The HarborFest 2019 Schedule Promises a Whale of a Good Time
Summer’s not over until the whaleboat sets sail! Often lauded as the biggest land and sea block party on the East End, HarborFest returns to Sag Harbor to celebrate the maritime history of the beloved village. The family friendly event offers tons of fun for the little ones all weekend long, with bounce castles, games, crafts, tug-of-war, hula-hoop competition, the annual corn shucking contest and more. A literary walking tour will teach visitors the history of a few of Sag Harbor’s esteemed writers, with stops at the Annie Cooper Boyd House, the municipal building where the village’s only recorded philosopher Prentice Mulford was born, the home of the late Guinness heiress Lady Caroline Blackwood and more. And make sure to taste the flavors of the East End with food options from premier local restaurants and food trucks.
HarborFest’s signature whaleboat races, which originated from the Old Whalers Festival dating back to 1964, kick off from Windmill Beach, where winners in multiple categories will earn a coveted Whalers Cup and endless bragging rights for next year. Get the harpoons ready, assemble a Men’s, Women’s, Junior’s or Firefighter’s team and prepare to race!
The annual Arts and Crafts Fair and Sidewalk Sale in Marine Park coincide with the festival, featuring high-end and local vendors–including Beach & Willow, High Fidelity Gallery, Lolita Power Fashion Accessories, Sag Harbor Glass, Tables of the Hamptons, Virginia Peacock Jewelry, Wood Evolved Shop, Peter Henderer Arts, Kashmir Valley Enterprises, Jim Levison Photo, Globally Crafted Home and many others.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
• 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Arts and Crafts Fair at Marine Park
• 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Sidewalk sale on Main Street
• 10 a.m. Songs and Stories of the Sea for Children at the Annie Cooper Boyd House, 174 Main Street
• 10 a.m. Literary walking tour starts at John Jermain Library
• 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Children’s amusements, games and activities on the Long Wharf
• 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Classic boat display on the Long Wharf
• 10 a.m.–5 p.m. A Taste of Sag Harbor on the Long Wharf
• 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Hands-On Artisan Crafts & Sale at the Annie Cooper Boyd House, 174 Main Street
• 10–11 a.m. Live nautical music with John Corr on Windmill Beach
• 11 a.m. Kids’ tug-of-war on Windmill Beach
• 11 a.m. Tussie Mussie workshop with Bonnie Grice at the Annie Cooper Boyd House, 174 Main Street
• 11 a.m. Live music: Sag Harbor Community Band on the Long Wharf
• noon Whalers Cup races, elimination round 1 on the Long Wharf and Windmill Beach
• 1 p.m. Kids’ corn shucking contest on the Long Wharf, register at the windmill
• 1–3 p.m. Live music: The Scofflaws on the Long Wharf
• 1:30 p.m. Firefighters’ Cup whaleboat races, Sag Harbor FD Championship on the Long Wharf and Windmill Beach
• 2:30 p.m. Children’s potato sack race on Windmill Beach
• 3 p.m. Whalers Cup races, elimination round 2 on the Long Wharf and Windmill Beach
• 3 p.m. Children’s hula-hoop fun on the Long Wharf
• 4 p.m. Live music: The HooDoo Loungers on the Long Wharf
• 6 p.m. Live music: Gene Casey and the Lone Sharks on the Long Wharf
• 6–8 p.m. Eastville’s Drop the Mic (open mic for poets, songwriters and storytellers) at Eastville Community Historical Society, 139 Hampton Street
• 8 p.m. Live music: The Complete Unknowns, a Bob Dylan tribute band, at Bay Street Theater
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
• 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Arts and Crafts Fair at Marine Park
• 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Sidewalk sale on Main Street
• 10 a.m.–noon Live music: Tim Fitall and Sampawams Creek on the Long Wharf
• 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Children’s amusements, games and activities on the Long Wharf
• 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Classic boat display on the Long Wharf
• 10 a.m.–5 p.m. A Taste of Sag Harbor on the Long Wharf
• 11 a.m. Kids’ tug-of-war on Windmill Beach
• 11:30 a.m. Junior Whaleboat elimination and semifinal rounds on the Long Wharf and Windmill Beach
• noon Whaleboat races semifinal on the Long Wharf and Windmill Beach
• 1 p.m. Children’s corn shucking contest on Windmill Beach
• 1–3 p.m. Live music with Jim Turner on the Long Wharf
• 1:30 p.m. Whaleboat race, fire department final on the Long Wharf and Windmill Beach
• 3 p.m. Children’s hula-hoop contest on the Long Wharf
• 3 p.m. Whaleboat Race Championship on the Long Wharf and Windmill Beach
• 3–5 p.m. Keith Leaf Fire Juggler on the Long Wharf
Visit sagharborchamber.com for more info about HarborFest and a list of businesses participating in the Arts and Crafts Fair.