Port Jefferson School District SCMEA Division I students. Photo from PJSD
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Port Jefferson School District SCMEA Division I students. Photo by PJSD
Port Jefferson School District SCMEA Division I students. Below, Port Jefferson Division II and III students. Photo by PJSD
In-person student musical performances are back, and Port Jefferson School District students represented at the recent Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association All-County Festival held at Ward Melville High School.
In the fifth and sixth grade Division I, students Josie Amtmann, Jenny Cheung, Isabella Fratticci Cseri, Nina Gnatenko, Kai Gronenthal, Ruairi Hogan, Patrick Hutchinson, Nila Manian, Austin Nam, Adyson Nocito, Clara Pearce, Violet Pryor, Sara Puopolo, Aiden Fraticci Rodriguez, Sebastian Salzman, Dylan Sproul, Kaho Sugimoto, Leilani Von Oiste and Elizabeth Yin were selected. Seventh and eighth graders Rowan Casey, Crystal Reustle, Sadie Salzman and Daria Zakharova were selected for Division II, and Division III’s ninth and 10th graders welcomed Earl L. Vandermeulen High School student Andi Kelly.
“Congratulations to all of our outstanding student musicians who were fortunate to perform in the FIRST in-person county music festival in nearly three years!” said Dr. Michael Caravello, district director of music and fine arts.
In an effort to ease the suffering of all those subject to the devastation and terror being inflicted upon the Ukrainian nation, Senator Mario R. Mattera (2nd Senate District) and his staff will be hosting a humanitarian supply drive on Saturday, March 26th, from 10 a.m. to noon in their district office located at 180 East Main Street in Smithtown.
The effort is intended to assist all in the region including animals who were displaced when their families evacuated.
Senator Mattera’s office is coordinating this effort with the staff and students of Kings Park Central School District (KPCSD) and local nonprofit Nobody Starves on Long Island.
To assist families of Ukraine, KPCSD is collecting items that will be shipped overseas to assist the citizens of Ukraine. The KPCSD drive will accept a host of items including medical items (including bandages, gauze and medicine), empty boxes, flashlights, batteries, garbage bags and personal items including warm clothing, boots, socks, tooth care, personal cleaning supplies and feminine hygiene products.
KPCSD will deliver all items to The Monastery of Saint Josaphat in Glen Cove for delivery to those in need in the region.
To assist Ukrainian pets in need, Nobody Starves on Long Island will be accepting pet supplies to help animals that in many cases have lost their owners and their homes. To help the nonprofit, Senator Mattera’s office is accepting pet items such as pet food, leashes, food bowls, treats and collars.
The office will not be accepting cash donations at the event or in their office.
“We are hopeful that everyone in our community will join us in helping all who have been impacted by the attack on the Ukrainian people. This unwarranted assault on their homes must be countered by the kindness of our community and I thank everyone who will or who has helped in this effort. Thank you to Nobody Starves on Long Island and everyone at the Kings Park School District for their selfless work. Together, we can bring hope to those who are suffering,” stated Senator Mattera.
Any resident who is unable to attend the Saturday, March 26, event is invited to drop off items at Senator Mattera’s district office during regular business hours. The office is located in 180 East Main Street, Suite 210, in Smithtown. For more information, call 631-361-2154.
Long Island Cars kicks off 2022 with a classic car show at Bald Hill in Farmingville on March 27. Photo from LI Cars
Ongoing
TVHS expands hours
The Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket will be open for the spring season on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for exhibit tours of SPIES! and Chicken Hill and gift shop now through May 7. For more information, call 751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org.
Suffrage exhibit in Port Jefferson
The Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson celebrates Women’s History Month with an exhibit on the second floor titled Celebrating Women’s Suffrage and the Timeless Connection of Nan Guzzetta. The exhibit runs through March 31 daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free. For more information, call 802-2160.
