Social & Cultural Hamptons

This has been the busiest East End summer in many years, topped off by Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton vacationing in East Hampton and Joe and Jill Biden opting for Southampton. The British-style weekend garden party Escape2NewYork is the only successful new event. East Hampton’s MTK (Music to Know) festival never opened-ditto website Gilt City’s “Hamptons House soirées,” scuttled by East Hampton and Southampton zoning laws. When will arriviste commercial interests learn we are here to relax and enjoy these historic farming/fishing/beach/boating communities and the artists and writers willing to share their talents in a low-key manner with us?
    This Hamptons “ethic” applies to summer benefits, also. It is sad when outside nonprofits run summer benefits here and compete with the local institutions we all enjoy and cherish-Guild Hall, Bay Street Theatre, Southampton Hospital, Parrish Art Museum, Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Hamptons International Film Festival, Quogue Wildlife Refuge, East End Hospice, The Retreat, Hampton Classic Horse Show, Sag Harbor Whaling Museum, CMEE, Montauk Playhouse, Group for the East End, Peconic Land Trust, and each village’s library, historical society, senior and childcare center, to mention a few. Local organizations must raise more than half of their yearly budgets during the summer so they can operate all year.
    Labor Day weekend and beyond overflows with good entertainment. East Hampton’s John Drew Theater at Guild Hall has Rosanne Cash on Saturday (Sept. 2), followed by the Martha Graham Dance Company (Sept. 3) and the very talented TV/Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson (Sept. 4). To honor the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the Guild Hall Museum presents John Jonas Gruen’s photo exhibit Twin Towers Tragedy (Sept. 3—Oct. 9). All tickets and schedules are online at guildhall.org, or call 631-324-4050.
    Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre has the pre-Broadway run of the musical comedy Enter Laughing, based on comedian Carl Reiner’s start as an entertainer. With its stellar cast (Jill Eikenberry, Michael Tucker, Richard Kind, Josh Grisetti), hilarious Joe Stein script, and often bawdy Stan Daniels songs, it’s a great end-of-summer closer (through Sept. 4). Bay Street’s Picture Show presents classic movies on fall, winter, and spring weekends ($5!) and there’s a special family Literature Live performance of To Kill a Mockingbird on Nov. 9. All details are online at baystreet.org, or call 631-725-9500.
    Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center has a great lineup. Broadway/TV star Jane Krakowski is onstage Saturday (Sept. 3) and British folk legend Richard Thompson comes in Sept. 4. Other fall headliners: Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham (Sept. 23), Keb Mo (Sept. 24), Jackson Browne (Oct. 14), Stephen Stills (Oct. 23), Ani DeFranco (Nov. 16). PAC shows the latest world cinema offerings; its entire schedule is online at whbpac.org (631-288-1500).
    Hampton Classic Horse Show, the largest equestrian event in the eastern U.S., is on now in Bridgehampton. Saturday (Sept. 3), Cablevision sponsors Kids Day, and Sunday is the exciting Grand Prix jumping competition final. The Classic has good food and unique shops. The Shinnecock Nation Powwow is in Southampton this weekend; our local tribe invites tribes from North and South America to share dances, foods, and crafts with visitors.
    Other music highlights this Labor Day weekend are Perlman Music Program alumni returning to the Shelter Island campus Friday night to concertize. Delbert McClinton performs Saturday at Amagansett’s funky Stephen Talkhouse, and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes play on Sunday. Local libraries and bookshops continue presenting popular authors on weekends. Canio’s Books, in Sag Harbor, has poet Molly Peacock reading from her work this Sunday (Sept. 4). Philip Schultz reads from his memoir My Dyslexia Sept. 10, and a 30th anniversary benefit cocktail party is Sept. 17.
    The best-kept East End secret is fall, the most glorious season. Fishing, fall produce, and local wines peak; most villages have fairs celebrating this bounty, including Sag Harbor’s HarborFest, Sept. 9—11 (Fri. is a Whaling Museum clambake followed by Saturday-through-Sunday whaleboat races, a clam-shucking contest, and other events). The Hamptons International Film Festival runs Oct. 13 to 17.
    Most East End shops and restaurants had a blockbuster summer. Some of my favorites: Montauk-Fishbar, Gulf Coast Kitchen, Dave’s Grill, Ruschmeyer’s, and shop Kailani; Amagansett-Mary’s Marvelous, Jack’s Coffee, Hampton Chutney, Balsam Farms, Stuart’s Seafood and shops Beach by Henry Lehr, Nellie’s; East Hampton-East Hampton Grill, Babette’s, Beachhouse, Living Room at c/o The Maidstone, Nick & Tony’s, Fresno, Citarella and shops Restoration Hardware, Dylan’s Candy Bar, Cashmere Outlet, Christopher Fischer, Eileen Fisher, Lily Pulitzer, Blue & Cream, Catherine Maladrino, Gail Rothwell; Sag Harbor-American Hotel, Estia, Dockside, Beacon, LT Burger, New Paradise, Sen/Phao, B.Smith’s, Schiavoni’s and shops Romany Kramoris, Urban Zen, Kites of the Harbor; Bridgehampton-Almond, Pierre’s, Candy Kitchen, Citarella and shops Salty Home, Wampum Skate Shop; Water Mill-Robert’s, Foody’s, Mirko’s; Southampton-75 Main, Savanna, Social Club, Le Chef, red/bar, Little Red, Schmidt’s and shops Ralph Lauren, Rose Jewelers, Waldmann Fine Jewelry, Jildor’s, Courage B, Calypso, Stitch, La Plage, Going Nuts; Hampton Bays-Rumba, TR Restaurant and Bar; Westhampton Beach-Starr Boggs, Post Stop Cafe and shops Blue, The Artisan’s Place. See you next summer. [HS]