The boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach runs for one mile along the Atlantic, and it is the heart of the town's summer life. Thrasher's french fries — served in paper cups with vinegar, never ketchup, according to local orthodoxy — have been sold here since 1929. Grotto Pizza, Dolle's saltwater taffy, and Johnson's Popcorn are the other institutions, all operating from the same positions they have occupied for decades.
The boardwalk is at its best in the morning, before the crowds arrive, and in the evening, when the beach empties and the restaurants and bars fill. A bandstand midway along the boards hosts free concerts on summer evenings. In high summer (July through Labor Day) the boardwalk gets genuinely crowded; the shoulder season — May, June, and September — offers better conditions for people who prefer their beach experience without the press of bodies.
The beach itself runs the full length of the boardwalk and extends beyond it in both directions. The water is Atlantic-cool but swimmable from Memorial Day through September, and lifeguards are on duty during summer hours.