Thursday, March 24
Swing Into Spring Festival
The Jazz Loft and Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn presents its Swing Into Spring Jazz Festival at different locations throughout Stony Brook and Setauket today through March 27. Performances continue tonight in Stony Brook at The Country House from 6 to 8 p.m. and a The Jazz Loft from 7 to 9:30 p.m. For a full schedule of events, visit www.thejazzloft.org or call 751-1895.
Stony Brook Walking Tour *This event has been moved to March 25
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Ward Melville Heritage Organization will host a walking tour titled “Against the Grain” featuring newly uncovered stories of Stony Brook Village women. Tours will leave from the Stony Brook Grist Mill on Harbor Road at 10:30 a.m. and again at 3:30 p.m. Participants in the walking tour will enjoy at least six entirely new stories about the women of Stony Brook Village, spanning thousands of years. This includes indigenous women; the women of the Revolution; a few scandalous wills; the story of Jennie Melville and her role in the suffrage movement; Alida Emmet and the Center for Twilight Sleep; and Dorothy Melville, the Fairy Godmother of Stony Brook. Tickets are $10 per person, and includes a dessert (with the purchase of an entrée) at Mirabelle Restaurant and Tavern. To reserve your spot, call 751-2244.
Five Ways to Wellness event
The Space at Port Jefferson, 234 Traders Cove, Port Jefferson hosts Five Ways to Wellness, an evening dedicated to pain management, anxiety and sleeplessness, from 6 to 8 p.m. Featuring guest speakers Dee Earle-Browning, Indu Kaur, Elizabeth Martin, Heather Ippolito, Felicia Kasow and Dr. David Gentile with interactive acupuncture, yoga, reiki, hors d’oeuvres and wine. Free but tickets are required by visiting www.eventbrite.com. For further information, call 516-939-8960.
Leading Ladies Trivia Nite!
Join the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum for a Leading Ladies Trivia Nite online at 7 p.m. Test your wits as you explore the lives and work of amazing women who made their marks on the world in film, art, history, science, literature, and music and more in a fun setting! Free to play; $10 donation appreciated in support of the museum’s events. Visit www.cshwhalingmuseum.org to register.
Atelier lecture
The Atelier at Flowerfield in St. James will host a free webinar titled Painting En Plein Air: From Ideal to Practice via Zoom at 7 p.m. Painting en plein air was really an ideal for artists like J. M.W. Turner and John Constable, but it became a real credo for artists like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, John Singer Sargent, Joaquín Sorolla and many others. In this lecture, painter, teacher and art historian Eric Alexander Santoli will cover the history, principles, materials and methods of painting en plein air. To register, call 250-9009 or visit www.theatelieratflowerfield.org.
Friday, March 25
Stony Brook Walking Tour (See March 24 listing)
Friday Night Coffee House
Celebrate St. James continues its Coffee House series at the St. James Community Cultural Arts Center, 176 2nd. St., St. James tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. The Center will be transformed into a “Coffee House” with easy going eclectic music by Fat Nicky and the Snack featuring Nick Loiodice while in the company of old and new friends. Coffee, tea and treats will be served. Tickets are $20, $15 seniors. To RSVP, call 984-0201 or visit www.celebratestjames.org.
Wintertide Concert
The Port Jefferson Village Center, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson continues its Wintertide Concert Series with the Wine & Cheese All Stars: Kate Corrigan, Cecilia Kirtland, Ray Lambiase and Bob Westcott – veteran singer-songwriters from the wine & cheese cafe heydays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. $5 donation at the door. Call 802-2160 for more information.
Poets in Port
Northport Arts Coalition continues its Poets in Port at the First Presbyterian Church 330 Main Street, Northport and virtually at 7:30 p.m. Featured poet will be Robert McKenna followed by an open reading. Free tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com. For more information, email [email protected].
Friday Night Face-Off
Friday Night Face Off, Long Island’s longest running Improv Comedy Show, returns to Theatre Three’s Second Stage, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson tonight at 10:30 p.m. Using audience suggestions, FNFO pits two teams of improvisers against each other in an all-out championship! Recommended for ages16 and up, due to adult content. Tickets are $15 at the door only. Call 928-9100 for more information.
