It takes a village. Or two, or three, for that matter, as this weekend sees a slew of South Fork village and town organizations banding together to put on oodles of affordable (if not totally free) events, ranging from a chair boxing class and a spring fling dance to drag bingo and a weekend-long music festival.
A common theme among the event line-up for this particular weekend are the events are activities set to benefit plenty of South Fork-based nonprofits, charities and coalitions. The juice really is worth the squeeze at all these happenings, so get out, show up and shell out and have fun. It’s for a good cause; we promise.
Drop in for some history in East Hampton
Learn the history of Gardiners Island with the East Hampton Library’s Long Island Collection today from 4 to 7 p.m.. This second drop-in, pop-up exhibit, allows patrons to view items related to the history of Gardiners Island, such as photos, maps and documents. Librarians from the Long Island Collection will be on-hand to answer questions and the exhibit will be on view through Saturday. For more info email Andrea Meyer, head of the Collection, at [email protected] or call 631-324-0222 ext. 4.
Swing into spring at the Ram’s Head
Shelter Island’s Ram’s Head Inn will have music by Jeff LeBlanc tomorrow night from 5 to 8 p.m.. while Jane Hastay and the Peter Martin Weiss Trio, with special guest vocalist Darcey, perform on Sunday, May 19, starting at 5 p.m.. On Saturday, May 18, beginning at 5 p.m. it’s the Spring Fling Dinner & Dance. This black tie “welcome back spring” affair features a cocktail hour ($50) which will include passed hors d’oeuvres and one welcome drink (house wine, cocktail or beer). Dinner follows, for an additional cost, and reservations can be made by calling 631-749-0811 or by clicking here. Sara Mundy will be playing piano and singing in the dining room during a portion of dinner.
Shell out for a cause in Southampton
The Paul Koster Memorial Benefit — devoted to helping people in the local community achieve success in reaching their goals of furthering their education by awarding scholarships to high school graduates — hosts a “Viva Las Vegas!” fundraising event this Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Southampton Arts Center. Set to be an evening of fine foods, games of chance and music there’ll be dancing, a silent auction, a ticket auction, prizes, a buffet and raw bar, and an open bar. Tickets are $75 in advance, $100 at the door. For more information call Emily at 631-283-6681.
Jam out in Montauk
The 13th annual Montauk Music Festival kicks off tonight with an opening launch party beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Westlake Fish House (352 Westlake Drive). Tickets are $60 and include appetizers, cocktails and dancing. The festival starts tomorrow with musical performances occurring at over a dozen Montauk locales all day and well into the night. Continues through Sunday. To view the full schedule, click here. A percentage of the proceeds will benefit Lucia’s Angels and East End Coalition for Women’s Cancers.
Get your garden growing
This Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons of the hosts a garden fair at the Bridgehampton Community House (2357 Montauk Highway). A great assortment of plants will be for sale, carefully chosen from several East End wholesale specialty growers as well as plants dug from HAH members’ gardens. There’ll be natives grown from Vickie Bustamanta as well as shrubs, trees, perennials, annuals, succulents and pollinators.
Attend ARF’s Pet Celebration Day
In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons will hold its Pet Celebration Day this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Wainscott location (124 Daniels Hole Road). Open to both members of the public as well as pets, too, festivities will include music, vendors, contests, a dog agility course, free nail clipping, free microchipping and coffee and treats. Food will be available for purchase from Buddhaberry and Mattitaco food trucks. Most importantly, this is a great opportunity to meet the many cats and dogs available for adoption at ARF. Attending dogs must be on leashes and cats must be in carriers.
Lock in the fun at LTV
LTV Studios and Hamptons performance and arts education nonprofit Our Fabulous Variety Show host drag bingo tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at LTV’s Wainscott location. Hosted by drag queens RaffaShow and Miss Nina, the night will include walking tacos, prizes and an impromptu drag performance, or two. Tickets are $25 and include three bingo cards, with additional cards available for purchase throughout the event. Wine, beer and snacks will be available for purchase. Snag your tickets here.
Chair boxing and food talks in Hampton Bays
A chair boxing workshop is at the Hampton Bays Public Library tonight at 7 p.m.. Adults are welcome to a moderate but effective fitness class that teaches the fundamentals of boxing, hand-eye coordination, stability, breathing techniques and balance all while sitting in a chair. Tomorrow at 7 p.m. Jacquelyn Ottman will be on hand for a virtual discussion via Zoom: “Using Them Up: How the World Makes Leftovers Taste Like New.” Tomorrow, it’s “Yum vs. Yuck,” where students in grades 7 through 12 will have an opportunity to try different foods from around the world. Starts at 3 p.m..
See and hear the Shinnecock language at Guild Hall
The “First Literature Project” opens at Guild Hall this Saturday in East Hampton for members. It will be open to the public on Sunday. Developed over a two-year period by community artists-in-residence Wunetu Wequai Tarrant and Christian Scheider, the project, which proposes to support and maintain traditional language, narratives and oral traditions of native nations, mixes advanced 3-D technology and will be presented in the Marks Family Gallery South featuring the first virtual reality media produced in the Shinnecock language. Timed entry (running every half hour) is required to experience the project’s virtual reality work. Admission the gallery is free.
Plant some pollinators in Riverhead
Friends of Johanna’s Hope, a Riverhead-based nonprofit organization that empowers and inspires people with disabilities by allowing them to explore the arts and nature through gardening and farm life, host a special native planting event today. The recipient of a 2024 ReWild Long Island Garden Program grant, Johanna’s Hope will design and plant a garden that includes native pollinators, a welcome addition to Jo’s farm (located at 467 Sound Shore Road), that already includes chickens, goats, bees and an art cottage. For time of the event and more information call Eileen Benthal, president at Johanna’s Hope, at 631-833-1897.
