East End Seaport Museum's 34th Annual Greenport Maritime Festival Was a Hit

Mermaids and pirates mingled with landlubbers Saturday at the East Seaport Museum’s 34th annual Maritime Festival in Greenport.

Organized by the East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation, the festival offered plenty of activities and attractions including a parade where participants put on their best pirate and mermaid themed attire. The annual cardboard boat race and kayak races also took place, as local students raced their homemade crafts across the bay.

More than 100 vendors were at the festival, offering a wide range of products and services. Local band Bangers and Mash also entertained in Mitchell Park with their own Celtic-themed songs.

Among the diverse vendor lineup were “The Cork Bag Ladies.” The shop has found a unique niche, importing sustainable cork products from Portugal. “We went to Lisbon last year and we looked around, and there was cork everywhere, so we decided to bring it to Long Island,” a spokesperson said.

In addition to the clothing and craft vendors, the festival featured a delightful selection of food options. From classic zeppoles to savory hot dogs, attendees had plenty of delicious choices.

Another notable vendor was the Greenport Jerky Company. Eugene Allen, the son-in-law of Carolyn and Vincent Macchiaroli, owners of the company, said, “We’ve listened to our customers, so we brought garlic head jerky back for this year’s festival.”

In addition to the local vendors, the festival also featured the historic Ernestina-Morrissey, a tall ship with an immense past. The Ernestina Morrissey was originally constructed in 1894 as a fishing vessel, but it has since been restored and labeled as a National Historic Landmark. People were able to board the ship, explore its decks and cabins, and learn about its fascinating history through tours going on throughout the festival.

A demonstration from the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as a raffle hosted by Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital was also featured.

Despite some minor cloudy weather, the festival drew a large crowd. Claudia Campos, a local resident and owner of Bohemian World Flowers and Boutique, said that “it’s a nice experience receiving new people and people that just try to come to Greenport.”

All proceeds from the festival went toward funding the East End Seaport Museum. Additional sponsors, including Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital and various local businesses, also contributed to the festival.

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Anjolique Powell is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism Working Newsroom program for students and local media.