Saturday, March 26
Clean up at the Train Car Park
A community clean up will take place at the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce Train Car Park, located at the corner of Rte. 112 and Rte. 347 in Port Jefferson Station, from 9 a.m. to noon.Come help get the Train Car Park spruced up for the Spring and Summer season by trimming brush and branches, clearing any trash, and making sure everything looks great! Continental breakfast will be available inside the train. All groups welcome to participate. Community service hours will be given if needed. Questions? Call 821-1313.
Mindfulness in Nature Walk
Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown will host a Mindfulness in Nature Walk from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m.Experience nature in this slow, mindful practice of forest bathing. Maureen Calamia will lead the walk, share some stories and some interesting facts about our connection to nature. But most of all, you’ll have time to experience it yourself. You can bring a small towel to sit on if you would like for one of the activities. $20 per person. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org. For more information, call 979-6344.
The Kennedy Dream Project
As part of the Swing Into Spring Jazz Festival, The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook will present The Kennedy Dream Project, a Jazz Studio Orchestra presentation based on composer Oliver Nelson’s musical tribute to John Fitzgerald Kennedy 55 years ago with new compositions by Tom Manuel, Ray Anderson, Oliver Nelson Jr., Dan Pugach, Peter Coco and Steve Salerno from 7 to 9:30 p.m. A second performance will be held at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on March 27 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students,$15 children ages 6 and up; children 5 and under free. Visit www.thejazzloft.org to register. Call 751-1895 for more info.
SBU Symphony Orchestra
The Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook will host a concert by the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra on the Main Stage at 8 p.m. Program will include works by Sheila Silver, Richard Strauss, William Walton. Tickets are $20 per person. To order, visit www.stallercenter.com or call 632-2787.
Sunday, March 27
The Kennedy Dream Project
See March 26 listing.
Car Show & Swap Meet
Long Island Cars will kick off the 2022 season with their Super Swap Sunday Car Show & Swap Meet today at the Bald Hill Cultural Center, 1 Ski Lane, Farmingville from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hundreds of classic and collectible automobiles including street rods, muscle cars and antiques will be on display along with a vendor fair, live music by “The Fugitives,” food and refreshments. Admission is $10 per person, under age 12 free. Call 567-5898 or visit www.longislandcars.com.
Huntington Winter Farmers Market
Get your farm fix in the off-season at the Huntington Winter Farmers Market every Sunday through March 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Located behind the senior center at 423 Park Ave., Huntington, visitors will find items ranging from hydroponic greens to artisan breads and vegan treats and everything in between. Call 944-2661.
Port Jeff Winter Farmers Market
The Port Jefferson Winter Farmers Market will be held every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101-A E. Broadway, Port Jefferson through April 25. This year’s vendors include Brownies N’ Stuff, Joann’s Desserts, Farm Fresh Potions, Mello Munch Awesome Granola, O Honey Bee Farm, Sweet Melissa Dip, Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, Spilt Milk Macarons and many more. For more information, call 802-2160.
Sound Symphony Concert
Comsewogue High School, 565 North Bicycle Path, Port Jefferson Station will host a classic concert by the Sound Symphony Orchestra at 2 p.m. The program will include Dances in the Canebreaks by Florence Price, The Banks of Green Willow by George Butterworth and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1, featuring 2019 Concerto Competition winner William Tang. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 seniors and students, children under 12 free at the door. For more information, visit www.soundsymphony.org.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce invites the community to its 31st annual Ronkonkoma St. Patrick’s Day Parade from 2 to 6 p.m. along Patchogue-Holbrook Road and Portion Road. This year’s Grand Marshal will be Gerry McMenamin. Call 304-6303.
