by Sophia Prendergast
There is no better way to say farewell to summer than attending the Long Island Maritime Museum’s annual Seafood Festival. On Saturday, August 20, and Sunday, August 21, the Maritime Museum hosted its 29th annual Seafood Festival, two sun soaked days of live music, bay breezes, and the sea’s bounty!
People from all over the Island traveled to eat food, listen to music, shop, and spend time with friends and family. The crowd was a mixture of elders, adults, teenagers, children, and many local families who have made this festival a tradition.
Fresh-caught local seafood was served from both Claws and Blue Island Oyster pavilions. Food trucks lined the outskirts of the festival providing carnival-like fare such as ice cream, roasted corn, snow cones, pickles, fried foods, and more. Even Flo’s Luncheonette brought out their food truck serving from their From the Sea portion of their menu.
Music lovers set up their beach chairs, umbrellas, and blankets to enjoy over a dozen musical acts. Instead of a day in the sand, they spent their day in the grass with the extra perk of live music instead of music from a muffled speaker. That 70’s Band, Southbound, Gypsy, and more bands performed on an outside stage with the wind from the Great South Bay and a view of a very excited audience.
There was a booth for all ages at the festival. The rows of tents consisted of jewelry, toys, home decoration, clothing, face painting, and baked goods. Local businesses welcomed visitors into their tents to browse and purchase their favorite items.
While the festival raged outside, the boat house was open for the public to walk through and catch a break from the boiling sun. Mile high sail boats stood still stretching to the ceiling while little children ran around them pointing up at the sails. Their laughter echoed through the building and smiles plastered their faces.
What started out as a small festival has grown larger over the years and will continue to grow and bring more and more people together. This family friendly event will be held in the same place, around the same time next year for its 30th celebration. Make sure your calendars are marked because you will not want to miss it and all the fun the Seafood Festival has to offer!
Photos by Kate Berube
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