Welcome to Dewey Beach! Dewey Beach is a spectacular sandbar community with the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and the Rehoboth Bay on the other side. It is known for its wide, sandy beaches, and many hotels, cottages and condominiums. It has become a popular place for anyone interested in a fun, relaxing family getaway. It is a great place to enjoy the adventurous water sports like: jet skiing, parasailing, wake boarding, water skiing, and windsurfing! You will have fun in the sun during the day, maybe catching a game of volleyball on the beach! The Dewey Beach nights offer fun events for the partygoers and young at heart! There are numerous bars and restaurants that line the Coastal Highway, the town’s main street. Despite its small size and low year-round population of about 350, it is not uncommon for 30,000 to descend upon the town during summer weekends.
The town hosts the Dewey Beach Music Conference during the last weekend of September. This event began in 2002 and has been a huge draw for unsigned bands from all over the country. Another popular Dewey Beach event, which occurs every Columbus Day weekend in October, is Greyhounds Reach The Beach! This is where thousands of rescued greyhounds and their owners come together.
“Rehoboth City” first appeared in 1868 in Beer’s Atlas of Delaware. It is believed that the name was changed to Dewey Beach following the 1898 Battle of Manilla (Spanish–American War) when Admiral, George Dewey, became a national hero. Dewey Beach was incorporated in 1981. Dewey Beach is governed by a Town Council and Mayor. The town’s first mayor, Bruce Vavala, reportedly spent his first day in office surfing. We hold elections each year to fill the positions of Commissioners who have come to the end of their two-year terms. Town meetings are held each month at the Lifesaving Station.
