REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – The 2025 Sea Witch Festival brought thousands to Rehoboth Beach for a packed weekend of parades, performances and Halloween fun and behind the scenes, city workers and law enforcement executed a major operation to keep the event safe and running smoothly.
According to the City of Rehoboth Beach's Buildings and Grounds department, the festival was one of the busiest ever, qualitatively speaking. From police presence to trash collection, the scale of operations emphasizes the festival’s continued growth.
Law enforcement and security efforts
The Rehoboth Beach Police Department staffed 20 full-time officers, 11 seasonal officers, and 2 communications specialists. They were joined by 47 assisting officers from 17 different Delaware law enforcement agencies, including Delaware State Police and departments from Dewey Beach, Fenwick Island, Millsboro and more.
Specialized teams provided resources like explosive ordinance detection, mounted patrols, quick response units and surveillance, said the city. Eight probation and parole officers were also on-site to monitor for known sex offenders.
Rehoboth Beach and DelDOT deployed over 1,200 cones, 50 barricades and 9 message boards for traffic and crowd control. DelDOT also provided drone surveillance using three pilots and a drone detection system from DEMA was used to intercept a drone flying unsafely over the crowd.
Street closures and sanitation
The city managed approximately 32 street closures during the event. The streets department staffed 12 workers across two shifts each day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., with additional hours on Friday for event prep.
The city said crews swept streets, collected garbage and recycled materials during and after the event. They walked Rehoboth Avenue pulling full trash bags and replacing them during peak hours. In total, 14 tons of trash were collected, and 125 pounds of cardboard were recycled.
Additional support and logistics
The Buildings & Grounds team, which had four staff working all weekend, reported this was the busiest event they have ever supported. They handled major cleanup at the Convention Center and restocked bathrooms and dressing rooms used by performers and organizers.
Bandstand operations included nine musical performances with support from city staff, who assisted with sound production, lighting and managing equipment load-in and parking. An electric box was also installed by Apple Electric to support food vendors.