Looking for something fun to do this coming Memorial Day Weekend?  Consider venturing to Downtown Milton and Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge and check out the Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Festival. This free family-friendly event takes place this coming Saturday, May 28^th and is from 9 AM to 3 PM.  What fun can you expect from this event?  We on The Julie Gritton Team are happy to fill you in on the details.

            Several activities can be enjoyed throughout Downtown Milton and at the Lydia B. Cannon Museum including getting a bite to eat at the food trucks, shopping with multiple vendors, crafts, family friendly activities, and a kid’s educational tent.  Not only that, there will also be live music, entertainment, and kayak and SPB rentals.  You can expect to learn about wildlife, the environment, and some history from institutions including the University of Delaware- DE Sea Grant, MERR Institute, Killens Pond State Park, Dupont Nature Center, Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge, and more.

            Speaking of Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge, don’t forget to stop by there during the festival!  They will have a horseshoe crab touch tank and t-shirt painting activities.  Want to get the festivities started early?  As part of the Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Festival the Sussex Bird Club will be offering a bird walk at the refuge starting at 8 AM at the Visitor Center.

            In addition to all of this, you can also participate in the Coastal Adventure Passport!  Passports can be printed out in advance of the festival (link is included at the end of the article) and participants will be visiting five locations and answering a question associated with each destination.  These locations include the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge Boardwalk Trail, DuPont Nature Center at the Mispillion Harbor Reserve, Delaware Wild Lands Milford Neck Preserve, Milton Memorial Park, and the Edward H. McCabe Preserve.  After you have visited these locations and answered the questions you can turn your completed passport in at The Mercantile located at 109 Union Street in Milton the day of the festival or you can scan and email it to chamber@historicmilton.com.  All passports must be submitted no later than May 31^st and prize winners will be announced in early June 2022.

            Funds raised by the Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Festival benefit the Friends of Prime Hook which is a volunteer organization that assists the staff at the refuge with maintenance, education, public awareness, and several other areas.  There is a lot to do and even more fun to be had!  For more information on this event, please feel free to check out the links below!  Until next time, we on The Julie Gritton Team hope you have a safe and fun Memorial Day Weekend and we look forward to speaking with you soon!

  https://www.historicmilton.com/event/horseshoe-crab-shorebird-festival/

   http://friendsofprimehook.com/

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/prime-hook/about-us

https://www.fws.gov/event/horseshoe-crab-shorebird-festival

https://www.sussexbirdclub.com/