34 Photos
Sag Harbor Fire Department teams compete for the Fire Fighter Cup Whaleboat Race Trophy.
The Murray Hill Hose Company took the trophy at the Firefighters Cup Whaleboat races on Sunday afternoon.
The children's tug-of-war at Windmill Beach on Sunday afternoon.
The John K. Ott Women's Whaleboat team cheers on the men's team during the Whaleboat Championship on Sunday afternoon.
Our Fabulous Variety Show gives a pop-up tap performance at HarborFest on Saturday. LISA TAMBURINI
Our Fabulous Variety Show gives a pop-up tap performance at HarborFest on Saturday. LISA TAMBURINI
Yoga on Windmill Beach with evolve East Yoga on Sunday. GAVIN MENU
Yoga on Windmill Beach with evolve East Yoga on Sunday. GAVIN MENU
Uviha Gavietto goes fishing at the Fighting Chance booth at HarborFest on Sunday. DANA SHAW
Scenes from HarborFest on Sunday. DANA SHAW
Scenes from HarborFest on Sunday. DANA SHAW
Scenes from HarborFest on Sunday. DANA SHAW
Scenes from HarborFest on Sunday. DANA SHAW
The children's corn shucking relay on Windmill Beach on Sunday afternoon. DANA SHAW
The Art's and Crafts Fair in Marine Park on Sunday. DANA SHAW
Gillian Kluge watches the activities during HarborFest from the window of the windmill on Sunday afternoon. DANA SHAW
Captain Jacks in North Sea took first place in the clam chowder contest, with Sen a close second. DANA SHAW
Captain Jacks in North Sea took first place in the clam chowder contest, with Sen a close second. DANA SHAW
Captain Jacks in North Sea took first place in the clam chowder contest, with Sen a close second. DANA SHAW
Alfredo Merat performs at the Steinbeck Park Lounge. DANA SHAW
Alfredo Merat performs at the Steinbeck Park Lounge. DANA SHAW
The Murray Hill Hose Company took the trophy at the Firefighters Cup Whaleboat races on Sunday afternoon. DANA SHAW
The children's tug-of-war at Windmill Beach on Sunday afternoon. DANA SHAW
The children's tug-of-war at Windmill Beach on Sunday afternoon. DANA SHAW
Watching the Whaleboat Races on Sunday afternoon. DANA SHAW
The John K. Ott Women's Whaleboat Team took the trophy in the Women's Championship on Sunday afternoon. DANA SHAW
The John K. Ott Women's Whaleboat Team took the trophy in the Women's Championship on Sunday afternoon. DANA SHAW
The John K. Ott Women's Whaleboat team; Robyn Mott, Karin Schroeder, Shawn Mitchell and Shelly Cottrell, with the trophy. DANA SHAW
The John K. Ott Men's Whaleboat team celebrates after securing the Championship once again. DANA SHAW
The John K. Ott Men's Whaleboat team celebrates after securing the Championship once again. DANA SHAW
The John K. Ott Men's Whaleboat team celebrates after securing the Championship once again. DANA SHAW
The John K. Ott Men's Whaleboat team celebrates after securing the Championship once again. DANA SHAW
The John K. Ott Men's Whaleboat team; Mike Daniels, Gene Garypie, John Cottrell and Dave Schroeder, with the Championship trophy. DANA SHAW
The John K. Ott Men's and Women's Whaleboat teams with their Championship trophies. DANA SHAW
Sag Harbor’s annual HarborFest weekend was a rousing success this year, as perfect weather brought throngs of visitors to Long Wharf to watch whaleboat races and sample clam chowder, listen to music, and enjoy a craft beer at John Steinbeck Waterfront Park, or browse the goods on display at the annual arts and crafts fair in Marine Park.
“It truly was one of the most successful HarborFests we’ve had in recent memory,” said Ellen Dioguardi, the president of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the annual event. “I completely put that in the hands of a really good team the chamber has and the weather Mother Nature gave us, which was just perfect.”
The weekend’s centerpiece event, the whaleboat races, attracted a large number of participants this year, thanks, in part, to the fact that the boats were beautifully restored by the crew at Ship Ashore Marina.
Unfortunately, the whale itself, which also saw some much needed restoration work this year, fell victim to vandals who defaced it with black spray paint overnight Sunday, although the Ship Ashore crew was able to clean off the paint on Monday.
In the races, both the men’s and women’s teams from John K. Ott Cesspools defended their championships from a year ago and received the coveted Whalers Cups for their efforts.
The winning men’s team consisted of rowers Mike Daniels and Dave Schroeder, Gene Garypie on tiller and John Cottrell throwing the harpoon. The women’s team was led by Shawn Mitchell and Robyn Mott as rowers, with Karin Schroeder driving the boat and Shelly Cottrell throwing the harpoon.
In the final race for the Firefighter’s Cup, the Murray Hill Hose Company won its first championship since 2014.
Crowds gathered on Long Wharf, where numerous tents were set up by nonprofits and vendors alike, to participate in the annual clam chowder tasting contest.
Dioguardi said the event was so popular that organizers ran out of mugs and sold out of two of the eight chowders entered in the contest.
In the end, Jack and Erin Reiser of Captain Jack’s restaurant in Noyac took home the prize for best chowder, besting Sen restaurant, which came in a close second.
For the second year in a row, Steinbeck Park was turned into the “HarborFest Lounge,” with a 30-foot-by-30-foot tent, where adults could listen to music, including performances by the Lone Sharks and Hoodoo Loungers on Saturday night, and enjoy a cold beer.
“It was a tremendous turnout,” said Rory McEvoy, the chamber’s vice president and events committee chairman, who noted the crowds were larger than last year’s inaugural event.
McEvoy and his wife, Grainne Coen, the owners of Kidd Squid Brewing Company, served a special beer for the occasion, the Save the Whale (Boat) Lager, which helped raise funds to cover the cost of restoring the whaleboats.
“We were pleasantly surprised by how fast the save the whaleboat lager sold out,” said Coen. “It was lovely to see the awareness and support of the whaleboat tradition staying alive in liquid form.”
The arts and crafts fair at Marine Park also drew big crowds, according to Marilyn Holstein, who has overseen the event for the Chamber of Commerce for the past decade. “I was very excited by the turnout,” she said. “The weather cooperated and we loved having Bill Evans and WLNG at the fair.”
“Many of our vendors have established long-lasting relationships with clients they met at the fair,” she said. “They get commissions from customers they meet here. Some say 50 percent of their sales come after the fair.”
Holstein noted that while some may think of an arts and crafts fair as only offering things like homemade jewelry, a number of artists, including painters, sculptors, photographers, woodworkers and others also attended.
Stephen J. Kotz on Sep 16, 2024