Steve Elkins, left, and Murray Archibald of Camp Rehoboth are gearing up for a busy October celebrating the community center’s 25 years.

CAMP Rehoboth celebrates 25 years of service to the community with its Silverbration weekend on Friday, Oct. 9 and Sunday, Oct. 11.

Oct. 9 will be the Silver Gala at Nassau Valley Vineyards (32165 Winery Way, Lewes, Del.) from 7-11 p.m. and will feature illusionist Christopher Peterson. The Silver Block Party will be Oct. 11 on the second block of Baltimore Avenue and will run from noon-4 p.m.

Murray Archibald, board president of the LGBT community center that serves the Rehoboth Beach community, says the planning committee has been working on this anniversary weekend since last year. Despite having other big events to work on, such as Sundance, their biggest event festival of the year over Labor Day weekend, they were able to organize the two events.

According to Archibald, the gala will have a more traditional vibe with a band and dancing. There will also be food served from several restaurants in the area. Peterson will emcee the night. General admission tickets for the gala are $100. General admission tickets with seating are $125. Gala table sponsor tickets are $1,500.

The block party is new for CAMP Rehoboth. Plans for vendors, food trucks and a stage in front of CAMP Rehoboth for different performances have well been underway. Archibald says the city has allowed CAMP Rehoboth to close off the second block of Baltimore Avenue, something they usually don’t do, for the party. Admission to the block party is free but there is a suggested $10 donation.

The gala and block party are the two celebration events planned for the weekend but CAMP Rehoboth will remain open throughout that weekend for visitors to stop by.

Archibald is amazed to see the growth CAMP Rehoboth has made in the past 25 years.

“It’s grown from a little tiny room where people said, ‘You’re crazy. What are you doing,’ to the full community center and being able to serve the community the way we do,” Archibald says. “Not just the community but all of Delaware. Even if something gay related is going on in the news anywhere, we get a call.”

He thinks that all of the hard work CAMP Rehoboth has put into helping the community has caused the same community to want to celebrate with them.

“Part of our goal was to be a bridge to the whole community when we started it and I think the community is celebrating,” Archibald says.

Although CAMP Rehoboth has established itself as a staple in the LGBT Delaware community, it goes far beyond just servicing that community. Archibald says that CAMP Rehoboth’s close proximity to D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia has allowed it to spread its vision beyond the resort town.

Archibald also says that despite originally serving only the LGBT community it has now become an important part of Delaware as whole.

“People gay and straight turn to CAMP Rehoboth for things,” Archibald says. “It used to strike us as funny, but it doesn’t anymore. We’re visible, we’re downtown, we’re involved in things. It really shows that we’re involved at all levels of the community.”