The official schedule for Return Day 2026, and the program book that records it.
Confirmed 2026 times so far, from the committee's event materials:
The committee's complete program — including the reading of the returns, the burying of the hatchet, and entertainment — will be posted here when it is released. Return Day 2026 is also the closing event of Sussex County's 250th anniversary celebration, per the committee.
The ceremonies on The Circle follow the parade: the Town Crier reads the official returns of the election to the crowd, and the chairs of the county parties bury the hatchet together in sand brought from Lewes. For 2026, the committee has announced featured singer Alexis Griess, of DelmarvaLife, for the Ceremonies on the Circle after the parade.
The printed Return Day program book is kept by attendees long after the day itself. 2026 sponsorship ads: full page color $300 (4½ × 7½) · half page color $225 (4½ × 3¾), supplied camera-ready at those dimensions. Sussex County Return Day, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so contributions are tax-deductible. To place an ad, call Kelly Kruger at (302) 745-0120 or Dionne Baker at (302) 519-2678.
