We made it folks! Summer is here, officially since Wednesday, and while you all probably want nothing more than to soak up that sweet, sweet sunshine on whatever salty strip of sand you haunt, there’s also so much more to do this weekend. Plenty of civic organizations and groups, businesses, and community centers are gearing up and gussying up for what’s slated to be a lively and fun-filled season here on the South Fork. This weekend alone, several locales are hosting events to benefit our fine furry friends that inhabit the Hamptons, while other groups are slated to host a beach clean-up on Dune Road and an author talk and book signing is set for the Montauk Lighthouse. RUMBA in Hampton Bays hosts its annual boat party sure to be filled with tons of tasty, tiki-themed treats and reggae vibes, while members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation gather at Duck Creek in East Hampton for a spirited discussion on their rich heritage here on the East End.
Here’s a snippet of what’s going on across the South Fork this weekend. And a big congratulations to the graduating classes of 2023!! Happy Summer everyone! We’ve earned it.
Clean up the beach in Hampton Bays
Join in for a clean-up competition hosted by Oakland’s Restaurant & Marina, located at 373 Dune Road in Hampton Bays, on Sunday, June 25, beginning at 9 a.m.. All trash will be weighed in by noon. Representatives from Relic’s Coastal Collaborative Program will be on hand to assist and will also be providing information on other locations in need of cleaning. Prizes will be given to the top individual and top team of up to four people.
Meet a seasoned artist at The Church
Multidisciplinary artist Stephen Laub will be at The Church in Sag Harbor at 10:30 a.m. this Sunday, June 25. Part of the locale’s “Insight Sundays,” Laub will discuss his career spanning the past nearly 50 years, including his work featured presently in The Church’s summer exhibition, “Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing,” which opens on Saturday, June 24. This event is $10, free for members. RSVP here.
Lift yourself up for a canine cause
This Saturday, June 24, all are welcome to LIFTED, a new fitness studio located at 65 Montauk Hwy. in East Hampton, for a fundraiser class for “No Dogs Left Behind,” an organization that raises awareness against animal cruelty and rescues dogs from the meat market in China. Run by celebrity personal trainer Holly Rilinger, Saturday’s class starts at 10:30 a.m.. Reserve your spot here. Call 631-527-5255 for more info.
Go to an author talk/book signing in Montauk
Lenore Skomal, author of The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter, will be at the Montauk Point Lighthouse beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 24. All are welcome to come and meet Skomal, who’ll be on hand for an author talk and book signing. Presented by the Montauk Historical Society, the event is free with admission to the lighthouse.
Help support SAC
Step into Southampton Village’s world of whimsy with the “Whimsy in the Garden” cocktail party is at the Southampton Arts Center this Saturday, June 24, beginning at 6 p.m.. Welcome the summer season with a stroll through SAC’s sculpture garden with a cocktail in hand, all to benefit programming at the arts center. Individual tickets start at $350. Get yours here.
Gain a new perspective with the Shinnecock
“Shinnecock Perspectives: The Boys and Girls Club of Shinnecock Nation” is at the Arts Center at Duck Creek in East Hampton this Sunday, June 25, from 4 to 6 p.m., as an effort to explore and discuss indigenous heritage and how it relates to the young Shinnecock creative community. “Shinnecock Perspectives” will also look to create new pathways to be built between members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation and the East End community as a whole. To RSVP, click here.
Check out an outdoor art festival in East Hampton
This Saturday, June 24, and Sunday, June 25, the East Hampton Rotary Club and Howard Alan Events present “The East Hampton Art Affair at Herrick Park.” This two-day art festival will be at East Hampton Village’s Herrick Park, located at 67 Newtown Ln. On Saturday, the festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. To view a list of slated exhibitors, click here.
Get wild for the wild in Sagaponack
The Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center’s 15th Annual Get Wild Benefit is from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 24 at the Sagaponack Sculpture Fields on Wilkes Lane. Attendees will enjoy live music, drinks and light appetizers all to the benefit some of the feathered and furry friends being cared for at the rescue center. Tickets start at $200; get yours here.
See how dance can help those with Parkinson’s at the Parrish
There’s a screening of the film Capturing Grace at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill tomorrow, June 23. Beginning at 6 p.m., director David Iverson will be on hand to discuss the themes of the film, specifically the power of choreography as the film’s subject follows the Brooklyn Parkinson Group. Iverson will be joined by David Leventhal, program director and founding teacher of Dane for PD, a program of Mark Morris Dance Group, and Sarah Cohen, from Stony Brook-Southampton Hospital’s Center for Parkinson’s Disease. $16 for adults, $10 for members, $10 for students, $5 for children. Register here.
Show up for SASF’s 1st garden tour and cocktail party
The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation’s 1st Garden Tour is this Saturday, June 24, where you’ll go behind the gates of six private gardens in Southampton. The self-guided garden tours will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be followed by cocktails with the rescued canines from SASF. Food will be provided by Sant Ambroeus, cocktails by Canoe Place Inn and mocktails are from Vegan Muse. Music will be played by Joshua Brussel. No outside dogs allowed. $125 per person to access the gardens, $175 per person for the garden tour and the cocktail party. Contact [email protected] for exact locations. Get your tickets here.