Hamptons Epicure: July 11 – 1,001 Hamptonian Parties
It’s high season in the Hamptons. Announcements about the growing storm of events scheduled for the weekend after July 4th started arriving in April. April showers bring…mega parties and much-needed funding. The weekend after July 4th is a long-established time for area nonprofits to do their annual do’s—this year seems especially intense. When you add all of the art openings and performances to the mix it’s like Planet Art and Entertainment out here.
What’s a social butterfly to do? Happily Dan’s Papers annual GrillHampton and Taste of Two Forks are scheduled for July 17 and 18 this year—I couldn’t miss those. But I’ve had a hard time choosing what to do, where to go, which celebs to cuddle up to July 11.
Here’s a partial run-down of the biggies:
Halsey House Gala at THE Halsey House in Southampton. This annual red-white-and-blue fest features re-enactors in colonial dress, as well it should—this year marks Southampton’s (and Southold’s) 375th anniversary!
Parrish Art Museum Midsummer Party brings together a thousand artists, philanthropists, business leaders and international guests at the fabu museum in Water Mill.
The annual Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation’s “A Hamptons Happening” will feature great food and great music, and it supports a great cause. Dr. Samuel Waxman discovered a cure for a form of cancer—help him knock down some more!
The annual Bay Street Gala on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor features a special live performance of new work by iconic Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz—the first act of his The Prince of Egypt!
The Gimme Shelter Animal Rescue Summer Benefit supports the work of this charity, which places dogs in permanent homes. This year’s event will be held at the beautiful Southampton estate of Chuck and Ellen Scarborough.
St. Jude’s Hope in the Hamptons inaugural benefit supports St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, famous for combating childhood cancer.
The Family Service League’s Summer Gala features a designer auction at the Westhampton Beach Bath and Tennis Club!
This year’s gala at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton honors (among other notables) one of my favorite artists, April Gornik.
Then there are the standout performances:
At Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett Saturday night, Loudon Wainwright III takes the stage. Yes, that’s Rufus’s dad.
World Party performs at Suffolk Theater in Riverhead. (But I’ll probably go there to see the Lovin’ Spoonful the night before, so I’ll see World “Ship of Fools” Party another time.)
At Guild Hall in East Hampton, the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) presents the film Best of Enemies in its SummerDocs series, followed by a talk with interviewer Kurt Andersen and Montauk’s Dick Cavett.
I may put my face in at some of the worthwhile events above. I’d certainly like to support these great causes, but Saturday night will find me spending most of my time at Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor. Best-selling author Mary Norris is reading from her book, Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen that evening. I can’t wait to meet her! When I started reading her book it immediately struck me that we should be friends. After my review of her book ran in Dan’s Papers she emailed me that she “LOVED” it.
I’ve offered and was approved to provide homemade cheeseballs to Norris’s reception in celebration of our shared dairy-centric heritage.
Life in the Hamptons is quite elevated, but cheese balls are forever.
You can now follow Stacy’s wacky adventures on Twitter @hamptonsepicure.
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