End of Summer FESTIVALS

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by Katherine Andrianas

It’s hard to believe the kids are back to school and fall is upon us. As we transition between seasons, there are tons of festivals on Long Island worth attending. Whether you plan on heading east or west, this month’s calendar is packed with events that’ll keep you busy all weekend long.

16th Annual Long Island Garlic Festival – Sept 14th & 15th • 10:00AM-6:00PM
4558 Sound Avenue, Riverhead
Test your taste buds with exotic combinations of all things garlic: ice cream, cookies, jellies, etc. With over forty vendors, a craft marketplace, farm tours and family activities, this is a unique event worth attending. If you have fast hands, a brave mouth and an iron stomach, participate in the festivals garlic eating contest. Find out how many cloves of garlic you can peel and eat in two minutes. Or, watch a panel of kids battle for the title of “Junior Garlic Iron Chef”with 30-minutes to create the ultimate garlic sauce!

The I Love Bacon Beer & Bourbon Festival – Sept 14th & 15th • 10:00AM-6:00PM
160 Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station
Located right outside the Walt Whitman shops, this festival will feature live music and entertainment, a mechanical bull, ice cream eating contest plus all kinds of food, crafts, and shopping. Ready to find bacon in every way imaginable? From one vendor to the next, they’ll have chocolate covered bacon, bacon burgers, bacon topped funnel cake, maple cupcakes with bacon sprinkles, bacon-wrapped sausage and more! Sound up your alley? Purchase tickets prior to 8PM on September 13th and for just $6-$10 (kids under 3 free), you’ll have access to all the festivals main attractions.

Apple Festival at Harbes – Sept 14th & 15th • 9:00AM-6:00PM
715 Sound Ave, Mattituck
Close out the summer with a fun-filled day of apple activities. They’ll have all sorts of entertainment 
including apple cider donut eating contests, apple rolling competitions, magic shows, pumpkin picking, live music and more. Coming with the kids? There’s nothing they won’t love about going on hayrides and pony rides, hand feeding farm animals or trying to escape from the Robin Hood Corn Maze. So, come explore the 78-acre orchard, sip on award winning wines and pick from approximately 27 different types of apples.

The LI Hop Fest – Sept 21st • 12:30PM-4:00PM
5873 Sound Ave, Riverhead
Are you a fan of hop beer? Then, head out east to the Jamesport Farm Brewery for a sampling of
locally and nationally hop-focused beers (IPA’s, NEIPA’s, Imperial IPA’s, DIPA’s & more). The festival will have a pumpkin slingshot for firing into the field, silent auction, live music by singer, Andy Putman, and tons of backyard games like Jenga and Corn Hole. Delicious food by Christopher Michael Catering will also be available for purchase as well as seasonal favorites: pumpkin, Oktoberfest and other delicious hard ciders.

8th Annual Pour the Core – September 28th
1 Heckscher State Pkway, East Islip
Celebrate the beginning of the fall season at this hard cider festival. They’ll have tons of food trucks serving up everything from burgers and grilled cheeses to brick oven pizzas, empanadas and more. Then, to pair nicely with your food of choice, samples of approximately 75 ciders will be available from local, national and international cider makers. And, while you’re there, don’t forget to participate in the annual donut eating contest for a chance to win tickets to the Great Beer Expo or Spring Craft Beer Festival.