Greenport Gets Set for Maritime Festival
The East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation has celebrated the nautical history of both Greenport and the rest of the East End every September for the past 25 years, and the 26th festival this weekend will be no exception.
The festival begins this Friday night, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. with the Land and Sea Gala cocktail party, which raises funds to help keep the rest of the weekend’s events free of charge. The gala, at Greenport Yacht & Shipbuilding Company on Carpenter Street, includes food from 23 restaurants, local wine, fresh local seafood and music. Tickets range from $65 to $115 (including a VIP reception) and are available online here.
This year’s Grand Marshal will be Captain Pat Mundus, whose career has ranged from starting out as a Montauk dock rat to graduating from the New York Maritime Academy to 17 years sailing aboard a tanker and as the owner of a charter sailing company, now based out of Greenport.
Ms. Mundus is also the daughter of legendary Montauk shark fisherman Frank Mundus, the inspiration for the film “Jaws.”
In choosing Ms. Mundus, the Seaport Museum found someone who met all their criteria:
“We wanted someone who calls Greenport and the East End their home,” they said in announcing their choice. “We wanted someone who has given back to the community and honors its nautical history. We wanted someone who makes that history into a reality for our contemporary way of life. We wanted someone who enjoys teaching by example and sharing their knowledge with a younger generation. We wanted a person who is emblematic of the East End, its distinctive personality, its charm and its strength. And of course, we wanted someone who is just plain nice to be around.”
A film about Ms. Mundus’s life and work will be shown at the Greenport movie theater on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m., along with Andrea Cote’s “Port of Views,” a series of interviews with Greenport’s historic maritime families.
Saturday morning’s parade through downtown Greenport at noon kicks off the festival, and is followed by the Ye Pyrate Brotherhood show, grand displays of classic wooden boats, kayak races, demonstrations of high tech water sports, wood carving and model ship building, music, food, high end artisanal vendors, children’s activities, fresh oysters, craft beers and local wines.
The evening brings music and dancing in Mitchell Park with Tommy Sullivan from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Sunday morning from 9 to 11 a.m. there is a children’s breakfast with mermaids and pirates, in honor of Paul Drum, who has been named Police Chief for the Day as part of the festivities. The breakfast at Front Street Station, which costs $12 for kids and $18 for adults, raises money for the Paul Drum Nautical Education Fund. Tickets are available online here.
Sunday’s events include old-fashioned games in Mitchell Park, including a Firemen’s Tug-of-War at 1 p.m.; a snapper contest at 2 p.m., and a sunset sail to Bug Light.
More information about the weekend’s festivities, including dining and lodging information, is available online here.
