LEWES, Del. — Hundreds of early risers gathered Saturday morning for Lewes’ annual tulip dig, a popular community tradition that gives festivalgoers a chance to take home a piece of the city’s spring display.
Digging up a tulip.
The event, held at multiple locations across town, followed the conclusion of the 17th annual Lewes Tulip Festival, which ended April 19. Organized by the volunteer group Lewes in Bloom, the festival featured roughly 33,000 tulips planted across more than a dozen locations, including parks, public spaces and downtown corridors.
Volunteers working together at the tulip dig.
Volunteers who maintain the flower displays year-round say about 32,000 bulbs were planted this season, with community members meeting weekly to care for designated garden beds.
Saturday’s tulip dig drew an estimated crowd large enough that each participant collected roughly 200 to 250 bulbs, organizers said. The bulbs are replanted in home gardens, extending the life of the city’s colorful displays while promoting sustainability.
Cindy DeEmedio with Lewes in Bloom calls the dig a fun community event.
"We encourage the public to come out, dig up our tulips, and take them home, let them dry out over the summer," said DeEmedio. "And in the end of October, beginning of November, plant them in their own gardens, and in the spring they'll pop up and they'll have beautiful tulips like we do here."
Designated dig sites included Zwaanendael Park, Mary Vessels Park, 1812 Memorial Park and other locations throughout Lewes.
