2013 HarborFest Schedule

The schedule of events for the 50th annual HarborFest festivity, a village-wide celebration to close out the summer season hosted by the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, which runs from September 6 through 8 this year, has been finalized.

Festivities for HarborFest 2013 largely center on the Long Wharf area but span out to include the entire village, with businesses holding sidewalk sales through the entirety of the weekend.

The weekend will kick off with a benefit at the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum on Friday night, September 6, called HarborFest Fiesta. Doors open at 6 p.m. and proceeds will go toward renovations at the museum.

Friday will also feature an exhibition of a solar-powered boat called the Novella, which recently circumnavigated Long Island, in the harbor. The boat, which can reach a top speed of about 6.2 knots, is 29 feet long and uses twin electric motors.

On Saturday, September 7, the area between Long Wharf and Marine Park will be packed with people starting at 9 a.m. With a farmers market and a craft fair being held at Marine Park, the annual Taste of Sag Harbor, which is an exhibition of local restaurants and wineries, will be going on simultaneously on Long Wharf. Local restaurants expected to participate in the Taste of Sag Harbor event include Page at 63 Main, the Golden Pear, Bay Burger and Muse in The Harbor, among others.

Starting at 10 a.m. on Long Wharf, there will be demonstrations including knot tying classes and free boat inspections held by the U.S. Coast Guard, face painting, karaoke, rock-climbing walls, a bouncy house, and a classic boat display being held by the East End Classic Boat Society.

Saturday also features a variety of walking tours exploring local landmarks, including the Old Jailhouse Tour at 10:30 a.m., the Old Burying Ground Tour at 11:30 a.m., and the Historic Eastville Walking Tour at the Eastville Community Heritage House at 5 p.m.

Before the whaleboat races start at noon, the highlight of the weekend’s festivities where locals row out to a canvas whale anchored in the harbor and attempt to make contact first, there is a corn shucking contest and a concert by John Corr at 11 a.m. The whaleboat races will continue throughout the day in head to head heats to see who makes the semifinals at noon on Sunday, with the champion being crowned at 3 p.m.

At 1 p.m. on Saturday, the Sag Harbor Community Band will perform, and later on in the day, at 6 p.m., the Breakwater Yacht Club will be celebrating its 25 year anniversary with a barbecue.

To finish this year’s festivities, Sunday, September 8, will begin with an 8 a.m. pancake breakfast at the main firehouse. Afterward, there will be a 9 a.m. Pilates class on Windmill Beach. Additionally, most of the events from the previous day, along with sidewalk sales and walking tours, will continue.

New events for Sunday include a children’s tug-of-war on Long Wharf at 11:30 a.m., a clam-chowder contest at noon and, at 4 p.m., a lobster-roll-eating contest.