Can You Find The Can?
As a toast to 2SP Brewing’s 10th anniversary as well as our annual Sipping Through Summer edition, we’ve hidden a few cold beers (yes, we just took them out of the fridge) in this month’s issue. Tell us the four pages you find the beer and you could win a cool prize. Email your answer by July 20 to Contact@TSNPub.com with the subject line: I Found the Beer. We will choose three winners from correct submissions. Congrats to Delores Boatwright, Cal Worthington and Nikkila Black, who found the pizza on pages 16, 29, 52 and 57 of our June edition.
Independence Day Celebration on Rodney Square
The City of Wilmington is shifting gears on its annual Independence Day celebration. Instead of festivities at the Riverfront, a daytime Independence Day Celebration will be held at Rodney Square on July 5 from noon-3pm. Out & About Magazine is partnering with the City to present an afternoon of “free fun for all” including three live bands (lower case blues band, Richard Raw & Word Warrior Band and What The Funk). The celebration will also feature hot-air balloon rides, water slides, a rock wall, a trackless train, face painting, interactive games and more. Food trucks and vendors will provide refreshments.
Shakespeare under the Stars
Delaware Shakespeare will present Twelfth Night, O Lo Que Quieras at Rockwood Park from July 17 to August 3, its first-ever musical production in 23 years of producing its annual summer festival. This lively bilingual adaptation of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, created by Liz Filios and Tanaquil Márquez, follows Venezuelan twins shipwrecked on the politically divided island of Illyria.
Wednesdays are Pay What You Will and Sundays are Family Night (children under age 12 are free with a paid adult). DelShakes will also host LGBTQIA+ and BILAM+ Night on July 23, and a Relaxed Performance (a friendly, “shush-free” environment) on July 27. Visit DelShakes.org.
New Executive Director to Lead The Delaware Contemporary
The Delaware Contemporary has announced that Brett John Johnson has been appointed as its new executive director, succeeding Leslie Shaffer who had led the museum since 2019. Johnson is a seasoned arts leader, curator, and cultural strategist with more than 15 years of experience in museums and public institutions, including the Torpedo Factory Art Center and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Having begun his career at the Delaware Art Museum, he now returns to Wilmington with a vision to position The Delaware Contemporary as “a creative engine for the region.” Visit DeContemporary.org.
Swim with the Sharks Pitch Competition
Applications are open for the Emerging Enterprise Centers Shark Tank-style 13th Annual Swim with the Sharks Pitch Competition. New Castle County entrepreneurs can compete for a $10,000 grand prize and additional cash and prizes to help them launch and grow their business. The competition finals will take place on October 1 at Penn Cinema. Apply by August 4 at 11:59pm. Visit EECIncubator.com/sharks-application.
Huxley & Hiro to Host Acclaimed Author
Huxley & Hiro welcomes acclaimed author Bruce Holsinger on July 15 from 6-8pm for a conversation about his newest novel, Culpability, a family drama that also explores the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI. Moderated by New York Times bestselling author Maria de los Santos, it promises to be an evening of storytelling, insight, and inspiration. Following the discussion, Holsinger will take audience questions and sign books, which will be available for purchase. Admission is free and open to all ages, but registration is required. Visit HuxleyAndHiro.com.
The 4th Annual Dirty Popcorn Black Film Festival
Get out your popcorn! The Dirty Popcorn Black Film Festival returns for its fourth year, celebrating and elevating filmmakers of color from Delaware and the surrounding region. Presented by Jet Phynx and hosted by the Delaware Art Museum, this two-day event (August 9 & 10) features short film screenings across drama, documentary, and experimental genres, meet-and-greets with local filmmakers, and Q&A panels. Saturday’s event will also include a red-carpet awards ceremony. Visit DelArt.org.
First State Ballet Theatre Announces 2025-2026 Season
Tickets are now on sale for First State Ballet Theatre’s new season, which includes the gothic thriller Dracula (Oct. 25 & 26), the 25th anniversary production of The Nutcracker (Dec. 13, 14, 20 & 21), and the tragic classic Giselle (Apr. 5 & 6), all performed in Copeland Hall at The Grand. Delaware’s only professional ballet company also presents Up Front on Market (Nov. 14 & 17), a mixed program of classical and contemporary work in the intimate Studio One at The Grand, and Dreams in Motion (Feb. 21-22), which revives two works from FSBT’s repertoire by choreographer Viktor Plotnikov performed in The Baby Grand. Visit FirstStateBallet.org.
