Sea Witch Festival brings boost to Rehoboth Beach economy

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — Rehoboth Beach is wrapping up another successful Sea Witch Festival, and it’s not just the costumes and parades drawing attention — the event is delivering a major boost to the local economy.

Crowds packed the streets of downtown Rehoboth over the weekend for the 30th annual celebration, filling hotels, restaurants, and shops as visitors flocked to the coastal town for the Halloween tradition.

Carol Everhart, president and CEO of the Rehoboth Beach–Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, said the weekend brings a significant payoff for local businesses.

“We’re looking at a 30 million dollar impact to the area, and it just doesn’t get much better than that for a weekend — that’s great,” Everhart said.

The Sea Witch Festival is one of the largest events of the year for Rehoboth Beach, helping sustain many small businesses through the slower winter months.

But the town isn’t slowing down just yet. Everhart said crews are already preparing for the next big attraction — the arrival of Santa’s House on the boardwalk.

“All the Christmas decorations will start going up in about a week, and it takes several weeks to put everything in place,” she said. “The Santa House will go up on the boardwalk, and then the tree will go up in town.”

The Santa House is expected to open in time for Thanksgiving weekend, marking the start of Rehoboth’s holiday season — and another wave of visitors for local businesses.