This year, from Friday, August 21 through Sunday, August 23, Dover is leaning all the way into that history with Cowabunga Fest, a three-day celebration of turtles, pizza, art, skating and the wonderfully strange bit of pop-culture history that started right here in the Garrison City.

Cowabunga Fest takes over downtown Dover, with local restaurants, shops, museums and organizations joining the fun. Grab a Pizza Passport at the Woodman Museum or on Central Ave at My Country Story to explore the city along the way.

Friday night starts appropriately enough with a movie. Dover Main Street will host an outdoor screening of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret of the Ooze at the Rotary Arts Pavilion in Henry Law Park. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, find a spot on the lawn and settle in for a movie night. Having a pizza craving? OTTO will be delivering pizza orders to the pavilion during the movie.
On Saturday, come hungry. The Cowabunga pizza crawl sends visitors around downtown to try participating pizza spots including OTTO, Fuego, La Festa Brick & Brew, Domino’s, Thirsty Moose Taphouse, and Tokens.

Got the munchies early? The Nook is going all-in with a TMNT-themed breakfast menu, featuring everything from Donatello Pizza loaded with eggs, sausage and hot honey to Raphael’s red velvet pancakes and Shredder’s teriyaki chicken avocado toast. Even April O’Neil gets her own tofu scramble. And the staff will be dressing for the occasion, too.

At My Country Story, kids can pick up a DIY ninja mask to color to match their favorite turtle, along with coloring pages, crayons and stickers while supplies last. The shop will also have locally made TMNT-themed cookies and cupcakes throughout the weekend by local bakery Autumn’s Kitchen.

Keep wandering and you’ll find more turtle surprises. Stop into Potter’s Green & Gift, where turtle-shaped planters are ready to be paired with the perfect little plant. Or make your way to Lickee’s & Chewy’s Candies & Creamery and hunt through its PEZ selection. We have a feeling a few familiar green faces may be hiding in there.
Friday, Aug 21 at 8pm – Family Movie Night: TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze, Henry Law Park

Artist signings with TMNT artist Rich Woodall Plowabunga Snow plow touch-a-truck

Saturday, Aug 22nd 11am-6pm – Pizza Fest, Cocheco Courtyard hosted by Otto Pizza
Featuring a $15 cheese pizza deal, live music, make your own ooze, cornhole, and an obstacle course!

Sunday, Aug 23rd 2-6pm – Skate Jam, Dover Skate Park

This style will be more of an open skate format, where skaters are just skating/doing their thing, and then from time-to-time we will have a specific challenge like highest kickflip, longest ollie, head to head race around the park, etc.

Live music from Disko Lunatics and Kong Moon!
These events will be free and open to the public! Donations are greatly appreciated and will go to support the Woodman Museum and their Eastman and Laird Gallery. Sponsorship opportunities are available, please contact museum director, Jonathan Nichols at director@woodmanmuseum.org for sponsorship information.