Return Day - November 4th, 2010
A Sussex County, DE tradition since 1791
A Sussex County, DE tradition since 1791
ReturnDay.com, a companion site to ReturnDay.org, will allow visitors to the Sussex County Return Day festivities to submit any event photos to this site. So, how do you do this? Send your photos to pix@returnday.com and we'll take care of the rest! For all official information about Return Day 2010, please go to www.returnday.org.
What is Return Day you ask? Well, you're in for a treat if you've never attended this spectacular event. Return Day is a uniquely Sussex County, Delaware festival and ceremony with roots going as far back as 1791. It is held on the Thursday after Election Day in Georgetown, DE. In 1791, the Delaware legislature established Georgetown as the county seat and required that Sussex County residents travel there in order to vote on election day. The votes were counted, and two days later, citizens returned to Georgetown to hear the results read.
While television and the Internet have obviously eliminated the need for Return Day, tradition has kept the festival alive. Schools and government offices shut down for the afternoon of the Thursday after Election Day, and people from throughout the state flock to Georgetown for the festivals. The day still has a carnival atmosphere, complete with merchants, food vendors, and competitions, such as a hatchet tossing contest, pitting the mayor of Georgetown against the mayors of other Sussex County towns.
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