Good, if Cold, Fun
Expectations are high this weekend not only for snowfall, but for crowds flocking to bask in the joy of indoor and outdoor fun at the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s annual HarborFrost celebration. Building on last year’s success and good turnout, Kelly Connaughton, the chamber’s newly elected president, added new events this year.
Muse in the Harbor, which opened in the village during last year’s HarborFrost, will celebrate its first anniversary and HarborFrost with a fund-raiser for the chamber tomorrow from 6 to 10 p.m. An open bar, all-you-can-eat hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment by D.J. Twilo will be offered for $75, and $65 for Sag Harbor Chamber members. Tickets are available online at sagharborchamber.com.
Frosty activities, including an ice carving demonstration, will begin at noon on Saturday on Long Wharf. Docked at the wharf will be a Coast Guard 47-foot lifeboat on which tours and a cold-water rescue demonstration will take place through 1:30 p.m.
Those who dare to take the annual frosty plunge can register beginning at 12:30 p.m., with the dip in the bay scheduled for 1:30 p.m. A $20 donation for those taking part will benefit the Sag Harbor Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
An additional outdoor recreational activity added this year is an Icebreaker Laser Sailboat Regatta, leaving the Breakwater Yacht Club at 1 p.m., when multiple races can be viewed at no charge from Long Wharf or Windmill Beach.
Those hungry for lunch, music, and charity might consider a culinary stroll, organized annually by Charlie Canavan’s Hysterical Society, with small bites and a cash bar at four different restaurants, accompanied by live music by the New Dawn Trio. The $40 tour will begin at 1:30 at Il Cappuccino on Madison Street. Proceeds from the event will benefit a local resident in need.
Outdoor theater in the form of a “Zima: Treasure Hunt” will offer riddle-solving for all ages. The mystery will begin at the Civil War Monument at the intersection of Main and Madison Streets, and continue from 2 to 4 p.m.
Also new this year is a free, guided village art walk beginning 3 p.m. with hot cider and a brief talk at the Grenning Gallery on Washington Street and continuing to the Monika Olka Gallery, Christie’s Building Art Center, Hooke Sculpture Gallery, Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery, Tulla Booth Gallery, Romany Kramoris Gallery, and, finally, the Sag Harbor Fine Arts Center, where there will be a marshmallow roast and live music.
There will be free live music in the afternoon at various local businesses. Leroy Klavis will play acoustic guitar at the Corner Bar at noon. At 1 p.m., Ada Rovatti will play jazz saxophone and piano at the American Hotel. Sarah Hartman will perform original songs at 2 p.m. at the Grenning Gallery. Suzy on the Rocks will play at the same time at Christ Episcopal Church in a free concert that is not connected with HarborFrost.
Cassandra House will perform with percussion at 3 p.m. at GeekHampton on Bay Street, and at 3:30, Bryan Duffy will play at the Sag Harbor Fine Arts Center, followed by Mariann Megna on acoustic guitar at 4:30 p.m.
Throughout the day, those looking for warmth, shelter, and a beverage may pop into the Bay Street Theatre, where cartoons will play on the big screen, music in the lobby, and a cash bar will be open from noon to 4 p.m.
Fiery Sensations spin and twirl fiery props beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Long Wharf in advance of a Grucci fireworks display at 6:15, also viewable from the pier.
A Mardi Gras Ball, also not an official part of HarborFrost, will be held at the Bay Street Theatre at 8 p.m. featuring live music from both Joe Lauro’s New Orleans-style band, Hoodoo Loungers, and Gene Casey and the Lone Sharks. Tickets are $15 in advance at baystreet.org or $25 at the door.
On Sunday morning, comfort food can be taken at a pancake breakfast to support the Sag Harbor Junior Fire Department from 8 a.m. to noon at the firehouse on Brick Kiln Road. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for kids.
An easy-paced, two-mile hike on Sunday from 10 to 11 a.m. will follow the old railroad spur trail used long ago to transport ice from the ponds to the New York City rail line. The meeting place is Mashashimuet Park.