SouthamptonFest Is Back for Weekend of Events

SouthamptonFest is back in its 10th year with a weekend of arts, crafts, music, pumpkin carvers and a popular chowder contest, plus more, beginning Friday evening, September 30 with a kickoff cocktail party hosted by Southampton Rotary Club.

The cocktail party will have live music by Coverland, complimentary beer and wine from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., followed by a cash bar until 9:30 p.m. Tickets for the party may be purchased at southamptonrotary.org.

Saturday is an all-day event with happenings throughout the village. Bands such as Next Level Band and Gene Casey and The Lone Sharks perform in Agawam Park, along with the popular chowder contest, featuring entries from local restaurants and caterers, as well as food trucks offering delightful dishes. Dance lessons include salsa for all ages and abilities, kids activities including Jester Jim performances, face painting and balloon animals, sponsored by the Rogers Memorial Library/Friends of the Library. The Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, musicians performing on Main Street, and village restaurants welcome residents and visitors with fall-themed specials. A special Art + Design Crawl will encompass some of the best design shops and art galleries in the village and participants enter a raffle to win some great prizes. Topiaire Flower Shop will hold a live demonstration of the colorful, eye-catching Thanksgiving tablescapes using fresh flowers and organic materials.

Members of the Southampton Artists Association will showcase their work, which will also be for sale, throughout the weekend.

The Southampton African American Museum will open its doors to a digital tapestry and exhibit of “Grooming a Generation: A History of Black Barbershops & Beauty Parlors” with an augmented reality tour celebrating the long and storied history of barbering in the African American community.

The Southampton History Museum will host spooky shenanigans with ghosts, goblins and ghouls inhabiting the historic rooms of the Rogers Mansion. Ten historic outbuildings will be open and occupied with the unimaginable including Creatures in the Carpenter’s Shop, Devils in the Decoy Shed and Bad Barnaby in the Blacksmith Shop.

More ighlights this year include the Southampton Arts Center’s exhibit “A Celebration of Trees,” from 6 to 8 p.m., open to the public and featuring artists such as Freeman Vines, Beth Moon, Frank Relle, Charles Gaines, Sebastião Salgado and Nicholas Herrara and a special outdoor performance at 3 and 6 p.m. by musician Tom Wall performing to, and with, centuries’ old trees.

The Southampton Cultural Center will hold its sixth annual Wine and Roses Gala. A ticketed event from 6 to 10 p.m. featuring dinner, wine, cocktails, live entertainment, and a silent auction. Tickets are available at scc-arts.org.

An Art + Design Walk will take place with participating galleries and stores such as Sea Green Designs, Jetsam, Frances Keane Design, Southampton Arts Center, Rumrunner Home, Homenature, Sisal Rugs, Selavy Gallery and Oscar Molina Gallery. Participants can pick up cards at the Chamber of Commerce and any participating store/gallery, get their cards marked at each stop and enter to win a grand prize package that includes a year-long membership to the Southampton Arts Center (SAC), a piece of artwork (valued at almost $1,000, Rumrunner Home), an Argentinian throw blanket from Homenature and more.

The popular Southampton Chamber of Commerce Farmers and Artisans Market will take place Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Friday, September 30:

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. - Southampton Rotary Kickoff Party in Agawam Park.

Saturday, October 1:

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – children’s face painting in Agawam Park; Art + Design Crawl of participating shops and galleries throughout the village; Spooky Spirits at Southampton History Museum.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – “A History of Black Barbershops & Beauty Parlors” at Southampton African American Museum.

11 a.m. to noon – Thanksgiving Tablescape Live Demo at Topiaire Flower Shop.

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Maniac Pumpkin Carvers in Agawam Park; Southampton Artists Association in Agawam Park.

Noon to 2 p.m. – Next Level Reggae Band; chowder contest in Agawam Park.

12:30 p.m. – Jester Jim Performance on steps of the Southampton Arts Center.

2:00 p.m. – Jester Jim Performance in Agawam Park.

2:30 to 4 p.m. – AG Dance and Unity Dancer Performances, Cuban Salsa teacher Jamie Ruiz Dance Demonstration in Agawam Park.

3:30 p.m. – Jester Jim Performance in Agawam Park.

3:50 p.m. – Announcement of the chowder contest winner in Agawam Park.

4 to 5:30 p.m. – Gene Casey and the Loan Sharks perform in Agawam Park.

6 to 10 p.m. – Southampton Cultural Center Wine and Roses Gala.

6 to 8 p.m. – “A Celebration of Trees” with live music from Tom Wall at the Southampton Arts Center.

Throughout the Day: Artisans Market at Southampton Chamber of Commerce.

Sunday, October 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Southampton Chamber of Commerce Farmers and Artisans Market; Southampton Artists Association / Artists in the Park, all at Agawam Park.