Upcoming This Year
Dec
7
Old State House and The Green, Dover, DE
Annual celebration commemorating December 7, 1787, when Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Held at the historic First State Heritage Park and the Old State House on The Green, the event features speeches by dignitaries, wreath-laying ceremonies, living history demonstrations, and readings of the Constitution. The celebration honors Delaware's unique role as 'The First State.'
May
The Green and Dover Historic District, Dover, DE
A beloved annual heritage festival held on The Green and throughout Dover's historic district, featuring tours of historic homes and buildings not normally open to the public, colonial craft demonstrations, Maypole dancing, period music, and costumed interpreters. The event celebrates Dover's colonial and Revolutionary-era heritage, with special programming at the Old State House and other 18th-century landmarks.
Jul
1
– 4
The Green, Dover, DE (Caesar Rodney statue)
A commemorative ceremony and occasional mounted reenactment honoring Caesar Rodney's legendary overnight ride from Dover to Philadelphia in July 1776 to cast the decisive vote for American independence. Events typically include remarks by historians, wreath-laying at the Caesar Rodney statue on The Green, and living history presentations about Delaware's role in the Declaration of Independence.
Date
TBD
First State Heritage Park, Dover, DE (Old State House and The Green)
Year-round but with special seasonal programming, the First State Heritage Park offers guided walking tours of Dover's historic Green, the Old State House, and surrounding Revolutionary-era sites. Programs include costumed interpreters portraying 18th-century figures, lectures on Delaware's role in the Revolution, and hands-on colonial life demonstrations. Special themed events align with Constitution Day in September and Independence Day in July.
Date
TBD
Old State House, The Green, Dover, DE
The Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs and the Friends of Old Dover host periodic lectures and public history talks at the restored 1791 Old State House on The Green. Topics include Delaware's Revolutionary War militia and the famed Delaware Blues regiment, the state's constitutional history, Caesar Rodney and the Signers, and the political debates that made Dover the capital. Guest historians and authors present research on Delaware's founding era.