It’s getting closer. Businesses that were shuttered all winter long are starting to re-open, galleries across the South Fork are overtly celebrating springtime-themed works. Florals can in fact be groundbreaking, right? Paralleling that theme is the annual Spring Fling Festival in downtown Westhampton Beach, marking the first of many outdoor events for the season.
Dinner theater enthusiasts, rejoice! For this weekend there are two events on the South Fork ready to help satiate both your cultural and literal appetites all weekend. Check out a sleepover at the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead, head to Bay Street in Sag Harbor for the live taping of a comedy special from Joseph Vescey, or mix and mingle with some of the East End’s most talented individuals at The Clubhouse in Wainscott.
Tomorrow is the start of the 15th season for Montauk’s Navy Beach, so be sure to cin-cin with your 5 o’clock cocktails if you end up beginning your weekend at The End!
See a comedy special set at Bay Street
All are welcome to a live taping of producer/comedian Joseph Vecsey’s “Half Hard, Half Soft” comedy special at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor this Saturday night at 8 p.m.. Vecsey, who most recently toured with Adam Sandler and co-produced Netflix’s Home Team, is the producer and curator of Bay Street’s “All Star Comedy” series. Tickets to attend the one-hour comedy special start at $27, but there will be a meet and greet, plus some free food, afterward with Vecsey.
Celebrate Arbor Day in Southampton
The third Arbor Day gathering is tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Agawam Park in Southampton Village, which will include a new tree planting and small celebration. According to a press release, last year, the village was named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, a tree planting non-profit, to honor its commitment to effective urban forest management. Southampton Village achieved this by meeting the program’s four requirements: maintaining a tree board or department, having a tree care ordinance, dedicating an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and hosting an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
Summer, but make it art at a newly opened gallery
“Prelude to Summer” is the latest exhibition up at the less-than-a-year-open Art Studio Hamptons Gallery (108 Main St.) in Westhampton Beach. Curated by Eileen Baumeister McIntyre, the exhibition features a collection of artworks by local and regional artists, evoking the excitement and spirit synonymous with upcoming summer season. “Prelude to Summer” will be on view through May 12.
Shark sleepover at the aquarium
Kids ages 5 to 11 are welcome to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead for a little “funcation” during their spring break. Tours of the aquarium, a sea lion show, a visit to the arcade, movie time and crafting are all tap for today and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Cost is $51.75 per day. Tomorrow, the aquarium hosts “Sleepover with the Sharks,” an unforgettable sleepover experience perfect for shark lovers and packed with activity. Participants will take a nocturnal prowl through the aquarium’s animal care areas and learn how to care for and feed the sharks and rays. Sleepover will also include a catered dinner, a movie short and snacks. Goes from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Saturday morning. Cost is $72.40 per person, $10.35 for kids 2 and under.
Catch dinner and a show at The Dining Room at SAC
Southampton Arts Center hosts a live performance of The Dining Room, a collection of 18 vignettes that explore and examine the evolution, function and versatility of dining rooms within homes. Shows will be on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.. Tickets are $20, $15 for members. Get dinner or brunch before the performance as Southampton Publick House, Claude’s Restaurant and Bamboo Restaurant are all offering deals and discounts on meals for ticketholders. A new outdoor sculpture exhibition “Organic Abstraction: Contemporary Outdoor Garden” starts tomorrow.
Show up for the Spring Fling in WHB
The Westhampton Beach Spring Fling Festival is this Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Main Street. Brought to us by the Westhampton Beach Chamber of Commerce, activities will include the Westhampton Beach Brewing Co.’s Riptide Run 5K and Fun Run kicking off on Main Street at 10:30 a.m., plus the last indoor market of the season at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Sidewalk sales will be on both Saturday and Sunday, April 28, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The festival will also feature live music, a DJ, family activities, food trucks, seed plantings, prizes, local artisan vendors and oodles more! Rain date is Sunday.
Catch a play and some art at LTV
Playwrights’ Theatre of East Hampton, in association with Kassar Productions, present The Pillowman, a play by Academy Award-winning writer Martin McDonagh, opening tonight at LTV Studios in Wainscott with performances continuing all weekend long. Designed for ages 16 and up, the play is a fictional take on a writer living in a totalitarian society who is being interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a series of child murders. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. tonight, tomorrow night and Saturday night with a matinee on Sunday at 3 p.m.. General admission is $25 in advance, $20 at the door, $15 for students. LTV is partnering with The Clubhouse for a dinner and show opportunity for playgoers. Show proof of ticket purchase and get 20 percent off your bill! An opening reception for an exhibit of the late Frank Sofo’s paintings is at LTV this Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m..
Get after these free music performances
Lina Maxine performs at Kidd Squid Brewing Co. from 5 to 7 p.m. and Jack Marshall performs at The Green Room from 8 to 10 p.m.. Both locations are in Sag Harbor. A couple of live musical performances are on tap at the Ram’s Head Inn on Shelter Island this weekend. William Cento plays Saturday night while Sara Mundy performs along with a special guest on Sunday night. Both performances are slated to run from 5 to 8 p.m..
Mix and mingle with a network of East Enders
The East Hampton Arts Council presents “Creative Networking Nights” at The Clubhouse in Wainscott starting at 6 p.m. tonight. All are welcome to join in for a slew of presentations from some local painters, filmmakers, photographers, chefs, writers, musicians and designers from the East End. A great networking opportunity, tonight’s guests will include guitarist G.E. Smith, singer/songwriter Taylor Barton, architect Nick Martin and mixed-media artist Jasmine Chamberlain.
Classical pianist plays at The Church
A concert with pianist Rupert Egerton-Smith, in collaboration with the Alexander and Buono Foundation, is at The Church in Sag Harbor this Saturday night at 6 p.m.. Attendees will enjoy a program of music from the likes of Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninoff and Gershwin, among others. Admission is $30, $25 for members. Doors open at 5:30 p.m..
