All in a Weekend: A Round-Up of Events on the Forks
It Starts with a Paddle Battle
This series of races beginning in downtown Riverhead includes courses of varying lengths for canoes, kayaks, ocean kayaks and stand up paddleboards, and for paddlers of all ages. Check-in begins at the end of McDermott Street in the downtown parking lot along the Peconic Riverfront at 7:30 a.m. Races begin at 9 a.m. This event raises money for the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Preservation and Research and the East End Tourism Alliance. More information is online here.
Shakespeare in the Park
This is the one weekend you’ll get a chance to catch Northeast Stage’s annual Shakespeare in the Park in Greenport’s Mitchell Park. This year, the North Fork theater troupe is presenting “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with free performances tonight through Sunday at 7 p.m. More information is online here.
The Mattituck Greek Festival
This annual festival of Greek food, dancing and culture will be held on the grounds of the Transfiguration of Christ Church on Breakwater Road beginning this afternoon from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and continuing Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.
Put on Your Barn Dancing Shoes
The Hallockville Museum Farm hosts it’s 12th Annual Barn Dance beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Chart Guthrie and the Dance All Night Band will provide music for a night of dancing and fun to benefit the Hallockville Museum Farm and Peconic Land Trust. Tickets are $25 at the door. Come early and picnic under the trees. A food truck, wine and beer will be on hand. More information is online here.
Wild Night for Wildlife
The Quogue Wildlife Refuge’s 8th Annual “Wild Night for Wildlife” Benefit will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2014, at the historic home of the Post/Rich Family in the Village of Quogue.
This event is the largest fundraising effort for the Refuge, providing a major portion of the operating budget of this non-profit organization dedicated to environmental awareness and education. More information is online here.
Big Musical Acts Bring Their Shows Here (And Also Plenty of Local Music)
First, here are the big name acts that are bringing their touring rigs out east this weekend The Suffolk Theater in Riverhead, in particular, has planned a barn-burner of a weekend, with performances by Arlo Guthrie tonight at 8 p.m., Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Robert Hunter of The Grateful Dead on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center hosts Dave Mason‘s Traffic Jam on Sunday at 8 p.m.
Now, if you’d rather hear some homegrown music, there’s plenty of that here too. Robert Bruey will be playing at Jedediah Hawkins Inn in Jamesport tonight at 7 p.m., Coffee Pot Cellars in Cutchogue will host songwriters James O’Malley, Steven Skoldberg, and Larrin Gerard tonight from 6 to 9 p.m., Gene Casey of The Lone Sharks plays at Jamesport Vineyards Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. and the HooDoo Loungers will play at Gosman’s Dockside Stage in Montauk on Sunday at 6 p.m.
The Beacon’s full music listings are online here.
Gallery Guide
Highlights of this weekend’s arts scene include an opening for Jonathan Cramer‘s work at Southampton Arts Center tonight from 6 to 10 p.m., the opening of Kadir Nelson’s “A Light In Harlem” at the Richard J. Demato Gallery in Sag Harbor Saturday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and an opening for “Pond Studies” at the Alex Ferrone Gallery in Cutchogue on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Beacon’s full art listings are online here.
Movies Outside
Free movies outside this week include screenings of “Gimme Shelter” on the Haywall at Marders and E.T. at Southampton Arts Center tonight. Both screenings begin shortly after dark.
Guild Hall in East Hampton hosts the second of its SummerDocs series, Keep On Keepin’ On, tonight at 7:30 p.m. The film tells the story of a 23-year-old, blind piano prodigy, Justin Kauflin, who suffers terrible stage fright and finds his way to jazz legend and teacher Clark Terry, who begins to also lose his sight through the course of filming.
The Beacon’s full film listings are online here.
