What’s Happening: August 2, 2018

A weekly round-up of activities and events on Shelter Island.

This week

LOBSTER BAKE

St. Mary’s Lobster Bake Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, August 4, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door and include a choice of two drinks of beer, wine, soda or water. The menu offers baked lobster tail, shrimp and clams with a baked potato, melted butter, corn on the cob, a dinner roll and homemade desserts. A London broil is offered for landlubbers. For reservations visit the church or call (631) 749-0770 or visit stmarysshelterisland.org.

PERLMAN CONCERT

Works in Progress concert, students of the Perlman Music Program will perform classical masterworks will perform on August 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the performance tent on the Shelter Island campus. Free and open to the public. Call (212) 877-5045 for more information.

SOIL FERTILITY & HEALTH

Sylvester Manor is hosting “An Introduction to Soil Fertility and Soil Health for Vegetable Crop Production” on Tuesday, August 7, at 2 p.m. Participants will learn how to build healthy soils for sustainable vegetable production, the importance of soil testing and how to take a soil sample. They will also learn about basic soil chemistry and soil fertility. The event is free and open to the public. Sandra Menasha, a vegetable and potato specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension, will present the workshop.

RICHARD VARNEY TRIBUTE

A gathering to remember Islander Richard Varney will take place on Thursday, August 9, at 5:30 p.m. at the Shelter Island Library. Members of the Art/Rich Poetry Roundtable (once led by Richard Varney), and friends from Mr. Varney’s childhood in Garden City, will join his family and friends from Shelter Island in remembering a remarkable lover of poetry and scholar of all the humanities. All who know Mr. Varney are invited to celebrate his life. For details, email [email protected].

Next week

BOOK SIGNINGS

Finley’s Fiction has two signings in August with Shelter Island authors. On August 10, from 3 to 5 p.m., Jeanne McCulloch will be celebrating her new memoir, “All Happy Families,” that comes out August 12. Then on August 17, from 5 to 7 p.m., Amy Zavatto will be in house to sign her new book about prosecco and cocktails.

HAY BEACH CARNIVAL & BLOCK PARTY

The annual Hay Beach Carnival and Block Party will be held on Saturday, August 11, from noon to 3 p.m. in front of Nancy and Bob Fredericks’ home at 10 Hay Beach Road. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided free of charge. Hay Beach residents and guests are welcome.

CREEKSIDE CONCERT 

The end-of-season Creekside Concert series will feature a bluegrass performance by Flatt Lonesome on Sunday, August 12, at Sylvester Manor. Gates open at 4 p.m., concert begins at 5 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door.

Coming Up

WINDMILL COCKTAIL PARTY

On Saturday, August 25, at 6 p.m. at Sylvester Manor Educational Farm’s Windmill Field, the second annual Cocktail Party at the Windmill will take place. The party will celebrate the recent six-foot raising of the historic windmill and will serve as a fundraiser to maintain and restore the 60,000 pound windmill. Admission is $125 per person, located at 21 Manwaring Road.

Across the moat:

AMERICA’S FIREBOAT

Fire Fighter, America’s fireboat, celebrates the 80th anniversary of her commissioning in August. The longest serving fireboat in the history of the New York City Fire Department, Fire Fighter’s career spanned 72 years. To acknowledge and celebrate this National Historic Landmark Vessel, the Fire Fighter Museum offers a weekend birthday bash including the following events:

On August 24 a kickoff water display takes place in the waters off Mitchell Park Marina in Greenport at 7 p.m. On August 25 at the marina, the ship is open for tours. Live fire service demonstrations will be offered. All are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On August 26 at the marina, the ship is open for tours from 9 a.m. to noon. Fire Fighter is re-christened 80 years to the day after her initial commissioning from noon to 1:30 p.m. Performing the ceremony is Susan Gibbs of the SS United States Conservancy, granddaughter of naval architect William Francis Gibbs, who designed Fire Fighter, at the marina at 1:30 p.m.