Running of the Bull - 2026

If your ideal beach event is a little weird, very fun, and completely unlike anything else on Delmarva, then The Running of the Bull in Dewey Beach belongs on your summer calendar. The long-running Starboard tradition is set for Saturday, June 27, 2026, and this year’s edition is the 29th Anniversary Running of the Bull.

For the uninitiated, no, this is not Pamplona — and that is exactly the point. Dewey Beach’s version is proudly goofy, local, and a little chaotic in the best possible way. The event, hosted by The Starboard, features runners being chased down the beach by a “bull” costume, followed by the kind of over-the-top pageantry that has helped make this one of the shore’s most talked-about traditions. Past coverage describes it as a high-energy mix of costumes, music, dancing, and a staged bullfight-style showdown, all built around pure summer silliness rather than serious competition.

Part of the charm is the history. According to the event’s official history, the Dewey Beach Running of the Bull started in 1997, when Michael McDonnell, Mike Howard, and Andrew Brady decided — after a night at the Starboard and inspired by Spain’s Festival of San Fermín — that Dewey needed its own version of the tradition. Since they were not exactly going to get a real bull onto the beach, they rented a bull costume instead. About 35 people ran in that first year, around 90 joined in the second, and over time the event grew into a full-fledged local spectacle with generations of returning fans.

That evolution is a big reason this event has stuck around. What started as a beach-house joke became one of Dewey’s signature summer happenings, helped along by The Starboard’s ownership and years of lovingly absurd traditions. The official event site says the Bull Run has grown into a charitable event over the years, and the current site encourages a $10 donation, while local coverage last year noted that proceeds benefited the fire department.

And if you are making a full day of it, there is also a family-friendly angle. A Kids’ Running of the Bull is listed for 10:30 a.m. on June 27, 2026, at Dagsworthy Street on the beach, giving families a way to get in on the fun before the grown-up version takes over Dewey later in the day.

In other words, The Running of the Bull in Dewey Beach is not just an event — it is one of those wonderfully odd Delmarva traditions that people talk about long after the sand gets washed off. If you are looking for a memorable June beach weekend, this is a very good reason to head to Dewey, wear white, embrace the nonsense, and see why this event has lasted for nearly three decades. For the latest updates, schedules, and event details, it is worth checking the official site before you go.