And just like that, summer is coming to an end.
As we wind down the month of August and look ahead to September (by the way, Labor Day is on Monday so be sure to click here to see how to celebrate), this weekend sees a slew of live musical performances hitting the Hamptons. From jazzy ensembles and brass bands to tunes from a triplet sister trio singing some songs from the Great American Songbook, this weekend is sure to be full of toe tappin’, shoulder swayin’ fun.
Art is equally celebrated this weekend, as a handful of local galleries from Sag Harbor, Southampton and Shelter Island gear up to showcase artists and their (in many cases) plein air depictions of sea and landscapes of the South Fork.
Film is another artsy medium that’s generating a lot of activity for this weekend, as Sag Harbor Cinema and Guild Hall host respective screenings of a beloved classic (and in our opinion, a perfect film for a beach-going town) and a critically acclaimed documentary that showcases people doing the right thing.
Hear top-notch music at LTV
Hampton JazzFest and LTV Studios present the Mike Rodriguez Quintet later tonight, starting at 7:30 p.m. at LTV (75 Industrial Road, Wainscott, 631-537-2777). Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Students are $10 with a valid student ID and VIP café table seating is available for $60 and includes a drink. Real East End Brass (REEB) plays a live concert tomorrow, Aug. 29, at 7:30 p.m. with tickets costing $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Finally, the last performance of the Hamptons Summer Songbook will be “Moipei Embraces New York” on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m., featuring Mary, Maggy and Marta Moipei, identical triplets from Nairobi, Kenya. Tickets are $60 for general admission, $65 at the door.
Artist Ben Fenske will be featured in a solo show at the Grenning Gallery in Sag Harbor. (Photos courtesy of Grenning Gallery)
Get to Grenning Gallery for their new show
Tonight in Sag Harbor, the Grenning Gallery (26 Main St., 631-725-8469) hosts its 18th annual solo exhibition for Minnesota-born, Tuscan-bred impressionist painter Ben Fenske. An opening reception will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. tonight. Fenske’s paintings depict the natural world, including the land and seascapes of the East End (many of which he’s done en plein air), as well as figurative paintings and still life from his Italian home.
Run to Ram Design Studio for a new exhibition
Later today, from 4 to 7 p.m., Ram Design Studio (36 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island) hosts “Multiple Selves, Finite Time,” an exhibition of works from four female Shelter Island artists: Lily Hoffman, Kate Lawless, Stephanie Lebowitz and Lora Lomuscio. Celebration will include goodies from Top Half Tap Truck and Kind Andrew Cheese along with entertaining tunes from a jazz trio.
Settle in for a SummerDoc at Guild Hall
Middletown screens at Guild Hall in East Hampton (158 Main St., 631-324-0806) as a part of HamptonsFilm’s SummerDocs series at Guild Hall on tomorrow, Aug. 29. Directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, the critically acclaimed documentary premiered earlier this year at Sundance Film Festival and follows a group of high school students who uncovered a toxic waste scandal in upstate New York in the early ’90s, with the group reuniting today in this story of civic courage. Tickets to the screening are $35 and the movie starts at 7 p.m.
Take in some “New Hollywood” flicks in Sag Harbor
“The New Hollywood: An American Revolution” is the latest repertory series at Sag Harbor Cinema (90 Main St., Sag Harbor, 631-725-0010) honoring filmmakers that shook up the standard for American screens over the last six decades. Think Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and the late Michael Cimino. The series kicks off tomorrow night with a screening of Spielberg’s Jaws, which turns 50 years old this year, at 3:30 p.m. The film will be shown at the theater for about a week before the next movie from the repertory series (which is slated to be Scorsese’s Mean Streets) opens on Sept. 8. Tickets are $20 for general admission. Click here for more information and to see the tentative schedule of movies.
Chow down (and be judge-y) at a BBQ competition
This Saturday at 4 p.m. marks the 5th annual Shelter Island Mitchell Post 281 Barbecue Cook-Off, a low-and-slow, sticky-fingered competition to earn bragging rights for the best ‘cue on the East End (or at least the Island) — all the benefit the Mitchell Post’s service to active duty and veteran members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Tickets are $55 and get you samples of all the barbecue you can eat (while it lasts), sides to go with, a bottle of water and voting rights on the best of the best. Buy yours through August 29 here.
Pop by Il Buco’s pop-up
Tomorrow from 4 to 7 p.m., Il Buco Vita (225 Main St., 631-267-5805) in Amagansett hosts a pop-up with Searchlight Pictures to celebrate the theatrical release of The Roses, a modern remake of Danny De Vito’s 1989 black comedy The War of the Roses. Set to be an evening of food, specialty cocktails and good fun, guests can enjoy a casual aperitivo hour with food provided by Il Buco. Free of charge and all are welcome.
Pile in for a live tuna carving demo in WHB
Sushi by Boū hosts the return of the infamous tuna carving this Saturday afternoon at Sydney’s “Taylor” Made (32 Mill Road A, 631-288-4722) in Westhampton Beach. This one-of-a-kind culinary spectacle on the lawn includes chefs skillfully breaking down a 200-pound whole bluefin tuna. Attendees will promptly savor fresh bites paired with flowing sake, wine and beer. Tickets are $145 per person and are available here.
Irish artist shows in Southampton
Irish artist Gerard Byrne’s latest solo exhibition, “Stillness in Motion: Seeing Light Anew” is on at the Slattery Gallery (30A Jobs Lane, Southampton, 934-222-0122) starting this Saturday, Aug. 30, and continuing through Oct. 13. Featuring more than 20 original works, including eight plein air paintings portraying Southampton, the selection includes large-scale studio works (ranging from figurative to still life to landscapes) as well as a handful depicting Gerards home country of Ireland.
Celebrate a late artist and his new book
On Sunday, Aug. 31, at 3 p.m. there’ll be a posthumous celebration for abstract painter and champion of the Latino arts Tony Bechara, in conjunction with the launch of his new book Annotations of Color Schemes, at LongHouse Reserve (133 Hands Creek Road, East Hampton, 631-329-3568). This program offers a special opportunity to purchase an advance copy of the book, provided by Lisson Gallery, ahead of its official November 2025 release. Speakers at Sunday’s talk will include LongHouse executive director Carrie Rebora Barratt, artist Oscar Molina, Phong Bui from the Brooklyn Rail and curator Mago Enrique Martinez. Tickets to the talk are $35, $25 for members. For more information, click here.
