The end of the summer is certainly not the end of the world here on the South Fork. If anything, October is the month where locals get a little transitional breathing room, as it offers a more than welcome change of pace and a brand-new season of possibilities. Seriously, the fall produce alone is worth sticking around for.
The air is a little bit crisper; traffic is a little bit lighter, and the days are getting noticeably shorter (Gulp! We’re not ready for that either!), yet across the East End there’s a palpable sense of delight amongst the residents and regular visitors as they cherish this special season before the buzz comes back for the holidays.
This weekend sees plenty of local organizations and groups celebrating the visceral beauty and bounty of the South Fork, whether it’s in the form of a stroll to the sea with your pup, an autumn-themed cocktail party to honor a 41-year-old rotary club or a first ever Oktoberfest at an old favorite location. As always, first-rate art and music are readily available all weekend long and there’s a special whiskey-themed event at the Sagaponack Farm Distillery. Don’t have to ask us twice!
Prost! Enjoy Oktoberfest in Hampton Bays
Strap on your best lederhosen as Hampton Bays’ Oktoberfest comes to The Barnyard (the old Boardy Barn located at 270 West Montauk Highway) this Saturday, October 7, starting at noon. There’ll be a pop-up biergarten (that’s beer garden for those not in the know), giveaways, lots of German/Austrian/Bavarian-style food and the Smitty Polka Band quartet will play from 4 to 8 p.m.. Attendees should bring their beer muscles as Sam Adams will be putting on a beer-stein hoisting competition beginning at 5 p.m. where two winners will win a custom 2023 Sam Adams traditional ceramic stein. Winners will also be entered to win two NFL tickets to a New York team of their choice through the month of November. Admission to the HB Oktoberfest is free and open to the public.
Observe abstract art made by women at SAC
“Heroines of Abstract Expressionist Era,” the new exhibit at Southampton Arts Center and curated by executive director Christina Strassfield, will have its opening day on Saturday, October 7, from noon to 5 p.m.. Celebrating the women members whose work was historically significant in the art world — like Lee Krasner, Elaine DeKooning and Perle Fine — the exhibit draws from the collections of Rick Friedman and Cindy Lou Wakefield and will be on display through December 17. An opening reception for this exhibit will be held next Saturday, October 14, at SAC.
Take in some tunes at some local spots
Massimilian Cims performs at The Green Room at the Sag Harbor Cinema tonight from 8 to 10 p.m.. Local reggae fave Winston Irie will perform at Kidd Squid Brewing Co. on Spring Street this Sunday, October 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.. Starting at 9 p.m. this Saturday, October 7, free karaoke is at Almond in Bridgehampton.
Wet your whistle and bust a gut at Montauk Yacht Club
Montauk Yacht Club (32 Star Island Road) hosts “Sea to Seat,” a collaborative dinner with Mount Gay Rum, on Saturday, October 7, beginning at 6 p.m. at the club’s on-site resto, Showfish Al Fresco. In celebration of the many people responsible for preserving our precious clean waters here on the South Fork, the dinner will feature a sustainable fall-inspired seafood dinner, along with playful and unique rum cocktails. Tickets are $85 per person and are available here. On Sunday, October 8, all are welcome to a night of comedy with host Seth Herzog, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the yacht club ballroom. Tickets are $20 per person.
Stroll to the Sea with Your Pup and ARF
Join the Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) of East Hampton for the 30th Annual Stroll to the Sea, where you and your bestest four-legged, floppy-eared buddy can take a furry foray to raise money for the big-hearted animal rescue organization. The walk begins at Mulford Farm at 9 a.m. and ambles two miles to Main Beach and back. Adults are $40 ($50 day-off) and kids can register for $20 — plus they get a T-shirt! Also during the event, try your luck on some great raffle prizes and contests, too. Register here. Note: Rain date is Sunday, October 8 (and you may need it this weekend!).
Sip, mingle and listen at Sagaponack Farm Distillery
Sagaponack Farm Distillery hosts a daylong celebration of bourbon and empire rye (be still our dark liquor-loving hearts!) this Saturday, October 7, beginning at noon. Hosted by Dean and Marilee Foster, along with Matt Beamer, special guests include whiskey makers from New York Distilling Company, Great Jones Distilling Co. and Kings County Distillery. From noon to 4 p.m., guests can enjoy bourbon and empire rye cocktails, while from 5 to 7 p.m., ticketholders can enjoy a private panel discussion with the distillers plus a guided tasting. Got questions? Email Suzannah Wainhouse at [email protected].
Explore Edison ideology at The Church
“Knowledge Friday” is tomorrow, October 6, beginning at 6 p.m. at The Church in Sag Harbor featuring bestselling author, mentor, teacher and speaker Mark Matousek. Interviewed by April Gornik, Matousek will discuss his latest book, Lessons From an American Stoic: How Emerson Can Change Your Life, followed by a Q&A. His book draws on advice from American inventor and innovator Thomas Edison and how it applies today. Admission is $10, free for members. RSVP here.
Make an appreciation card for a vet
In honor of the upcoming Veterans Day, all high school students looking to earn a little community service can do so by making appreciation cards for military veterans with the help of East Hampton Library. Tomorrow, October 6, from 3 to 5 p.m. students are welcome to pick up reserved craft kits at the library and take them home to create their own personal appreciation cards. Supplies are limited, so be sure to reserve your own kit here. Completed kits are due back at the library within a week of pick-up to earn community service. For more information call 631-324-0222 ext. 5.
Hear Nancy Atlas, see a documentary at Bay Street
Local songstress and guitar player Nancy Atlas and her band will perform at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor on Saturday, October 7, beginning at 8 p.m.. Tickets start at $35 and are available here. Four Winters, a documentary directed by Julia Mintz that tells the story of members of the Jewish resistance during World War II, screens at 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 8. A Q&A with Mintz follows the screening along with a small reception in the lobby of the theater. Tickets are $18.
Attend a “Seconds and Sample” sale in Amagansett
Amagansett’s Il Buco Vita hosts its “Seconds and Sample” sale, offering discontinued and slightly flawed/irregular items plus sample products for great prices, starting tomorrow, October 6, at 11 a.m.. The sale, which will feature items up to 75 percent off, will run through Monday, October 9. Hours of operation for the 225 Main Street location are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday.
Talk NYC artists at The Parrish
The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill hosts a talk with author Prudence Peiffer reading excerpts from her new book The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever tomorrow, October 6 at 6 p.m.. Peiffer’s book tells the story of the über-talented artists whose home was on Coenties Slip, an obscure street located in the Financial District of Manhattan, in the late 1950s to early 1960s. Admission to the talk is $16 for adults, $12 for seniors, $5 for members and free for students and children. Register here.
Take in an evening by the sea in Hampton Bays
The 16th annual “Autumn Evening by the Sea,” to benefit the Hampton Bays Rotary Club is at Oakland’s Restaurant tonight from 6 to 8 p.m.. Lars Clemensen, superintendent of schools, will be honored as the rotary’s community member of the year and the event will include a cocktail party, appetizers and raffles. General admission is $80 and you can get your tickets here.
Craft cutesy pumpkins, hear about ancient Greece on Shelter Island
Kids ages 6 and up are welcome to the Shelter Island Public Library to make some festive (and absolutely adorable, if we do say so) pipe cleaner pumpkins from 3 to 4 p.m. this afternoon. Art historian Yvonne Korshak will be at the library tomorrow, October 6, at 7 p.m. for the hour-long “Friday Night Dialogue.” Author of Pericles and Aspasia: A Novel of Ancient Greece, Korshak will discuss aspects of ancient art, archaeology and the formation of democracy in Athens.