Long Island Museum lecture
As part of its current exhibit, Two Centuries of Long Island Women Artists: 1800-2000, the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook will host a special program titled Lee Krasner in Context in the Carriage Museum’s Gillespie Room at 2 p.m. Helen A. Harrison, historian, author and director of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center will speak about Lee Krasner, her art and her place among the other female abstractionists working on Long Island in the mid 20th century. Free with museum admission. Call 751-0066 or visit www.longislandmuseum.org.
Flax Pond Lecture
The 17th annual Friends of Flax Pond lecture series kicks off with From Plankton to Whales – Why our local waters are worth protecting with Christopher Paparo at 3 p.m. at the Childs Mansion on Shore Road in Old Field. The presentation will be moderated by Distinguished Service Professor and Oceanographer, Dr Malcolm Bowman. Light refreshments will be served. Please bring a reusable coffee mug to reduce waste. The lecture is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. For more information, call 767-6287.
Monday, March 28
SHS Spring Lecture
The Smithtown Historical Society concludes its Spring Lecture Series with a presentation titled Seeking Sanctuary, 125 Years of Synagogues on Long Island, with author and photographer Brad Kolodny in the Frank Brush Barn, 211 E. Main St., Smithtown from 7 to 8 p.m. A book signing will follow. Free admission. For more information, call 265-6768.
Audubon lecture
Dr. Brooke Bateman
Four Harbors Audubon Society presents a Zoom lecture titled Birds Are Telling Us It’s Time to Take Action on Climate Change at 7:30 p.m. Over the last 50 years, North America has lost over one quarter of its birds. Join Dr. Brooke Bateman, Director of Climate Science for the National Audubon Society, for a presentation on how future climate change will be one of the greatest threats to birds and how we can implement Natural Climate Solutions to address the climate crises. Free but registration is required by visiting www.4has.org.
Virtual Movie Trivia Night
Do you know a lot about movies? Well here’s your chance to prove it! Join the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington for a virtual Movie Trivia Night at 8 p.m. Hosted by Dan French, the winning team will get up to four CAC Gift Cards (1 per team member) and bragging rights. Tickets are $10 per team, $7 members. Visit www.cinemaartscentre.org to register. Questions? Email [email protected].
Tuesday, March 29
No events listed for this day.
Wednesday, March 30
Starry Nights concert
Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook will present Starry Nights Spring in the Recital Hall at 7 p.m. The Starry Nights concerts at Staller Center have become a well-loved tradition, with artistic director Colin Carr creating unique chamber music programs that bring together world-class musicians from the Stony Brook University Department of Music. The program will include variations of Beethoven’s “Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu” for Piano Trio Opus 121a. Tickets range from $44 to $48. For more information, call 632-2787 or visit www.stallercenter.com.
Thursday, March 31
Native American Drumming
All Souls Parish House, 10 Mill Pond Road, Stony Brook will host a Native American Drumming Meditation from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Led by elder drummer, Ric Statler, drumming meditation seeks to integrate the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of the human self, creating a state of well-being. Please call 631-655-7798 for more information.
Theater
‘The Marvelous Wonderettes’
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents The Marvelous Wonderettes from Feb. 19 to March 26. This blast-from-the-past musical takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom, where we meet Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy, and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! Featuring over two dozen classic ‘50’s and ‘60’s hits including “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover,” “Stupid Cupid,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me,” “Son of a Preacher Man,” and many more. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and older. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
Festival of One-Act Plays
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents the 23rd annual Festival of One-Act Plays, featuring the world premiere of six new works, at The Ronald F. Peierls Theatre, on the Second Stage from Feb. 27 to April. 2. Adult content and language. Parental discretion is advised. Tickets are $20. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.
‘A Bronx Tale’
The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents A Bronx Tale from March 24 to May 8. Based on Chazz Palminteri’s classic movie, this streetwise musical will take you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s—where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he’d love to be. Featuring a doo-wop score, A Bronx Tale is a story about respect, loyalty, love, and above all else: family. Tickets range from $75 to $80 with free valet parking. To order, call 261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. Read the review in next week’s paper!
