Summer Flings

Seven weekend celebrations within driving distance, whether your taste runs to a clam festival in Maine or a stawberry fair in Mattituck.
BY CARLA SPARTOS
 
Anchors Away: The Seafood Festival at the Long Island Maritime Museum.
 
Hudson Valley Food & Wine Festival
June 12 and 13, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Montgomery Place Historic Site, River Rd., Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, 845-758-5461, hudsonvalley.org
There won't be any summer shortages of artisinal food festivals, but this one's a standout if only for its location—on the grounds of the lavish Montgomery estate, with splendid views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains.
Where To Stay: As they like to say at the Belvedere Mansion (845-889-8000), "there are nine mansions in the mid-Hudson Valley that you may visit, at one you can stay." For additional accomodations, see "Crafts at Rhinebeck" below.
Don't Miss: Continuing with our grand estate theme, the Ogden Mills and Ruth Livingston Mills Memorial State Park offers plentiful hiking and a Stanford White–designed Beaux-Arts mansion. And if you haven't had your fill, then by all means make a dinner reservation at the Culinary Institute of America (845-471-6608) in Hyde Park. For more Dutchess County goings-on, see "Crafts at Rhinebeck" below.
 
Strawberry Festival
June 18, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
June 19, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; June 20, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Fairgrounds, Rte. 48, Mattituck, New York, 631-298-2222, mattitucklionsclub.org
Mattituck is one of those fabulously unassuming villages on the North Fork that manages to have a gourmet cheese shop in addition to an old-time pharmacy and post office. And for 50 years, the Mattituck Lions Club has been celebrating the luscious strawberry with shortcakes, rides, raffles, and, as no country fair would be complete without one, the crowning of a Strawberry Queen.
Where To Stay: The Greenporter Hotel and Spa (631-477-0066) puts a modern spin on the motor lodge, with in-room massages, plus a wine bar and French bistro. While in Greenport, you can also grab the ferry to Shelter Island.
Don't Miss: The unpretentious North Fork features countless roadside farmstands and wineries, including Paumonok (631-722-8800) and Lenz (631-734-6010) vineyards.
 
Crafts at Rhinebeck
June 26, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
June 27, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rte. 9, Rhinebeck, New York, 845-876-4001, dutchessfair.com
Now that the weather's warmed, it seems like there's a craft fair going on by Central Park or at Lincoln Center every weekend. Crafts at Rhinebeck, with more than 350 participating artists, is one of the biggest, with artists working in just about every medium, from glass to wood, ceramics to metal.
Where To Stay: Centrally located in nearby Rhinebeck, The Beekman Arms (845-876-7077) is the oldest operating inn in America; the related Delamater Inn offers more modern and spacious suites down the block. Larry Forgione no longer operates his 1776 Tavern here, but chef Preston Faust still serves regional American fare in the inn's Traphagen Restaurant (845-876-1766). For additional accomodations, see "Hudson Valley Food & Wine Festival" above.
Don't Miss: Summerscape (845-758-7900) at Bard College's new Frank Gehry–designed performing arts center will feature a Shostakovich music festival, and the nearby Culinary Institute of America (845-471-6608) means there's always fresh talent in Rhinebeck's numerous kitchens. For more Dutchess County goings-on, see "Hudson Valley Food & Wine Festival" above.
 
Tanglewood
July 1–September 5
• 297 West St., Lenox, Massachusetts, 888-266-1200, tanglewood.org
Revered Tanglewood, nestled in the bucolic Berkshire Hills, hosts the Boston Symphony Orchestra, star soloists, famed conductors, staged opera, and much more all summer long, day and night, culminating in a jazz festival.
Where To Stay: Fashionable with the Gilded Age gentry, Lenox has an array of turn-of-the-century summer homes turned inns, including Hampton Terrace, (413-637-1773), the Kemble Inn, (413-637-4113), and the Gables Inn (413-637-3416), a former Wharton family residence.
Don't Miss: Jacob's Pillow (413-243-0745), the fabled dance retreat, kicks off its summer festival on June 19, and runs through August 29. Get a glimpse of the area's grand past at the Mount (413-637-1899), Edith Wharton's breathtaking estate and gardens.
 

Finger Lakes Wine Festival
July 16, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
July 17 and 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York, 607-535-2481, flwinefest.com
The Finger Lakes region specializes in white wines, including excellent-value chardonnays, rieslings, and cayugas (a local varietal), but you'll be shocked at the number of quality reds, from pinot noirs with creme brulee nose to cabernet francs with tobacco bite. More than 70 local wineries are offering tastings at this year's festival, so save room in the trunk for all those inevitable cases.
Where To Stay: Weekend camping passes allow safe and easy tippling; for posher lodging try Taughannock Farms Inn (607-387-7711) overlooking Cayuga Lake, or Cornell University's Statler Hotel (800-541-2501) in nearby Ithaca.
Don't Miss: Funky, liberal Ithaca (800-28-ITHACA) has plentiful shopping and dining, including the famed vegetarian Moosewood Restaurant (607-273-9610), not to mention spectacular waterfalls at Buttermilk Falls and Taughannock Falls State Parks.
 
Yarmouth Clam Festival
July 16-18
• Yarmouth, Maine, 207-846-3984, clamfestival.com
Yarmouth is a charming New England fishing village that celebrates its seafaring ways with this annual ode to the clam in all its incarnations, including raw clams, fried clams, clam cakes, clam chowders, and, of course, a state clam-shucking contest. If it all sounds a little too, umm, clammy, well there's crafts, rides, music, and more.
Where To Stay: For luxury accomodations, book the four-diamond Harraseeket Inn (207-865-9377) in Freeport, which offers pet-friendly rooms.
Don't Miss: Cosmopolitan Portland, Maine's largest city, manages a small-town demeanor, with modern seafood spins and kitschy tourist shops touting the "World's Only Life-Size Chocolate Moose." Shopaholics will want to drop by Freeport, home of L.L. Bean and tons of outlets
 
Seafood Festival
August 28-29, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Long Island Maritime Museum, 86 West Ave., West Sayville, New York, 631-HIS-TORY, limaritime.org
The fine folks at the Long Island Maritime Museum have been throwing this wonderfully quaint festival for some years now, and it continues to grow each year. The main draw, of course, is food, from lobster, shrimp, and roast corn to the ubiquitous hotdogs, hamburgers, and ice cream, but there's also folksy entertainment, crafts, and classic antique boats, too.
Where To Stay: Local budget accomodations include the EconoLodge in Bay Shore (631-666-6000), the Blue Point Motor Lodge (631-363-9502), and the Sayville Motor Lodge (631-589-7000), which features mirrored rooms and waterbeds for those seeking a Poconos-style getaway. Plusher rooms and an 18-hole golf course can be had at the Windham Watch Hotel (631-232-9800).
Don't Miss: Nearby Blue Point is the namesake of the oyster, not to mention the Blue Point Brewing Company (631-475-6944) in Patchogue, which offers weekend tastings and tours. You can also catch the ferry to Fire Island from both Sayville and Patchogue.
 
 
Published May 31, 2004