Prepare to be “bugged” in a good way, that is, this Saturday, April 26, in Downtown Milford, Delaware. That’s when the Annual Bug & Bud Festival will get underway, marking its 22nd year as a seasonal mainstay.
Milford’s beloved Bug & Bud Festival is a spring/Arbor Day rite of passage, honoring nature, new buds, and the town’s standing as a USA Tree City. It is also, most obviously, a celebration of those beneficial burrowing bugs that like to lend their assistance to all of the ebbing and flowing of the natural world. It is that lovely beetle, better known as the ladybug, who remains the cherished star of the day, a most befitting choice given how the ladybug was declared the official State Bug of Delaware in 1973 after a local second-grade class petitioned the Delaware State Legislature to make it so.
This year’s event will kick off at 9 a.m. and run through 4 p.m. Plenty of family-friendly follies and festivities will fill the daylong celebration. More than 120 vendors will be setting up throughout the Downtown scene, as well as 15 fan-favored food trucks. Local shops and businesses in the area will also feature special sales and promotional offers.
As for notable activities, there will be plenty of pleasantries to check out, including a contested Kids’ Zone—forever a hit with the festival’s younger attendees. Here you have a bounce house, games, and ongoing activities to delight all interests and amusements. Even better, it’s all free!
Live entertainment will fill the day too, via ongoing musical performances starting at 10 a.m. with the Dixieland Band. Columbian singer Rossei Trivino will take to the stage at 2 p.m., followed by the Fuzaholics at 3 p.m. Then, DJ Dave & the Vibes Brothers will conclude with 80s and 90s dance hits and karaoke.
The biggest event of the day, though, has to be the highly anticipated Pets & People Costume Parade. A fan-favorite every season, this year’s installment is offering something new—the incorporation of decorated bikes into the procession. This is a way to promote the fact that Milford is a bicycle-friendly community. As part of the fun, children and adults alike are encouraged to decorate their bicycles with spring-themed décor and creative elements. And as always, costumes and themed outfits highlighting spring and nature are strongly encouraged.
Those most enthused by their wares and wear can compete for prizes in the annual costume contest. Categories include the following: best “bug,” best “flower,” and best “tree.” Awards are given in both adult and child divisions.
Leading the parade this year will be Grand Marshal Charles Gray. The route will follow a course that begins in front of Studio You on Washington Street, loops around Penny Square, and travels down Walnut Street, ending at the Milford Public Library amphitheater, where the prizes will be divvied out in the aforementioned categories.
Milford’s Annual Bug & Bud Festival is sure to be a blast, just as it is each and every year. The site location will be in the surrounding Downtown area at 10 S. Walnut Street. Follow all the latest developments and stay current with all details by visiting the community’s official event website.