‘Steel Magnolias’
Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents Steel Magnolias from April 9 to May 7. Come on down to Truvy’s Louisiana beauty shop where six strong women share their hopes and dreams. Beginning on the day of debutante Shelby’s wedding, the play traces this eccentric and lovable cast of characters as they support each other through life’s many challenges. Stop by for some great laughs and unforgettable friendship. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 children ages 5 and older. To order, call 928-9100 or visit theatrethree.com.
Shakespeare’s Henry V
Suffolk County Community College’s Ammerman Campus, 533 College Road, Selden presents Henry V by Shakespeare at the Shea Theatre, Islip Arts Building on April 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and April 24 at 2 p.m. Mature content. General admission is $14, students 16 years of age or younger $9.75, veterans and Suffolk students with current ID receive one free ticket. To order, call 451-4163.
Vendors Wanted
◆ Bethel Hobbs Community Farm, 178 Oxhead Road, Centereach seeks vendors for its Spring Craft Fair on May 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain date May 22). $50 for a 10X10 spot. Food trucks also wanted. For more information, email Alex at [email protected].
◆ Harborfields Public Library, 31 Broadway, Greenlawn is looking for craft vendors for its annual outdoor Friends of the Library Craft & Flea Market on May 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. The non-refundable fee for a 10X10 space is $35. To apply, visit www.harborfieldslibrary.org/friends.
◆ The Whaling Museum, 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor seeks antique vendors for its outdoor Spring Antique Sale on May 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For an application, visit www.cshwhalingmuseum.org. For more information, call 631-367-3418.
The Open Door Exchange (ODE) located at 200 Wilson Street, Building G, in Port Jefferson Station is a mission of Setauket Presbyterian Church and seeks to serve the community by providing quality furniture for anyone who needs. Since its beginning, ODE has distributed over 6,000 furniture pieces. From one open door through another ODE has helped more than 800 families.
Throughout the year furniture donations are accepted from individuals and organizations through scheduled pick-ups and drop-offs. The pieces received go through an intake process where they are cleaned, inspected and repaired if necessary. Families and individuals are then welcome to the ODE warehouse where they can view and choose the pieces that work for them.
ODE is run by an efficient and effective staff as well has many hard-working volunteers. The mission of ODE is to bring joy, security and comfort to people in the community by lifting the financial burden of home furnishing. Sometimes that cost is over looked and sometimes people are in need to due to emergency situations. ODE prides itself in keeping quality furniture pieces well stocked and available for visitors to view and tag for their homes.
From March 25 at 9 a.m. through March 31 at 6 p.m. the Open Door Exchange will hold its annual fundraiser, Furnishing Hope, through a live online auction. An in person celebration will be held at Setauket Presbyterian Church, 5 Caroline Ave., Setauket on April 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets to the in-person event are $10 per person and can be purchased online. The live auction and tickets can be found at: https://www.opendoorexchange.org/.
Town of Brookhaven offers adult gardening classes in the Spring.
The Town of Brookhaven offers children's gardening classes in the Spring.
A Bicycle Rodeo will be held on March 26.
Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Daniel Losquadro is announcing the return of several educational programs being offered to Town of Brookhaven residents this spring.
The Traffic Safety Department is hosting a free Bicycle Rodeo on Saturday, March 26, at Safety Town, 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville. The event encourages children to learn how to safely ride their bikes in a mock-roadway, kid-sized setting. Participants of all ages will be evaluated and given feedback on their bicycle-handling abilities, after proper bicycle safety skills are demonstrated. Participants are required to bring their own helmets and bicycles; both will be inspected for safety. This event is by appointment only; those interested should call 631.363.3770 to schedule a time to attend.
