BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:SoDel X-WR-CALNAME:Return Day BEGIN:VEVENT UID:255802024-11-07 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241107 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20241108 SUMMARY:Return Day CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:THURSDAY – RETURN DAY\n\nFESTIVITIES BEGIN AT 9 AM\n\nChildre n’s Stage on E Market Street\n\nMain Stage on the Circle\n\nFood vendors on N Bedford Street\n\nCraft & Information vendors on the Circle\n\nParad e begins at 1 pm\n\nStarts at Georgetown Middle School onto W Market Stree t\n\nInto the Circle and down E Market Street\n\nReading of the Election R esults from the Town Crier\n\nAnd burying of the hatchet ceremony after th e parade on the\n\nMain Stage in the Circle\n\nAfter the above ceremonies\ , event attendees are encouraged to get a\nfree “ox” sandwich & contin ue to visit with the vendors. Event\nends about 4 pm\n\n \n\nTHE HISTORY OF RETURN DAY\n\nAlthough the date of the first RETURN DAY in Georgetown i s uncertain\,\nit could have been as early as 1792. The State Law in 1791 removing\nthe County seat from Lewes along the Coast to the a more\ngeogra phically centered site\, later named Georgetown\, required all\nvotes to b e cast in the new County Seat on election day. The same\nvoters would \"re turn\" two days later to hear the results - hence the\nname RETURN DAY. In 1811\, voting districts in the individual hundreds\nwere established\, bu t the Board of Canvassers presided over by the\nSheriff would still meet t wo days later in Georgetown to announce the\nfinal tally.\n\nHISTORY OF TH E OX ROAST\n\nAccording to the HISTORY OF DELAWARE by J. Thomas Sharff wri tten in\n1888\, RETURN DAY was \"one of the customs peculiar to the people of\nSussex\, from time immemorial\,..holding a high carnival on the day w hen\nthe results of the election are announced\" \"Booths\, stalls and sta nds\nare erected near the courthouse\, where all kinds of edibles\, such a s\nopossum and rabbit meat\, fish and oysters\, can be procured. The women \,\nwho constitute a considerable portion of the crowd\, are generously\nt reated to cakes\, candies and the best the booths afford.\" In the\ntradit ion of the 19th century booths\, OX ROAST SANDWICHES fresh from\nan all ni ght open pit barbecue are distributed to the throngs\nattending RETURN DAY at no charge.\n\n \n X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Thursday & ndash\; Return Day

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Festivities begin at 9 am

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Children&rsquo\;s Stage on E Market Street

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Main Stage on the Circle

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Fo od vendors on N Bedford Street

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Craft &\; Information vendors on the Circle

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Parade begins at 1 pm< /span>

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Starts at Geo rgetown Middle School onto W Market Street

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Into the Circle and down E Market Street

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Reading of the E lection Results from the Town Crier

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And burying of the hatchet ceremony after the parad e on the

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Main Stage in the Circle

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After the above ceremonies\, event attendees are encouraged to get a free &ldquo\;ox&rdquo\; sandwich &\; continue to visit with the vend ors. Event ends about 4 pm

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The H istory of Return Day

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Although the date of the first RETURN DAY in Georgetown is uncertain\, it could have been as early as 1792. The Stat e Law in 1791 removing the County seat from Lewes along the Coast to the a more geographically centered site\, later named Georgetown\, required all votes to be cast in the new County Seat on election day. The same voters would "\;return"\; two days later to hear the results - hence the name RETURN DAY. In 1811\, voting districts in the individual hundreds wer e established\, but the Board of Canvassers presided over by the Sheriff w ould still meet two days later in Georgetown to announce the final tally.< /p>\n\n

History of the Ox Roast

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According to the HISTORY OF DELAWARE by J. Thomas Sharff written in 1888\, RETURN DAY was "\;one o f the customs peculiar to the people of Sussex\, from time immemorial\,..h olding a high carnival on the day when the results of the election are ann ounced"\; "\;Booths\, stalls and stands are erected near the court house\, where all kinds of edibles\, such as opossum and rabbit meat\, fis h and oysters\, can be procured. The women\, who constitute a considerable portion of the crowd\, are generously treated to cakes\, candies and the best the booths afford."\; In the tradition of the 19th century booths \, OX ROAST SANDWICHES fresh from an all night open pit barbecue are distr ibuted to the throngs attending RETURN DAY at no charge.

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X-MICROSOFT-CDO-ALLDAYEVENT:TRUE DTSTAMP:20260404T103124Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR