First Fridays Returns to Love Lane in Mattituck

I don’t care if Monday’s blue, Tuesday’s gray and Wednesday, too. Thursday, I don’t care about you. It’s Friday — I’m in love.”
—The Cure


The Mattituck block party known as First Fridays has returned with a full series of events planned for summer 2024 and beyond.

Event organizers from the Mattituck Chamber of Commerce will close Love Lane to traffic on the first Friday of every month, May through October, with a total of six events scheduled for May 3, June 6, July 5, August 2, September 6, and October 4. Each event runs from 6 to 9 p.m.

Just as First Fridays was continuing to grow in popularity since its inception in 2015, a full series of events was canceled in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. It returned four years later, for one night only, on October 6 of last year, as a sort of test run for this year’s full slate of events — to great success.

“First Fridays has become a great Mattituck tradition, and the Mattituck Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to bring it back to six events this summer, just like the old days,” said Mattituck Chamber of Commerce President Terry McShane, who also works in advertising at The Express News Group. “Beyond the food, the music, and the local businesses, it’s really all about offering our community a family-friendly evening to meet up with friends and enjoy a fun night out. It’s what make these events so special, and Love Lane is a perfect location.”

The heart and soul of any festival or street fair is the food, and Love Lane is well-known as one of the most diverse and energetic culinary destinations on the East End. The Village Cheese Shop, Lombardi’s, Love Lane Kitchen, Ammiratis, the North Fork Doughnut Company, the Love Lane Sweet Shoppe, goodfood, Agora’s The Little Greek Market and Pookaberry Café are all just a stone’s throw away from each other.

Fondue from The Village Cheese Shop is a staple of the street fairs, as is the wood-fired pizza from Lombardi’s Love Lane Market. Throw in a panini from Ammiratis, a lobster roll from Love Lane Kitchen, a bison empanada from goodfood, a host of Greek specialties from Agora, and the creative menu from Pookaberry Café, and you have a tasty Friday night out for the whole family to enjoy.