Labor Day Weekend is upon us! Hard to believe that the summer is winging to a close and September sweaters are a short while away. Whether the holiday weekend brings sun, rain or a combination of both, Labor Day Weekend promises to be a fun one.
If it shines, consider a beach, a barbecue gathering, a quiet picnic, kayaking in the bay or a walk in preserved woods. If it rains, all museums across the East End have shows to explore revealing art or history or a combination of both. The Parrish offers “Unfinished Business: Paintings from the 1970s and 1980s by Ross Bleckner, Eric Fischl, and David Salle.” Click here to read a review. Guild Hall offers “Aspects of Minimalism: Selections from East End Collections.” Click here to read a review. Both shows are worth the visit. The Hampton Classic is in town through Sunday with plenty of equestrian events to enjoy.
Keep scrolling for our list of some of the best ways to spend your Labor Day Weekend with an art and culture twist.
FRIDAY
Greenport Gallery Walk & Sculpture Park Meander
The Greenport Gallery Walk takes place on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. in Greenport Village. The self-guided tour features galleries set along Main Street (mostly) with receptions offered as the owner wishes. Click here for details and a map. Before heading to the Village, consider stopping by Peconic Landing's Sculpture Garden in Greenport. The art, is set among acres of manicured grounds, is worth a meander or even a drive through to take in the sited-sculptures by contemporary artists. Click here for details. (The fireworks scheduled for this weekend have been postponed to October due to expected inclement weather).
Artist Talks at Watchcase Factory in Sag Harbor
Artists Melinda Hackett and Victoria Manganiello are up next in Watchcase Salon: Intimate Conversations on Art & Design. Set in Sag Harbor's Watchcase Factory residential complex, salon-style talks feature East End artists and designers affiliated with a curated art and design installation by Dale Cohen Design Studio at 33 Church Street in Sag Harbor. This weekend features exhibiting artists Melinda Hackett (Friday at 5 p.m.) and Victoria Manganiello on Saturday at 11 a.m. Admission is free and space is limited. Reservations are recommended and can be made for Hackett by clicking here and for Manganiello by clicking here. The series is hosted by Dale Cohen Design Studio and Southampton Arts Center. Click here for details.
Save the Waves Film Festival at Guild Hall
Live music, short surf films and a filmmaker reception are all part of the Save the Waves Film Festival taking place at Guild Hall on Friday. The film festival is a fundraiser for the Save The Waves Coalition and World Surfing Reserves with all proceeds supporting its international coastal conservation programs. The VIP pre-party and filmmaker reception starts at 6 p.m. with film screenings beginning at 7:45 p.m. Music is part of a fun intermission break at 9 .m. with feature films screening at 9:45 p.m. The film program can be found by clicking savethewaves.org/filmfestival. Tickets are $40 to $100. Guild Hall is located at 158 Main Street, East Hampton, NY 11937.
SATURDAY
LongHouse Sculpture
LongHouse Reserve is open on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. and offers quiet time to wander among their sited outdoor sculpture and cultivated gardens. Also open on Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. There are 12 new sculptures that join the 60 works in the LongHouse collection. All are sited to create a dialogue with their natural surroundings as well as with the art nearby. Definitely worth a visit or a return one. Click here for details on the new sculptures for 2016. Admission $10 for adults and $8 for seniors. LongHouse Reserve is located at 133 Hands Creek Rd, East Hampton, NY 11937. www.longhouse.org.
Sunset Saturday at Wolffer
Bring a blanket and stretch out while listening to live rock music by Clinton Curtis at Wolffer's The Wine Stand in Sagaponack. No cover and take in an expansive view of the vineyard while the sun sets. Wines by the glass and bottle are available as are cheese and charcuteri plates and wrap sandwiches. From 5 p.m. to sunset. Also held Friday Nights. Click here for details.
Jules Feiffer at Canio's
Satirist, artist and author Jules Feiffer presents his latest graphic novel, Uncle Joseph, in a Book Talk and Signing at Canio's in Sag Harbor from 5 to 6:15 p.m. Canio's is located at 290 Main Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11932. Click here for details.
Hamptons Gallery Receptions
Saturday night is prime time for gallery receptions and Labor Day Weekend is no exception. A trio of Opening Receptions take place along Newtown Lane in East Hampton Village with receptions for new shows also taking place in Sag Harbor, Amagansett, Montauk and Southampton. Click here for the full list. In between reception hopping, keep in mind it's possible to visit galleries without receptions whose doors will likely also be open, creating a full exploration of the gallery scene in each location.
SUNDAY
70th Annual Shinnecock Powwow
The 70th Annual Shinnecock Powwow takes place all weekend long so attending is not reserved for Sunday. The Powpow takes place rain or show and is held at the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton. Grounds open at 3 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. the rest of Labor Day Weekend. Grand Entries are set for 12:30 p.m. from Saturday through Monday and at 7 p.m. on Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Sunset Fire Lightings take place Friday, Saturday & Sunday. For details, click here.
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The Doo Wop Project presents performances at Guild Hall over Labor Day Weekend.
The Doo Wop Project at Guild Hall
Staring leading cast members from the Tony Award Winning Broadway smash, Jersey Boys and Motown, The Musical, The Doo Wop Project is a night of songs mixed with individual stories and references to their upbringings and experiences in the business, particularly backstage at The August Wilson Theatre, home of Jersey Boys, where the idea for the group was conceived. The concert features classic Doo Wop and the music that was inspired by that sound.
Performed with a full band, singers include Dominic Nolfi, Charl Brown, Dominic Scaglione Jr, Dwayne Cooper and John Dias. Productions take place on Sunday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 to $95 or $38 to $90 for Guild Hall Members. Click here for tickets to the 7 p.m. performance and here for the 9:30 p.m. performance. Free Saunders Student Rush tickets are available. For details, click here.
MONDAY
Project 0 at The Surf Lodge - Afternoon Party
Make some art while having food, drink with music and mermaids at The Surf Lodge in Montauk on Monday. The art making is of an ecological mind with the materials made up of ocean debris to raise a dialogue about sustainability and ways to help the ocean be a cleaner place. The Afternoon Party takes place from 3:30 to 7 p.m. The Surf Lodge is located at 183 Edgemere Street, Montauk, NY 11954. Click here for details.
Final Weekend to Visit a Design House
There are two Design Houses available for viewing in The Hamptons: One in Water Mill and one in Sag Harbor. Both showcase the creative vision of multiple designers with each receiving a room or area to design. Holiday House Hamptons extended its run from July through this weekend. Click here to learn more about the project from the designer's point of view. Tickets are $35 and benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation®. The house is located at 100 Crescent Avenue in Water Mill. Click here for details. The Hampton Design Showhouse also wraps up on Monday. Located at 1597 Noyac Path in Sag Harbor, tickets are $35 and benefit Southampton Hospital. Click here for details. Hours for both design houses are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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