HarborFrost 2024: The Highlight of Sag Harbor's Winter Season

While other Hamptons villages are coming up with new ways to fight the stigma that the area is a summer-only destination — such as the Magic of Montauk Holiday Weekend and Southampton’s Turn On the Off-Season initiative — Sag Harbor is continuing on as they’ve done since 2011 by hosting their annual HarborFrost festival in the dead of winter. The much-anticipated celebration, on Saturday, February 3 this year, is the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s second largest event of the year, right behind its warm-weather counterpart, HarborFest, in September.

“HarborFrost has become a winter tradition in Sag Harbor,” states Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce President Ellen Dioguardi.

Before HarborFrost begins in earnest on Saturday, the chamber is inviting the community to join them for a ticketed cocktail party on Friday, February 2, 6–8:30 p.m., at the Sag Harbor Cinema. A Winter Taste of Sag Harbor takes place in the cinema’s new Green Room bar and third-floor event space, where guests can experience the village’s winter flavors in dishes cooked up by its year-round restaurants. Drink specials and a silent auction round out the evening. Tickets are $50 for Sag Harbor Chamber members and $60 for the general public, and proceeds help the chamber fund free community festivals like HarborFrost.

Though Saturday’s festivities officially begin around 1 p.m., a few Sag Harbor businesses are participating a little early. Earliest of all is the StoryWalk Trail Hike with the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt, which kicks off from Mashashimuet Park at 10 a.m. Then at 11:30 a.m., the annual Culinary Stroll begins at Il Capuccino and takes tourgoers to some of the hottest eateries in the village. Musician Steve Skoldberg performs at Dragon Hemp Apothecary at 12:20 p.m., and Sen Restaurant is teaching a sushi handroll-making class from 12:30–2:30 p.m.

From 1–3 p.m., the local Boy Scouts are serving hot cocoa at the village windmill, and from 1–5 p.m., the Stella & Ruby clothing store invites little kids to try out their “frosty face bling.” Those ashore at 2 p.m. can watch the racers competing to win the Ice Breaker Sailing Regatta. And from 5:30–7:30 p.m., the Old Whalers’ Church is selling hot soup for $10, which can be enjoyed as takeout or in the music-filled chapel. Additional organizations and businesses in the village may also be offering special deals to celebrate HarborFrost.

Following Skoldberg’s head start, the lineup of live music acts includes Friday Night Traditional performing two sets, 1:40 p.m. and 6 p.m., at Kidd Squid Brewing Company; Telly Karoussos, 3 p.m. at the cinema’s Green Room; Sara Mundy, 4:20 p.m. at Sen Restaurant; The Mercer Quintet, 6 p.m. at The Church; Gene Casey & the Lone Sharks, 8 p.m. at Bay Street Theater; and Jake Lear, also 8 p.m. at the Masonic Temple.

As is to be expected of this annual celebration of fire and ice, Rich Daly, owner of Ice Melodies and Guinness World Record speed carver, returns for another live ice carving performance at the Long Wharf, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Anyone strolling through the village this weekend will also notice his many mini ice sculptures decorating the sidewalks in front of various chamber businesses.

On the fiery side of things, a dazzling fire dancing show is set to be performed at Windmill Beach at 4:45 p.m. Then at approximately 5:30 p.m., the world-famous fireworks show by Grucci, which many consider the climax of HarborFrost, is scheduled to light up the winter sky. There are many primo spots from which to watch the fireworks, such as Breakwater Yacht Club or the roof of Sag Harbor Cinema, but those who can’t make it to one of the more exclusive viewing points, can witness the spectacle from Windmill Beach.

“I’m looking forward to enjoying an almost perfect Sag Harbor evening — fireworks off Long Wharf, dinner in the village at one of our amazing restaurants, and Gene Casey & the Lone Sharks at Bay Street Theater to end the evening. Everyone has their own plans, but we like to think HarborFrost is the ultimate answer to the winter doldrums and a perfect celebration of winter in Sag Harbor Village,” Dioguardi states. “Everyone should make their plans, as all our member businesses will be open and ready to serve with great food, drinks, shopping and fun for the whole family.”

For the full HarborFrost schedule and registration info for select festivities such as the Culinary Stroll, visit sagharborchamber.com/events/harborfrost.