HARBORFEST and Fall Arts & Crafts Fair in Sag Harbor

The second of two Arts & Crafts events sponsored each year by the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce. The events take place in Marine Park against a backdrop of luxury yachts, one block from historic Main Street. Stroll along the waterfront to discover and purchase amazing works by a select group of artisans.

WHALE HO!

HarborFest 2023 will be held Saturday and Sunday September 16th and 17th, with the village’s rich maritime history on full display all weekend long. Long Wharf will be filled with live music, kids activities, great food, beer and wine and dozens of vendors representing Sag Harbor’s rich cultural and artistic history.

Visit Marine Park for the annual HarborFest Arts & Crafts Fair, with more than 50 vendors on hand to sell their handmade art, jewelry and other crafts. Don’t miss the famous HarborFest Clam Chowder Contest on Sunday at noon, and of course whaleboat racing all afternoon on both Saturday and Sunday off Windmill Beach.

If you are interested in being a vendor at HarborFest, please fill visit our Vendor Application page.

Fun for Kids

New to HarborFest this year is an expanded Kids’ Zone in Steinbeck Park with Tony The Pony offering pony rides and a petting zoo for all children to enjoy. The South Fork Natural History Museum will be in Steinbeck Park with live native Eastern box turtles, and gray tree frogs, and John Jermain Memorial Library will have fun sea-themed crafts and tattoos. Don’t miss the fire juggling show by Keith Leaf at 3:45 pm on Saturday. Long Wharf will also be teeming with fun kids’ activities, with bounce castles, games, competitions, amusements and so much more. Just off the wharf on Windmill Beach will be tug-of-wars, hula hoop contests and the annual corn shucking contest, all presented by Epic Martial Arts.

Whaleboat Races

HarborFest’s signature event presented by The Sag Harbor Express off Windmill Beach, where annual bragging rights and the coveted Whalers Cups are on the line. The races had their origins in the Old Whalers Festival, which began in 1964 as an effort to drum up tourism during the shoulder season. Races begin at noon on Saturday and 11:30 am on Sunday and run throughout the afternoon. Men’s, Women’s, Junior’s and Firefighter divisions will compete.

Live Music on Long Wharf

This year’s festival will feature live music across town with musicians taking to Long Wharf, Steinbeck Park and the Sag Harbor Historical Museum throughout the day on both Saturday and Sunday. Old favorites like Jim Turner and the Sag Harbor Community Band, along with some new names like The Popsicles and Lynn Blue Band. Don’t miss Bruce Beyer & Friends at the Sag Harbor Historical Museum on Saturday at 2:00 pm. The festival wraps up on Saturday with a 5:00 pm performance by Gene Casey and The Lonesharks and a 7:00 pm show with the HooDoo Loungers, both in Steinbeck Park.

Clam Chowder Contest

The can’t-miss event of the festival is the famous HarborFest Clam Chowder Contest, which begins at noon on Sunday. Sample chowders from local restaurants and take home a commemorative HarborFest mug! The event is sponsored by Manna at the Lobster Inn, costs $20 to participate and will benefit the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

Tour the Old Whalers’ Church
Built in 1844, the Old Whalers’ Church is a National Historic Landmark at 44 Union Street in Sag Harbor. Starting at 9:00 am on Sunday, there will be an architectural highlights tour by Randy Croxton and members of the church’s historical committee. Listen to the sound of the oldest working pipe organ on Long Island, demonstrated by the church’s highly regarded organist and music director, Walter Klauss. Attend a church service at 10:00 am based on the words and music of the time period when this beautiful church was constructed and attended by whalers from around the world. Finish your visit with coffee hour and a historic tour of the Old Burying Ground, final resting place of patriots and Revolutionary War veterans.