Bethany Beach Bandstand Schedule
Performances take place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with an occasional mid-week booking. (Memorial Day shows are Saturday and Sunday only.) Shows typically begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Seating is provided free of charge, but audience members are welcome to bring their own chairs. 2016 was a successful year in Bethany Beach. We had record crowds and introduced some brand-new musical guests to supplement your favorites. In addition to our Summer Concert Series, we’ll also host movies and bonfires on the beach, and every Wednesday in July is kids’ night, with activities at Town Hall and at the Bandstand.
Bethany Farmers Market. Fresh produce, yummy.
The Bethany Beach Farmers Market operates on Sundays from 8 AM to 12 Noon starting June 2nd 2019 until September 1, 2019. This is a Producers Only Market which has operated since 2007 in Downtown Bethany Beach, adjacent to Town Hall and the PNC Bank.
Our Vendors include Lavender Fields, Ficner’s Farm, Hudson Farms, Davidson Exotic Mushrooms, Wells Berry Farm, Parsons Farm, Magee Farms, Celtic Acres Farm, Fresh Harvest Hydroponics, Honey Bee Lake Apiary, Wimbrow Farms, Old World Breads, Herbs, Spice, Everything Nice and Bennett Orchards.
Rehoboth bandstand schedule click here.
NOTE: The following account is a summation of the stories told by Mrs. Ruth Hayes and may or may not be the actual historical account of the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand.
The bandstand was first conceptualized by the late Mr. William Hayes in 1963. He was a wonderful man who could “play all instruments,” said his late wife, Mrs. Ruth Hayes.
His love of music and the community prompted him to take action and convince the City of Rehoboth Beach that a musical venue was needed in the town. His wish was granted and he was allowed the opportunity to bring in local bands to the grass portion of what is now the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand. Since there was no structure as of yet, this performing area was deemed performing ‘on the green.’
In later years, the City of Rehoboth Beach allocated Mr. William Hayes the opportunity to design a beautiful new bandstand. As described by Mrs. Hayes, “Bill designed a beautiful bandstand, however the City of Rehoboth Beach could not afford it.” Instead, the City of Rehoboth Beach was able to provide the performers the bandstand structure that stood for over 40 years.
Mr. Hayes continued scheduling and operating the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand until his passing in 1994.
Following his passing, his duties were passed to his late wife, Mrs. Ruth Hayes. Continuing the legacy that her husband started, she continued to schedule and run the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand. Her love of the performers kept her spirits up and allowed her to keep her husband’s memory close to her at all times.
Mrs. Ruth Hayes was a legacy who kept the audience coming back year after year to see her as well as the performers. She was well known for her love of music, love of performers, and love of animals. Until her passing, she continued to attend every event and introduce each and every performer with her well known introduction: “Good evening, I’m Ruth Hayes. On behalf of the City of Rehoboth Beach, welcome, and thank you for coming.”
We thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, for all you have done, and all your spirit will continue to do for the City of Rehoboth Beach, the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, and performers nationwide.
Following the passing of Mrs. Hayes, the duties of the bandstand were passed on to Mr. Corey Groll. Corey stepped into the role of bandstand program director at a pivotal time with the reconstruction of the bandstand venue. Corey Groll had previously worked with Mrs. Hayes since 1991, when an internship as sound engineer eventually led to a job spending summers running the sound system. The first summer after Mrs. Hayes died, Corey ran the bandstand using the schedule she left behind. Since then, Corey has continued to work hard maintaining the structure of the bandstand and providing entertainment in many
musical genres for people of all ages.
It is with great honor that the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand has brought so many performers the chance to showcase their talents as well as provide the visitors of Rehoboth Beach with something FREE to look forward to summer after summer. It is no small feat to be able to keep this tradition alive and Corey Groll is thankful to all of the regular patrons to the venue who continue to lend their support to the programs.
The Freeman Stage, Fenwick Island
See the entire schedule here for the Freeman Stage.
The Freeman Stage at Bayside, an open air performing arts venue located near Fenwick Island, DE, first opened in the summer of 2008. A program of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation,
a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Freeman Stage presents diverse programming in the genres of dance, live music, theatre and children’s programming. Typically, performances are offered Memorial Day through Labor Day.This program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation was established in 2007 to honor Josh Freeman, the former Chair of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, after his untimely death in December of 2006. The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation seeks to honor Josh’s passion and commitment to excellence by creating programs that he would have been proud of. With The Freeman Stage at Bayside, an outdoor performing arts venue located near Fenwick Island, DE, we act on that mission by providing unique arts experiences to over 50,000 visitors a year.