The Holtsville Ecology Site & Animal Preserve is offering Spring Pee Wee Gardening Classes for those 3-5 years of age. Children will learn about the environment, animals and plants through crafts and stories. Two different six-week sessions are available beginning either April 12 or 13, for $50. Call 631.451.5330 for class dates/times and to register. Additionally, the Ecology Site is hosting Adult Horticulture Classesduring which participants will learn how to start plants through propagation, grow vegetables from seeds, spring gardening techniques and the uses for native plants. Classes, which are $50 for a six-week session, will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursdays beginning April 14; call 631.451.5330 to register.
Cedar Beach waters in Mount Sinai run into the Long Island Sound. File photo by Elana Glowatz
Councilwoman Jane Bonner
Councilwoman Jane Bonner has announced the 2022 schedule of Spring Nature Programs at the Town of Brookhaven’s Cedar Beach, located on Harbor Beach Road in Mount Sinai. All programs are free, but registration is required. For more information or to register, e-mail Environmental Educator Nicole Pocchiare at [email protected]. Please provide your name, phone number, and the number of people and the ages of the children attending. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Programs will not run during inclement weather.
“Cedar Beach is one of the most beautiful locations in all of Brookhaven Town. It’s a wonderful place for children to get up close and personal with nature and the best way to do it is for them to participate in our Spring Nature programs. I encourage parents to enroll their children in the fun and educational seasonal programs offered free of charge by the Town of Brookhaven,” said Councilwoman Bonner.
The 2022 schedule of Summer Nature Programs are:
Gee Golly Geology March 26 at 2:00 pm Cedar Beach Nature Center We start our nature program series from the ground up. Join us for a geology lesson and guided walk of the peninsula. On this walking tour we will explore and observe the ever-changing topography that provides the foundation for distinct ecosystems and habitats of the beach and salt marsh.
Return to Nature Walk April 2 at 2:00 pm Cedar Beach Nature Center Please join us as we explore the unique ecology of the beach and salt marsh. We will learn about the different and overlapping ecosystems of flora and fauna, and the habitats that comprise this beautiful place. Please wear closed, comfortable shoes and bring binoculars if you have them.
Arbor Day Walk April 30 at 2:00 pm Cedar Beach Nature Center Come join us as we take a closer look at the trees that shape the landscape and support the ecosystem on this beautiful north shore peninsula. Bring binoculars to better see the birds and animals that live in or visit these trees.
Birding by the Beach April 9 at 2:00 pm Cedar Beach Nature Center
Long Island is a popular stop over and nesting area for many avian species. Join us as we observe and identify the birds that spend time on our coast. Please wear closed comfortable shoes, bring binoculars and a field guide if you have them.
International Migratory Bird Day May 14 at 2:00 pm Cedar Beach Nature Center Long Island is a popular stop over and nesting area for many avian species. Join us as we observe and identify the birds that spend time on our coast. Please wear closed comfortable shoes, bring binoculars and a field guide if you have them.
Every Day is Earth Day April 23 at 10:00 am or 2:00 pm Cedar Beach Nature Center Families are invited to celebrate Earth Day with their little ones. During the class we will discuss what kids can do to help save the planet, followed by some Earth Day fun, and a sneak peak of our Center. For kids ages 3-10.
Growing Up Wild May 21 at 10:00 am or 2:00 pm Cedar Beach Nature Center Parents and grandparents are invited to explore nature with their little ones. Each class will feature a nature topic, include a story telling, and may feature some live marine animals. For children ages 3-6.
Junior Environmental Stewards Ages 11+ Animal Tracks March 19 at 10:00 am Cedar Beach Nature Center Today’s goal will be to restore the animal tracks on the Nature Trail. This amazing educational component will teach visitors for years to come about the animals they can find here, and how to identify their tracks.
Native Plants April 16 at 2:00 pm Cedar Beach Nature Center During this lesson and activity, the stewards will learn about plants that are native to Long Island, how to care for them, and why planting native and encouraging our pollinators is so important.
