Happy Times

Finally, the shoulder season gods smiled on the South Fork and provided not just accommodating but absolutely perfect weather for the weekend’s two big events, HarborFest in Sag Harbor and the San Gennaro Festival in Hampton Bays, which happened to fall on the same September weekend this year.

As a result, both events attracted the kinds of crowds event planners dream of, both in numbers and in temperament. Families were eager to enjoy one last true summer weekend of fun, and they got the sun and warmth to go with it, without a drop of rain to dampen the enthusiasm.

After a blockbuster summer, which tested the region’s infrastructure with the number of people and vehicles, it was the official kickoff of “locals’ time,” the last few weeks of summer and early part of autumn, when there’s more elbow room at the beaches, on the streets, and in local shops and restaurants.

HarborFest and the San Gennaro Festival, like so many of the regular community events held between Eastport and Montauk throughout the fall, winter and spring, provided a wonderful reason to get out and have fun.

It’s true of every event, but these are two festivals that require so much planning, so much cooperation, so much work and so much patience to succeed. Full credit to everyone involved in the effort — let’s not call it thankless; instead, let’s truly be grateful for the community organizers who make it happen.

These days, it’s also notable that neither event had any significant incident worth mentioning to sour the celebratory air. Despite the big, diverse crowds packed into limited spaces, the friendliness and cordiality was boundless. There is great power in community, and these festivals, and all of the many more coming between now and Memorial Day 2025, provide a much-needed shot of comity and camaraderie — something we all need in these divided times.

HarborFest and the San Gennaro Festival were fun, delicious and good for local businesses. But they’re also good for the soul.