Blackbird Creek Fall Festival Returns to Townsend This Saturday
Written by Kiss Media on 14 October 2026
Family fun, food trucks, and live music — all free. DNREC’s Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) hosts the 18th annual Blackbird Creek Fall Festival this Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Blackbird Creek Reserve, 801 Blackbird Landing Road, near Townsend, Delaware.
This year’s festival packs a full day along the banks of Blackbird Creek: crafts and hands-on learning about the estuary, live music from Bryan Scar (11:00 AM–1:00 PM) and Em McKeever (1:30–3:30 PM), hayrides, educational exhibitors, kids’ activities, and local artisans. Food vendors scheduled to appear include Top Five BBQ, Shay’s Seafood and Soul, Nature’s Kitchen, 302 Acai, Kona Ice of South New Castle, and Easy Peasy Lemonade. The Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative will also hand out free native trees while supplies last.
More info: https://news.delaware.gov/2026/09/28/blackbird-creek-fall-festival-set-for-october-17/
HISTORY
The Blackbird Creek Fall Festival has run on the third Saturday of every October since the mid-2000s, growing into one of Delaware’s signature autumn gatherings. It is hosted by the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, a partnership between DNREC and NOAA that protects more than 6,000 acres of coastal land and water across the Blackbird Creek and St. Jones reserves. The festival’s mission is stewardship: celebrating the richness of Delaware’s estuaries and cultural traditions while giving families a free day to connect with the land, water, and wildlife of the Delaware Bayshore.
WATCH
Bring the family out to Townsend this Saturday — and send your festival shout-outs to Kiss 101.7 at (302) 357-9831.
Source: Delaware State News (news.delaware.gov) — https://news.delaware.gov/2026/09/28/blackbird-creek-fall-festival-set-for-october-17/
