The Arts Scene Heats Up For ‘Thaw Fest’

Hamptons Arts Network (HAN) hosts the third annual Thaw Fest, a South Fork-wide arts festival to celebrate spring and promote the broadly diverse range of cultural programs and institutions that make the area unique. This year’s festival has been extended to an entire month, with events running Friday, March 6, to Sunday, March 29. For a complete calendar, map and more, visit hamptonsartsnetwork.org.

Formed in 2017, HAN is a 19-member consortium of nonprofit organizations working together to create a unified arts community in the Hamptons. The goal is to promote collaboration, partnerships, and shared programming among its members, and to advocate for the arts in the areas of economic development, tourism, and education. HAN focuses on creating events to shine a light on the year-round cultural mecca located on Long Island’s East End.

“The East End is blessed with a wide range of cultural institutions and resources that contribute substantially to the diverse and rich quality of life that we enjoy,” says New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele. “Not only do the arts bring fullness to our daily lives, they are also a catalyst for our regional economy. Our cultural institutions foster tourism and create jobs across the economic spectrum. The decision of 19 local arts organizations to join to create a unified arts community will only serve to strengthen their important role in our community and spur economic activity for our local businesses year-round.”

Thaw Fest features exhibitions, theater performances, film, music, garden tours, workshops, community engagement and family-focused events.

HAN member organizations:

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts

Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival

Dia Bridgehampton

East Hampton Historical Society

Eastville Community Historical Society

Guild Hall

Hamptons International Film Festival

Hamptons Doc Fest

LongHouse Reserve

Madoo Conservancy

Parrish Art Museum

Pollock-Krasner House & Study Center

Sag Harbor Cinema

Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center & Museum

Southampton African American Museum

Southampton Arts Center

Southampton Cultural Center

Southampton Historical Museum

The Watermill Center