REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - The City of Rehoboth Beach is trying a new parking strategy for this year's Sea Witch Festival.
It's only April but Rehoboth Avenue is still packed. It only gets busier during the annual Sea Witch Festival in October.
The City commissioners met Monday morning with plans to discuss a possible resolution to the Sea Witch tailgating. The City wants to prevent people from parking in front of businesses days ahead of the parade. Local businesses felt the tailgating was taking spaces away from their customers. That's why starting this year you'll have to move your car the Thursday before the festival.
"It'll be nice to not have people parked all week long in front of everyone's business in Rehoboth Avenue," said Sunshine Octopus owner, Mark Hamilton.
The city is hoping to stop tailgaters who leave their car for the whole week, forcing them to leave Thursday night.
City Manager Taylour Tedder tells CoastTV cars would be able to come back Friday morning starting at 6 a.m. and you can leave your car after that.
Stephen Fallon who owns Gidget's Gadgets thinks this makes sense.
"I know logistically it kind of interferes with the people doing the work, but the stores are open, restaurants are open. So it's business as usual that day," said Fallon.
Mark Hamilton isn't sure how the Thursday night parking ban will play out the entire weekend.
"It's not really going to do anything, hopefully it'll make life easier and for the police and everything."
Mayor Stan Mills shared they will try this idea for 2025 and codify it if it all works out.