Hippiefest in Milford, Delaware

The Lincoln City band, an oldies cover band.

We attended the Hippiefest at the Causey Mansion in Milford, Delaware on August 20.  We'd driven by the entry to the Causey Mansion a lot and wondered about it.  We had no idea the lot was as large as it is and as beautiful.  It has kind of an overgrown, English garden look from the street which I like.  And the foliage keeps the house and the lot very private, even in the winter.  So what a surprise when we entered and began the walk back and discovered many small (and large) garden settings with seating, fountains, sculptures and beautiful flowers.  

We were joined near the back of the seating area by a couple who'd been married at the Causey Mansion years before when it was under different owners.  They have great memories of the mansion and the surrounding gardens for their big day. 

The band was so so and Dave was poo pooing it to our new (and maybe brief) friends who'd been married at the mansion.  So when Dave complained about the bands' lack of skill, the wife informed us, politely, that they'd hired that same band to play at their house for a lawn party.  Yikes.  She diplomatically alluded that perhaps Dave's knowledge of musical prowess exceeded hers.  I had the feeling we wouldn't be trading phone numbers when the evening was over and I was right. She was really nice though, as was her husband.  

The best part of the Hippiefest in my opinion was seeing how many townsfolk came out dressed for the era.  Talk about enthusiasm.  It was a fun evening. 

The Alcohauler truck was at the festival providing drinks for the hippie era celebrants.  This is the second time we encountered the Alcohauler and I have a t-shirt celebrating them because I thought it was such a great idea and a great name for a "food truck" that only sells drinks. 

Large multi-colored beach balls were batted about throughout the evening with most people enjoying it even if they got bopped on the head with it unaware of it's impending arrival.  A couple folks got testy but then these hippie celebrants mostly were not high but more likely tipsy with alcohol.  In my humble opinion people high from marijuana are more chill than people drunk from alcohol, not that I'm hating on alcohol. 

Below,  a couple night shots of the Causey Mansion. 

Side view of the mansion.

Front door of Causey Mansion.  The mansion itself was not open to the public.

The Causey Mansion dates back to really early Delaware days, which is early since it is the "first state" in the union.  It is a Greek Revival Georgian home built in 1763.  It's older than the town of Milford and is now right in the middle of the town but once was part a a huge parcel of land.  It's been home to two Delaware governors and to the Vineyard family of shipbuilders as well as slaves. We were on the phone with old friends who live in Florida.  We were telling them about the Hippiefest held at the mansion and how far back it's history goes, dating back to before the revolution.  The friend made the remark that it was obviously a place that defied anyone's ability to "cancel culture".  Hmmm... Is he working off a different meaning to "cancel culture"?  I just didn't understand what he was referencing.  We didn't bother to tell him that slaves had been a part of that property back in the day and probably were the bulk of the labor that built it and worked the fields around it that are now the town of Milford.  Maybe we should have asked what he meant about his remark.  Maybe we should have pointed out that the mansion history had covered revolutionary times which also included slavery.  

A fun ending to the Hippiefest was the hole hoop contest at the end.  It was amazing how long many of the  folks (all women, I think) could keep that hoop going.