Ah, sweet November — a time of great seasonal transition that’s both heavily steeped in tradition while at the same time the start of something new.
For us here in the Hamptons, November is the time when things really slow down. You really notice it when you’re walking down the street, dining in restaurants, out driving around. It’s a gentle time of year, one that forces us to pause and reflect. Fittingly, this weekend sees a lot of activity that speaks to that sentiment. From art talks and rare film screenings to live comedy and theatrical performances, this November weekend offers up plenty of top-notch entertainment for all to enjoy.
So, get on out there Southforkers, and get after it this weekend. For, perhaps, November’s greatest gift is the not-so-gentle reminder that winter is coming.
Support the East Hampton Food Pantry
It’s always a good time to help out your neighbors, so why not do it this weekend? According to East Hampton Food Pantry administrator and Springs resident Kitty Merrill, last week alone, the food pantry served over 1,100 people. Between now and Dec. 4, if you can, help make the holiday a little happier for your neighbors by support the pantry’s online Holiday Food Drive. Items purchased ship directly to the food pantry at the close of the drive. Help to purchase most-needed products online, and make donations, here.
Festival of Preservation returns to Sag Harbor
The Festival of Preservation returns to Sag Harbor Cinema (90 Main St., 631-725-0010) on Friday, continuing through Monday, Nov. 9. Now in its sixth year, the festival was originally spearheaded by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and remains dedicated to the preservation of film and its culture, showcasing a number of rich programs containing restorations, rarities and rediscoveries. Special guests will include archivists, historians, collectors and filmmakers. For more information, plus a list of which films are slated to screen at the cinema, click here.
Connections and conversation at the library
East Hampton Library (159 Main St., 631-324-0222), along with The Hamptons Festival of Music, hosts a screening of “Half Moon,” a documentary following the journey of Damascus-born, New York-based Kinan Azmeh, clarinetist, composer, and member of the Silkroad Ensemble, which will perform at Guild Hall this Saturday (see details below). The 2025 film explores how music and art help forge identity, community and emotional survival, particularly in times of great struggle, or, in this specific case, the outbreak of the Syrian war. A Q&A with Academy Award-winning documentarian and Springs resident Nigel Noble follows the screening. Set for 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is free but registration is required here.
Fall Art Exhibit and Sale
The Southampton Artists Association hosts its fall art exhibit and sale starting Friday, Nov. 6, and continuing through Nov. 15 at the Levitas Center for the Arts (located inside the Southampton Cultural Center at 25 Pond Lane in Southampton). Over 40 artists from the SAA will be showcasing their work at this annual exhibition. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the artists at a reception on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. Regular gallery hours are Friday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. All are welcome.
Reflections, with both literature and music, at The Church
Janet Reitman, award winning journalist and Springs resident joins The Church in Sag Harbor (48 Madison St., 631-919-5342) as part of the “Knowledge Friday” series this Friday, Nov. 6 starting at 6 p.m. Joined by Dini von Mueffling, CEO of the award-wining public relations firm, the conversation will cover Reitman’s unique experience writing “The Inheritance: An American Tragedy in Five Acts,” her latest narrative non-fiction work examining how 9/11 transformed America from a country revered for its democratic ideals to a nation defined by its fears, as told through the eyes of its nine characters. $10 for general admission, free for members. On Saturday, Nov. 7, it’s “Concert Reflections In Music: Time Remembered led by artistic director Bruce Wolosoff,” beginning at 6 p.m. The program will include works from Back, Ravel, Debussy, Poulenc and Dutilleux alongside Stravinsky, Ligeti and a world premiere by Wolosoff himself. Musicians will include clarinetist Narek Arutyunian, violinist Christina Nam, cellist Michael Nicolas and flutist Catherine Winters Boyack. Tickets are $30.
Hear a talk on Will Ryman at the Parrish
On Saturday, Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to noon at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill (279 Montauk Highway, 631-283-2118) , all are welcome for a conversation celebrating the launch of Will Ryman’s monograph, published by Rizzoli, in conjunction with the exhibition “Will Ryman: Shanghai 6,” currently on view in the Parrish Meadow. Panelists include artist Will Ryman; Courtney J. Martin, executive director of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, along with art critic and writer Eleanor Heartney. The talk will be moderated by the Parrish’s chief curator Corinne Erni. $30 for adults. Free for members, resident benefits pass holders, students and children. $25 for guests of members.
Stay on the Silkroad with Guild Hall
On Friday, Nov. 6 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Guild Hall and Mandala Yoga Center (17 Meetinghouse Lane, Amagansett) co-host “Harmony in Motion: A Music & Movement Workshop” at the yoga center. The immersive workshop explores the connections between live music, the power of listening and meditation. Participants will be guided by Mandala Yoga Center dance-artist Bradley Teal Ellis, along with musicians Maeve Gilchrist and Kaoru Watanabe, both of whom will perform the following night back at Guild Hall. On Saturday, Nov. 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. “Silkroad Up Close” is at Guild Hall (158 Main St., East Hampton, 631-324-0806) on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. From across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, “Silkroad” presents a brand new trio seamlessly blending three internationally acclaimed, genre-bending artists who each have been credited with reshaping the landscape of their respective instruments through their unique improvisational styles and compositional voices. Sure to be a one- of-a-kind performance at Guild Hall, the performance includes Syrian-born composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, Scottish harper and composer Gilchrist and traditional Japanese music extraordinaire Watanabe. Tickets start at $61.
Take a deep dive, ‘Deep Down in Brooklyn’ in Southampton
Celebrated radio host, author and Vietnam vet Ed German brings back his one man show to Southampton Cultural Center (25 Pond Lane, 631-287-4377) hosts “Deep Down in Brooklyn,” a Boots on the Ground Theater production this Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 6 p.m. both nights. Produced by veteran broadcaster and DJ Bonnie Grice, the show is based on German’s memoir “Deep Down in Brooklyn,” following his exploration of music, growing up in Brooklyn and his service as a marine, for which he received the Purple Heart. This show is for adults only. Tickets are $28.22 and are available here.
Catch some comedy at WHBPAC
Comedian Jessica Kirson performs at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (76 Main St., 631-288-1500) on Saturday at 8 p.m. In recent years, Kirson has made a bit of a comeback through her social media platforms, where she’s captured over a billion views, thus catapulting her into new-found stardom. Tickets start at $55. Get yours here.
Hear a staged reading at LTV
The Playwrights’ Theatre of East Hampton presents “Work in Progress: Staged Reading of Whistlejacket,” an original play by Charles Z. Bornstein, at LTV Studios (75 Industrial Road, Wainscott, 631-537-2777) on Sunday, Nov. 8. Starting at 4 p.m., this is an opportunity to hear a play at its earliest stages. The story follows JFK’s favorite sister, Kick Kennedy, in London from 1943 to 1948. Free to attend with suggested registration. Find more details here.
