Well, maybe not easy, but certainly welcome! With the official start of the summer season Friday, plenty of Hamptons spots are gearing up for a fun-filled, action-packed weekend of activity. Art galleries, music venues, libraries, restaurants and pretty much every business you can think of has something going on to welcome the most wonderful time of the year on the East End.
And, maybe most importantly, this crummy, cold and wet weather we’ve been experiencing is supposed to break tomorrow. If it does (pretty please, have mercy on us Mother Nature), be sure to get your booty out there to soak up some sun. It’s the only sure-fire thing to keep the seasonal depression at bay.
Say hi to Hunt Slonem in Sag Harbor
An opening reception for artist Hunt Slonem is at Grenning Gallery (26 Main St., Sag Harbor, 631-725-8469) tonight beginning at 6 p.m. Slonem, a well known American painter and sculptor, is beloved for his signature Neo-Expressionist paintings of butterflies, birds and bunnies, utilizing bright, bold colors and thick, distinct brushstrokes.
Honor Juneteenth at LTV
LTV Studios (75 Industrial Road, Wainscott) and Eastville Community Historical Society present the second annual “Juneteenth Jubliee White Party” awards and celebration ceremony today at the studio’s 75 Industrial Road location in Wainscott. Set to be an evening of music and dancing, with food and drinks from local vendors, awards and more, the event salutes and celebrates those who are defiant to all forms of oppression, especially for those who can’t do it themselves. There’ll be a live performance by DJ Infmatick as well as Somethin’ Fresh, Long Island’s premier 80’s R&B freestyle dance experience. Party starts at 6 p.m. and tickets are $75. Don’t forget to don your best all-white outfit.
Stay hydrated with help from JJL
Get ready to dive into the world of hydration at John Jermain Memorial Library (201 Main St., Sag Harbor, 631-725-0049) tomorrow, June 20, at 2 p.m. Led by a registered dietitian, this interactive session explores why water is our body’s best friend and how staying hydrated can seriously boost your energy. Learn cool tips on how to drink enough water as well as surprising foods that’ll help you stay hydrated. Click here for details and to register.
Enjoy oyster fest at Ram’s Head
Oyster Fest is at Ram’s Head Inn (108 South Ram Island Drive, Shelter Island, 631-749-0811) this Saturday starting at noon. Starting at $75 a ticket, it’s an all you can enjoy experience featuring local oysters, beverages, bubbles and rosé. Live music, a chance to feed the on-premise sheep, a touch tank and a live shucking demonstration with Kim Tetrault are all part of the fun. There’s also a VIP admission option. Fun lasts well into the night, ending at 10 p.m, and don’t forget to visit the inn’s Bootlegger Boutique, featuring vendors specifically for the festival! Click here for tickets and more information.
Georgia Hubley (left), Rick Brown and Che Chen (right) perform at the Arts Center at Duck Creek on Saturday. (Photos courtesy of Duck Creek)
Rock out at Duck Creek
The first concert of the 2025 New Music Series at the Arts Center at Duck Creek (127 Squaw Road, East Hampton, 631-604-8464) is this Saturday, June 21, beginning at 6 p.m. Curated by Peter Watrous, former music critic for the New York Times, the concert features a powerful double bill: Little Black Egg followed by 75 Dollar Bill / Little Big Band. Georgia Hubley, co-founder of legendary indie rock band Yo La Tengo, brings her super sonic, improvisational sound to Little Black Egg, joined by Ira Kaplan on keyboards. Following Hubley’s set it’s duo Che Chen (guitar) and Rick Brown (percussion) joined bit Little Big Band members, Sue Garner (bass), Cheryl Kingan (saxophone), Talice Lee (violin), Steve Maing (guitar), Jim Pugliese and Barry Weisblat (both on percussion) for a fusing of global musical languages. Rain date is Sunday, June 22. Free to attend and all are welcome.
See dates of feminist events through art at WACH
“Dendrofemonology: A Feminist History Tree Ring,” featuring an artist talk and reception with Tiffany Shlain, is this Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. (talk begins at 4) at the Women’s Art Center of the Hamptons (2418 Main St., Bridgehampton, 631-899-4253). Shlain, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, artist and Webby Awards founder, offers a meditation on time, memory and justice through her sculpture, with a cross-section of a reclaimed deodar cedar tree, with its rings transformed into a living timeline of defining moments in feminist history. The exhibition will be on view at WACH through July 31. Admission to the talk and reception is free, but you must RSVP.
Head to the strawberry social
The annual Strawberry Social is at Old Whalers’ Church (44 Union St., Sag Harbor, 631-725-0894) today from 1 to 4 p.m. Folks young and old are welcome to attend this community event, featuring delicious strawberry shortcake $10 for adults, $5 for kids.
Belly up for beach volleyball watching in Springs
Join in for an epic, action-packed weekend at EHP Resort & Marina (295 Three Mile Harbor Hog Creek Road, East Hampton, 631-324-9191) as they host AVP League, the world’s premier professional beach volleyball tour, this Saturday (June 21) and Sunday (June 22). Over both days, attendees can enjoy eight top-tier matches, harbor views, and hopefully (as long as you’re there), a stylish crowd enjoying curated food and cocktails from Sí Sí. Runs from noon to 5 p.m. both days and tickets start at $70.
Welcome summer with Eastport’s summer festival
The Eastport Chamber of Commerce hosts a summer festival this Saturday evening from 4 to 7 p.m. throughout the historic hamlet’s Main Street. The festival will include plenty of family-friendly fun, kids activities, live music, food, beverages and local artisans and vendors.
Get to a garden lecture at Marders
A garden lecture is at Marders (120 Snake Hollow Road, 631-5327-3700) in Bridgehampton on Sunday, June 22. “Brix: Using sugar to battle beetles & encourage root growth” starts at 10 a.m. Part of an ongoing Sunday lecture series at the beloved garden center. Free and all are welcome to attend.
Spread mental health awareness at the cinema
Sag Harbor Cinema‘s (90 Main St., 631-725-0010) Lighthouse Project (a year-round film and discussion series that illuminates mental health awareness) presents “Addiction & Recovery” this Sunday at 11 a.m. Free and open to the public, the event will include a screening of “Half Nelson,” starring Ryan Gosling, (which includes themes of substance abuse along with drug trafficking) from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. followed by a panel discussion about the nature and manifestation of addiction and recovery featuring Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, President and CEO of Long Island’s Family and Children’s Association, and Dr. Jaclene Jason, a clinical psychologist and senior director of behavioral health and addiction services at Northwell Health’s South Oaks Hospital. Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA of Eastern Long Island and cinema board members, will moderate the discussion and the Q&A that follows. Free to attend, but registration is required. Do it here.
