth Beach. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets: $8 (advance), $12 (door).
Do any dare compete in the speed-eating contest at this year’s Delaware Seafood Festival? Last year’s winner devoured the five-pound crab pretzel in seven and a half minutes in a “disgusting” display, according to founder Ryan Stevenson. If you’d rather savor your seafood, there will be plenty to enjoy from local vendors.
All proceeds generated by the festival, after expenses, will be donated to charity. Last year’s festival drew 5,000 people and raised $20,000 for the Delaware Restaurant Foundation and Delaware Center for the Inland Bays.