SouthamptonFest is back for its 10th year, following a two year hiatus, drawing attendees from all over New York and featuring a weekend of arts, crafts, music, pumpkin carvers, and the popular chowder contest — plus a whole lot more.
The weekend begins on Friday, September 30, with a high-energy cocktail party in Agawam Park with live music by Coverland, complimentary beer and wine from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, followed by a cash bar until 9:30 PM, sponsored by the Southampton Rotary Club.
Saturday is an all-day event with happenings throughout the village. Bands such as Next Level Band and Gene Casey and The Lone Sharks perform in Agawam Park, along with the popular Chowder Contest featuring entries from local restaurants and caterers, as well as food trucks offering dishes.
Dance lessons include salsa for all ages and abilities. Kids activities include Jester Jim performances, face-painting, and balloon animals, sponsored by The Rogers Memorial Library/Friends of the Library.
The Maniac Pumpkin Carvers and musicians will perform on Main Street, and village restaurants welcome residents and visitors with fall-themed specials. A special Art + Design Walk will encompass some of the best design shops and art galleries in the village and participants may enter a raffle to win prizes.
Topiaire Flower Shop will hold a live demonstration of the colorful, eye-catching Thanksgiving tablescapes using fresh flowers and organic materials.
The Southampton History Museum will open its doors and grounds to guests looking for spooky delights. Experience the horrors of a haunted Gilded Age Mansion as ghosts, goblins, and ghouls inhabit the historic rooms of the Rogers Mansion, whose history begins in 1650. Ten historic outbuildings will be open and occupied with the unimaginable including Creatures in the Carpenter’s Shop, Devils in the Decoy Shed and Bad Barnaby in the Blacksmith Shop.
Heart of The Hamptons has teamed up with the First Presbyterian Church to host a petting zoo, children’s games, and family fun in front of the church at 2 South Main Street. Pick up your cards here for a Family Scavenger Hunt which will lead kids though the Village in search of treats and prizes.
The Southampton Artists Association, an organization that gives both professional and amateur artists who live throughout the East End an opportunity to showcase their work, will have artwork on display and for sale on Saturday and Sunday.
The Southampton African American Museum invites guests to experience a digital tapestry and exhibit of “Grooming A Generation: A History of Black Barbershops & Beauty Parlors” with an augmented reality tour celebrating the long and storied history of barbering in the African American community.
More special highlights this year include the Southampton Arts Center’s exhibit “A Celebration of Trees,” which will have an opening reception on Saturday from 6 to 8 PM that is open to the public and features artists such as Freeman Vines, Beth Moon, Frank Relle, Charles Gaines, Sebastião Salgado, and Nicholas Herrara. There will also be a special outdoor performance at 3 to 6 PM by musician Tom Wall performing to, and with, centuries’ old trees.
The Southampton Cultural Center holds its sixth Annual “Wine and Roses” Gala. A ticketed event on Saturday from 6 to 10 PM features dinner, wine, cocktails, live entertainment, and a silent auction. Tickets are available at scc-arts.org.
An Art + Design Walk will take place with participating galleries and stores such as Sea Green Designs, Jetsam, Frances Keane Design, The Southampton Arts Center, Rumrunner Home, Homenature, Sisal Rugs, and Oscar Molina Gallery. Participants can pick up cards at the Chamber of Commerce and any participating store/gallery, get their cards marked at each stop and enter to win a grand prize package that includes a year-long membership to the Southampton Arts Center, a piece of artwork valued at almost $1000 from Rumrunner Home, an Argentinian throw blanket from Homenature, and more.
The popular Southampton Chamber of Commerce Farmers and Artisans Market also will take place Sunday from 9 AM to 3 PM.
Click here for a full schedule of events.