Delaware 250

10/15/2026

DE250 Grant Spotlight: La Plaza Delaware

Through a DE250 grant, La Plaza Delaware created a video series highlighting four immigrant-owned businesses in Sussex County. These videos showcase the stories, entrepreneurial spirit, and contributions of immigrant communities to Delaware’s economy, culture, and communities.

The grant helped fund:
🎥 Professional video production in partnership with TELEDUCTION, including filming and editing
🎬️ Project coordination and interview preparation to help business owners share their experiences and stories

Project impact:
• Produced videos that gained over 24,000 views
• Helped participating businesses share their stories and promote their services
• Raised awareness of the contributions of Latino entrepreneurs and immigrant communities in Sussex County

To watch these videos, check out their YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/

To learn more about La Plaza Delaware, visit https://laplazadelaware.org/

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

10/15/2026

You can watch the full Anniversary Session here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/eI1x-k3SFVc?si=chI-6KX18iE8_9bk

10/08/2026

DE250 Grant Spotlight: Friends of Belmont Hall

Through a DE250 grant, the Friends of Belmont Hall held its annual Revolutionary War Day in 2024, a free event exploring Belmont Hall and Smyrna’s Revolutionary-era history through reenactments, demonstrations, music, dancing, and hands-on activities.

The grant helped fund:
🎖️ Militia reenactors, demonstrators, and craftspeople who brought the Revolutionary War era to life
🎶 Period-inspired music from the Brotherhood of Breath Band and colonial dancing with the Dover English Country Dancers
🧵 Hands-on activities and demonstrations, including flax-to-linen, 18th-century children’s games, and demonstrations of loading and firing weapons
📜 First-person interpretations of African American patriot soldier Ned Hector, along with reenactments involving the Smyrna Militia sentry and a militia engagement

Project impact:
• Hosted over 300 attendees
• Helped visitors learn about the role Thomas Collins and Belmont Hall played during the Revolutionary War
• Connected visitors with Revolutionary-era history through reenactments, music, dancing, games and activities, and first-person interpretation
• Brought new attention to Belmont Hall’s history and its Revolutionary War connections

Belmont Hall will host the 2026 edition of Revolutionary War Day this Saturday, October 10.

To learn more about the Friends of Belmont Hall, visit https://www.belmonthall.org/home

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

10/02/2026

DE250 Grant Spotlight: Coastal Concerts

Through a DE250 grant, Coastal Concerts and the City of Lewes created "Swingin’ History: An All-American Night of Jazz," a free concert in Lewes that explored the people, music, and history of southern Delaware during the 1920s through the 1940s.

The grant helped fund:
🎶 A concert featuring the Delmarva Big Band, made up of 18 professional musicians
🎤 Performances by jazz soloist Jackie Johnson and dancers from Clear Space Theater Company, with narration by local historian Trina Brown-Hicks
📖 A commemorative booklet featuring historic photographs and stories about Lewes during the Jazz Era, researched with local historians, museums, newspapers, and community members

Project impact:
• Hosted 1,142 people at Stango Park, a record number of attendees for the venue
• Helped audiences learn about the area's African American history and the connection between Black communities and jazz
• Distributed additional copies of the commemorative booklet to the Lewes Historical Society and Lewes Library for continued public access

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing those stories to life.

To learn more about Coastal Concerts, visit https://www.coastalconcerts.org/

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

09/25/2026

DE250 Grant Spotlight: Newark Union Church & Cemetery

Through a DE250 grant, Newark Union Church & Cemetery repaired and improved the landing area at the entrance to their historic site.

The grant helped fund:
⛪️ Repairs to the landing area at the base of the church steps and in front of the cemetery gate
🧱 A new flagstone and brick surface designed to match other nearby walkways

Project impact:
• Created a safer, more accessible surface for visitors entering the church and cemetery
• Welcomed more than 600 visitors since the project was completed
• Provided a welcoming place for visitors to gather after touring the historic site
• Helped make this site more visitor-ready as Delaware celebrates its 250th anniversary

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing those stories to life.

To learn more about the Newark Union Church & Cemetery, visit https://newarkunion.com/

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

09/22/2026

Blog: 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝟐𝟓𝟎: 𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 - Sixty-three Revolutionary War soldiers. One Wilmington mass grave. And, nearly 250 years later, 33 of them have been identified by name. Learn the remarkable story of how these American and British soldiers came to be buried in Wilmington—and how they’re finally being honored.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: inWilmDE.com/Blog

09/22/2026

Tune in this Thursday for a special commemorative convening of the General Assembly at the New Castle Court House Museum: https://legis.delaware.gov/EventNotice/6!

Delaware lawmakers will gather this week at the state's first capital, Video and full story in comments:

09/17/2026

DE250 Grant Spotlight: The Wilmington Children's Chorus

Through a DE250 grant, the Wilmington Children’s Chorus created "American Harmony," a concert series tracing the arc of American history through the evolution of Black music from Negro Spirituals to contemporary pop.

The grant helped fund:
🎶Three major "American Harmony" concerts
🎤Chorister education for the students in multiple musical styles, including spirituals, gospel, jazz, blues, R&B, soul, and hip hop
📖The commissioning of "Adressia," a new work highlighting the story of a Black woman who lived and worked at Cooch's Bridge

Project impact:
• Engaged 300 students in "American Harmony"
• Helped 68% of audience members learn something new about American history
• Gave 81% of audience members new insight into the role of Black music in shaping history
• Deepened understanding of American history and Black musical traditions among students, staff members, and families

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing those stories to life.

To learn more about the Wilmington Children’s Chorus, visit https://www.wilmingtonchildrenschorus.org/

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

09/10/2026

DE250 Grant Spotlight: Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education

Through a DE250 grant, the Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education (DiAE) delivered a multifaceted educational program that celebrated Delaware's history and explored themes of justice, freedom, and community resilience.

The grant helped fund:
🎭 Two student matinee performances of "Social Movement: The 1968 Wilmington Uprising and Occupation" at The Grand Opera House
🎓 A discussion with scholar Beatrice Coker exploring the impact of historical events on local communities and the role of the arts in understanding history
💃 Four school-based artist residencies that connected students with dance composition and themes explored in the performance

Project impact:
• Reached 540 students and teachers through the two student matinee performances
• Engaged students at four Delaware schools in hands-on, arts-based learning connected to Delaware history
• Encouraged students to connect Delaware’s past to their own roles in shaping their communities and future

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing those stories to life.

To learn more about the Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education, visit https://diae.org/.

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

09/03/2026

DE250 Grant Spotlight: The Lewes Historical Society

Through a DE250 grant, the Lewes Historical Society opened its latest permanent exhibition, From Revolution to Republic: The Neill Household (1792-1803).

The grant helped fund:
🏠 The reinterpretation of the Burton-Ingram House, including its parlor, dining room, and enslaved quarters
📖 New, inclusive Lewes-based narratives that examine the community’s Revolutionary experience
🔎 An immersive interpretation highlighting the contrasting experiences of Colonel Henry Neill, his family, guests, and the seven enslaved people who lived and worked in the household

Project impact:
• Provides visitors a fuller and more honest understanding of the Revolutionary era in Delaware
• Highlights the experiences of enslaved people whose lives and labor were part of the Neill household
• Encourages reflection on the often-contradictory ideals of liberty and equality that followed the Revolution
• Creates a lasting educational experience that connects Lewes' history to the broader story of the nation's formation

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing those stories to life.

To learn more about the Lewes Historical Society, visit https://www.historiclewes.org/

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/