For decades, there was a place in Lewes called the Happy Day Club - a place where, during the segregation era, the Black community in Lewes and beyond would go to socialize, hear the latest music, and dance. But it was more than just an entertainment center - it was a cultural and community center, and part of a thriving Black society in Sussex County.
This weekend, Lewes 250 celebrates the history and legacy of the Happy Day Club with "Once in a Blue Moon."
Trina Brown-Hicks is a member of the Lewes City Council and Lewes 250, and the granddaughter of the club’s owners. She says before it was a cultural institution, the Happy Day Club had humble beginnings.
"It was one of the only homes in the area that had an actual indoor bathroom at the time and a big parlor with a jukebox,” she says.
But, she says, it didn’t stay humble for very long. There was a need for a place in segregation-era Sussex County.
“It grew to the point where some of the officials allowed my grandfather to purchase the Happy Day Club for $275,” she says.
The club was known regionally for the musicians it brought in. It was part of the “Chitlin Circuit,” theatres that gave Black artists venues to perform for Black audiences. That circuit launched the careers of a legion of musicians, some of whom made their way to the First State before they saw the national spotlight.
“It was a fun time - music, drinks flowing, and people just enjoyed themselves,” Brown-Hicks says.
But the Happy Day Club had a role beyond entertainment. It was also a hub for community groups, and even health care.
“When the state had nurses and doctors come visit African American communities, that was a place where they would come and people would get their immunizations, get their checkups, check their teeth,” Brown-Hicks explains.
Saturday’s event, “Once in a Blue Moon,” celebrates that legacy, something that Brown-Hicks says is especially important, given the changing population of Lewes.
“We used to be probably from 25 to 30% African American, and now we're probably down to 1%,” she says. “So I just don't want the memory of those who came before us to be lost.”
“Once in a Blue Moon” will feature live music, dancing, and food and drinks. It starts at 6:00 p.m. at American Legion Post 17 in Lewes.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
