MILTON, Del. — The Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Festival is returning to Milton this spring after being canceled last year, bringing a day of nature education, vendors and family activities back to Milton Memorial Park.
The Milton Chamber of Commerce announced the festival will take place Saturday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Milton Park.
Organizers say the event will feature more than 60 local vendors along with food trucks, informational booths and hands-on exhibits focused on Delaware’s coastal ecosystem. Attractions are expected to include a petting zoo, representatives from Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and the DuPont Nature Center, along with other environmental and community organizations.
The festival celebrates the annual horseshoe crab migration along Delaware Bay and the arrival of migratory shorebirds that rely on horseshoe crab eggs as a critical food source during their long journeys north.
The event’s return follows a pause in 2025 when the Milton Chamber of Commerce canceled the festival due to logistical challenges, limited space and rising costs. At the time, the chamber’s board said it planned to reevaluate the structure of the event and look for new partners to help sustain it in the future.
The festival has historically drawn large crowds of locals and visitors who gather in Milton each spring to learn about the region’s unique coastal wildlife and conservation efforts.