Festive Times
You wouldn’t know the season was supposed to be over in Montauk last weekend, when thousands of visitors and locals swarmed the green to check out pumpkin painting and bounce castles, bratwurst and mugs of chowder, live music and local brews, plus a ton of vendors hawking everything from the curative powers of turmeric to pickles on a stick, to pet treats, to lobster ravioli, to bedazzling bouquets.
The two-day annual Montauk Chamber of Commerce Fall Festival wasn’t the only game in town — this week also saw the Largest Clam Contest, sponsored by the East Hampton Town Trustees, among other events. And then there’s this coming weekend, with a sure-to-be-lively East Hampton Fall Festival planned at Herrick Park in the village, in addition to a clam chowder contest on tap at the young East Hampton Historical Farm Museum, among other festivities.
“Festive” is, in fact, exactly the right word for these events — in East Hampton Town and elsewhere — all of which salute the season, as well as local culture. They underscore what we love about this area, whether it’s clams or roasted ears of corn or homegrown musical talents. They bring strangers and community members together, and they bring them outdoors in a season when daylight’s burning fast, and many of us feel blessed to be able to linger in East Hampton. Not only that, they attract visitors who support the town economically in what has, happily, become a relatively hearty shoulder season.
Thank you to everyone who organizes these festive occasions.
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Staff Writer on Oct 14, 2019