Discover Delmarva: Schellville
REHOBOTH BEACH, De- Schellville is a must-visit during the holiday season. With their 7th year in business and their 5th behind the outlets, Sheena Vanderhook, the Executive Director of the Schell Brothers Foundation, tells us the first big surprise? Is right as you walk in! “People are very surprised that such a grand thing is free to the public.”
Walking in the entrance is their forest-themed tree, which is new for this year. A perfect spot for a photo op! Especially as the sunlight wanes and the chill in the air builds, Vanderhook tells us, “At night it’s magical, we have a thousand Christmas trees that are all lit up. All of the different things all around, the big Christmas tree, the bars, the sled hill, Santa.”
The lights twinkling through the winter night escort you to a slice of your childhood. No matter what age you are, you find the spirit of Christmas in the air, or maybe that’s just the food trucks. “We have about 10 different bars in the village. Including Starboard, the claw, Dewey Country Club, Dewey Beer Co, Dogfish, Sugar & Red, and Levida Hospitality as well, and then we have about 10 food trucks.”
Walking throughout Schellville, various activities from relaxation to burning off the sugar rush are at your disposal. Vanderhook told us some of the options, “So we have our sled hill, which is always one of our most popular attractions. The skate rink is another. Santa and Mrs. Claus- we have our train that goes a whole loop around the south end of our village. And we have all the little houses, which I think we have over 27 of them now.” The sled hill is a great spot to chase a thrill, and while you don’t need snow to go down, you’ll often find flakes filling the sky only at Schellville. “We do have our snow machines that go off every 15 minutes on the hour. It’s magical to watch the little kids,s especially those who don’t know where it’s coming from. There lik,e oh my gosh, mom, it’s snowing!”
The live music fills the air with cheer, and the main thing you’ll notice? The smiles of all the people you’ll see throughout the village. Vanderhook says this is the core part of the mission of what makes Schellville. “Our mission is always to spread happiness, and we do that every day by letting anybody and everybody from all walks of life come to our free magical Christmas village. That’s what makes it super special, is that anybody can come.”
For more information on the event, visit their website.
