By Mike Finney

MILFORD — There was a definite buzz in the streets of downtown Milford Saturday, and it wasn’t just from all the kids dressed up like ladybugs, bees and other insects.

The annual Bug & Bud Festival returned to the streets of the city on the Mispillion River, with fun, food, games — and the popular costume parade — coming back back in force following two years’ hiatus due to the pandemic.

“This is a great day for Milford,” said Archie Campbell, the city’s mayor. “It didn’t happen last year but this year we have it and it’s going to be really great for the town, the community and all of our visitors.

“Not only has it been a long two years since we’ve had it but everybody kept calling me saying, ‘Are we going to have it? Are we going to have it?’, and I’m like ‘We’re hoping.’ I enjoy seeing all the kids getting a chance to get outside. They all love it.”

Celebrating the ladybug and White Oak trees is a unique thing for Milford. The festival, hosted by Downtown Milford Inc., said it downsized a little bit this year, but it was certainly hard to tell.

Josh Huson traveled from Virginia with his family to visit relatives and loved the atmosphere at the event, with the smell of tasty food filling the air and sounds of delight coming from children.

“This is great,” Mr. Huson said. “It’s awesome to be able to get out and see people again and participate in some things that are community oriented. They definitely got a great day for it.”

The Bug & Bud tradition began in 2004, some 30 years after Molly Brown-Rust, a teacher at LuLu Ross Elementary School, had her second-grade students ask her if Delaware had a state bug, and it didn’t.

So, a yearlong effort by the class culminated on April 25, 1974, when the Delaware state legislature voted to designate the ladybug as the state bug, by virtue of its agricultural usefulness and their presentations to the legislators.

“We’ve really been looking forward to this,” said Georgetown’s Pam Prettyman, who came to the event dressed as a tree while her granddaughter Aubrey Armentrout proudly displayed her ladybug costume, complete with a couple of ladybug stuffed animals.

“She’s very anxious to walk in the parade. She wants to play some games and ride some rides. It’s definitely nice to be able to get outside again for a change.”

Students from the Music School of Delaware and October Oak Acoustic entertained the crowd with music, there was a pizza-eating contest, dozens and dozens of vendors lined up and down Walnut Street, a 5K race, and pretty much something for everybody.

White Oak tree seedlings were even given out. The White Oak is cherished by Milford, a riverfront city, considering it resists decay, is waterproof and was very useful in building ships at the Vinyard Shipyard.

And judging from the excitement around the city, the festival – one of Milford’s rites of spring – had finally returned.

“I’m really glad it’s back,” Mayor Campbell said.