Christmas gets tropical, once again, in Bethany Beach

With Christmas right around the corner, many of the same things are going to be on everyone’s mind: shopping, family, food and... the Caribbean? If you know how the Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation (QRCF) celebrates Christmas, then you know it’s time, once again for their annual sellout event, Caribbean Christmas, set for Saturday, Dec. 3, from 7 to 11 p.m. at Mango’s in Bethany Beach.

From food and dancing to live entertainment and auctions, the end-of-the-year event has become a celebratory staple, and a way for visitors and locals to give back to the community.

“Caribbean Christmas initially started 10 years ago as just a big party of Quiet Resorts board members,” recalled Mary Franz, member of the QRCF executive committee. “Since then, it’s grown into the biggest winter party in town.”

This year’s event promises not to disappoint, and if past ticket sales have proved anything, it’s that the Caribbean Christmas is the place to be in December.

“We’ve only encountered one problem in the past,” said Franz. “A few years ago, the event was too crowded, so we’ve done some things to help manage that. Tickets get sold out every year. I’ve even overheard some women in Rehoboth talking about the event, saying it’s the biggest party out of all the Delaware beaches. That’s when you know you’ve made it. It’s quite a rousing endorsement to hear something like that.”

This year’s event looks to offer yet another successful party, headlined by the returning feature band Electric Velvet.

“They always draw a big crowd of their own,” said Franz. “They are absolutely to-die-for, and they put on such a great show. People in the area – especially from the 1980s and ’90s – love to watch them play.”

Each year, many featured restaurants are included in the event, sharing hors d’oeuvres and other eats.

“Every event,” Franz added, “we try to include as many restaurants as we can. This year, we have 11, and we’ve invited new ones that recently opened in the area, too. It gives chefs and managers a great venue to display their food to potential customers, and it gives the ticket holders a chance to try some delicious menu items that they may not have tried yet.”

One of the biggest attractions of Caribbean Christmas has been the auction, which features local art, gift certificates to restaurants and area businesses, gift baskets and more.

“The auction is a lot of fun,” said Franz, “because it gives people the opportunity to pick up things for a lot less, and also gives them a chance to win certain items that you’d never find in a gift store. You can win vacations to a beach house for a week, trips to the islands, a flight over the Ocean City and Bethany Beach area, a lot of unusual things that are tough to come by. That’s really part of the fun.”

In its early years, the Caribbean Christmas did not have any fundraising efforts attached to it, but since its expansion – warranting a sizable venue like Mango’s – ticket sales, 50/50 raffles, auction bids, donations and other monetary funds have helped the Quiet Resorts give back to organizations and other committees throughout the community.

Funds raised from Caribbean Christmas and other events help QRCF give out scholarships to high school and junior college grads, grants for local organizations and a recently added program, Back Our Schools, which focuses on helping teachers obtain the materials needed for students in the classroom.

This year, the QRCF will be donating funds raised at Caribbean Christmas to the three local volunteer fire companies: Bethany Beach, Millville and Roxana. Representatives from each department will be in attendance throughout the evening of Dec. 3 to help out, too.

Tickets are limited, so those wishing to attend should be sure to purchase them in advance. Admission costs $60 per person, and attendees must be 21 or older.

Stop by Beach Liquors, Bethany Beach Books, the Cottage Café, DiFebo’s restaurant or Mango’s in Bethany Beach, the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce, Just Hooked or Mio Fratello in Fenwick Island or DiFebo’s Bistro at Bear Trap Dunes in Ocean View to purchase tickets. To buy tickets via Visa or MasterCard, contact Mary Franz at the Quiet Resorts Foundation by calling (302) 537-QRCF (7723).

For more information, visit www.qrcf.org.