Long Island's farms are buzzing with activity as they prepare for a summer's worth of festivals that celebrate the region's fruitful bounty. According to the Long Island Farm Bureau, nearly 600 farms are peppered throughout Suffolk and Nassau counties, heralding a season ripe with strawberries, watermelons, and community-centric revelry.
The Mattituck Strawberry Festival, celebrating its 70-year legacy come June 11, expects community hands for hulling roughly one hundred thousand strawberries, with a free night of admission in exchange for the hard work. "And if people don't show up, we're going to have to hull 'em ourselves," Strawberry Festival Chairman David Dominy told ABC7 New York. Not far behind, Schmidt's Farm in Laurel is gearing up with at least 5,000 strawberries to sweeten the pot in just a couple of weeks. The festival, known for its eating contest and crowning of "Miss Strawberry," has aspirations beyond entertainment; it serves as a fundraiser to support charity initiatives.
While the strawberry festivals capture much attention, Long Island's summer festivity calendar doesn't end there. For those looking to imbibe a dose of purple, Waterdrinker’s Farm in Manorville plans to offer a lavender-scented experience on June 7 and 8. Visitors can try one-of-a-kind drinks like lavender lager and lavender lemonade, surrounded by "beautifully cultivated raised beds," according to Megan Cox from Waterdrinker Family Farm as reported by ABC7 New York.
As the calendar turns, those with a penchant for melons can head to Fink's Farm come August, where baby melons flourish into juicy watermelons, just in time for their own festival. David Fink of Fink's Country Farm mentioned to ABC7 New York, "We have watermelon eating contests," and the drier and hotter the season, the better the sweet payoff. The festivals, while diverse, converge on a common enthusiasm for agricultural craftsmanship and community engagement.
For those seeking a more hands-on approach to the season's harvest, The Menhaden offers a luxury stay that's a stone's throw from some of Long Island's best strawberry picking spots. Visitors can venture out to Condzella’s Farm, Lewin Farms, Glover Farms, Patty’s Berries and Bunches, and Wickham’s Fruit Farm, to name a few, losing themselves in waves of strawberry fields. After a sun-soaked day, The Menhaden welcomes guests back to the comfortable elegance of a hotel that promises relaxation and local delights, such as proximity to vineyards and farm-to-table dining experiences. The boutique hotel's website details how its strategic location on the North Fork serves as an excellent gateway to explore and indulge in the richness of Long Island's explicit agrarian landscape.
