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Chincoteague: The other horse island
By Tony RussoMarch 17, 20173 min read
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It starts with the drive in
Chincoteague in the distance. There is a kind of skyway (or super long bridge) that connects the island to the land.
I was down to take a look at the fairgrounds, where the annual pony auction is held. If you for some reason are unfamiliar with the concept, there are wild horses on Assateague and Chincoteague islands. The Assateague ponies are federally protected and the Chincoteague ponies are owned by the local fire department. The fireman care for the herd and auction some of the ponies off each year to manage the population and fund the fire department.
They've been doing it for such a long time that the fairgrounds are permanent, a village of stone buildings holding fast against the elements. Also, as it happens, the fairgrounds are the perfect place for a beer festival, more on that here.
But it would have been silly to make a trip all the way to Chincoteague and not take notice of its potential for me and that's what I want to get at. By the height of summer Chincoteague is as abuzz as it gets with visitors and part-time residents taking advantage of its perfect placement between the ocean and bay.
There always is something to do on Chincoteague, even if it is nothing
Some of the ponies are penned, others roam the beaches.
The hotel rooms are nearly laughably inexpensive at this time of year and I thought about taking a weekend trip, Friday to Sunday, just to knock around. It is the knocking around part that makes the island a particular attraction. You can wander to the park and watch the penned ponies at play or at rest. You can bike, walk or drive out to Chincoteague National Park and explore the beach. You can sit bayside and have a meal and maybe a drink or two before wandering off again.
Realizing how much there was to do (or not do) on the island is what convinced me to pitch this weekend away to you. The weather will have broken by the end of April and even more of the shops and restaurants will have weekend hours. April 29th, the weekend of the Shore Craft Beer Fest: Chincoteague is an arts weekend as well. There will be a plein air festival and wet paint sale and after-party. The town shops will participate in their own particular ways.
This will be a weekend where Chincoteague shows off its diversity and sparks your imagination for making it your next big weekend destination.About Tony Russo
Tony Russo has worked as a print and digital journalist for the better part of the 21st century, writing for and editing regional weeklies and dailies before joining the team that produces OceanCity.com and ShoreCraftBeer.com among other destination websites. In addition to having documented everything from zoning changes to art movements on the Delmarva Peninsula, Tony has written two books on beer for the History Press. Eastern Shore Beer was published in 2014 and Delaware Beer in 2016. He lives in Delmar, Md. with his wife Kelly and the only of his four daughters who hasn't moved out. Together they keep their two dogs comfortable.
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