Micro-Plastic & Data Collection May 7 at 2:00 pm Cedar Beach Nature Center
Our stewards will concentrate on finding and cataloguing tiny pieces of plastic hiding in the sands and seaweed of the beach. These microplastics are detrimental to all life in the water and on the shore. Not only are the stewards helping to remove these troubling plastics, but the data collected will go towards helping us understand more about the plastic bits that are plaguing our seas and shorelines.
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Ward Melville Heritage Organization will present a walking tour titled “Against the Grain” featuring newly uncovered stories of Stony Brook Village women on Thursday, March 24 at 10:30 a.m. and again at 3:30 p.m.
Participants in the walking tour will enjoy at least six entirely new stories about the women of Stony Brook Village, spanning thousands of years. This includes indigenous women; the women of the Revolution; a few scandalous wills; the story of Jennie Melville and her role in the suffrage movement; Alida Emmet and the Center for Twilight Sleep; and Dorothy Melville, the Fairy Godmother of Stony Brook.
Tours will leave from the Stony Brook Grist Mill at 100 Harbor Road at 10:30 a.m. and again at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person, and includes a dessert (with the purchase of an entrée) at Mirabelle Restaurant and Tavern. To reserve your spot, call 631-751-2244.
After a two year COVID-19 induced hiatus, the Swing into Spring Jazz Festival makes a triumphant return from March 22 to March 27.
A co-creation of Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn and The Jazz Loft founder Tom Manuel, the concert series, established in 2018, features local artists playing live music at multiple restaurants and shops in the Stony Brook and Setauket area. Performances will also take place at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts and The Jazz Loft.
“Every year the festival has grown, which is a tribute to Kara supporting us and the community’s response. I get excited that it’s been growing and that this year the funding allows us to expand beyond Stony Brook Village into Setauket. We have three new businesses — Bliss, Mario’s, and Madiran The Wine Bar — as well as the Staller Center, which we haven’t included before,” said Manuel.
Hahn and Manuel developed Swing into Spring as a way to promote local restaurants, give musicians opportunities, and attract both locals and tourists to the establishments, during the “slow season.”
Supported by funding through the New York State Council on the Arts and a grant from Hahn’s office, the series is a mutually beneficial cooperation between local culture and local businesses, according to Hahn.
“I had grant funding from Suffolk County earmarked for cultural arts and the local economy. The Jazz Loft is a phenomenal destination for Stony Brook and Three Village, and the question was how to get people —both tourists and locals — to visit our other businesses during the off season,” Hahn said. “We help fund the musicians so that they will play at the local businesses and attract patrons when people aren’t really coming out, on days of the week that are normally less busy.”
That funding enables steady gigs for musicians who generally have less work during the colder months, providing performance opportunities and income. Musicians such as Carl Safina and his Natural Causes Band, The Jazz Loft Trio, Mala Waldron, Rich Iacona, and Manuel will play at the businesses for a couple of hours.
“We’re excited to be doing this again and to be employing artists who are still suffering from a lack of work. For those of us who rely on this for a paycheck 24/7, this is our slow season too. It’s hard, between the weather being poor, and people being spent from the holidays, January to March are the most difficult months to be employed. We try to hire individuals who are part of the community and perform at The Jazz Loft and throughout the Island during the summer,” Manuel said.
Via personal and professional connections, Manuel unites the talent with the venues. Many of the people and places have been involved in the event during previous years. “I’ve had relationships with them for years, they were thrilled. The new participants are individuals and institutions I knew but had not collaborated with before,” Manuel said. “They were all aware of it and honored that we wanted them to be a part of it.”
It is this rapport that enabled Manuel to put together Swing into Spring’s culmination, a new conceptualization of American composer/arranger Oliver Nelson’s 1967 recording of The Kennedy Dream: A Musical Tribute to John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Inspired by Kennedy’s legacy of social conscience, scientific growth, and individual creativity, Nelson’s motivation and music are still relevant today, according to Manuel.
“Dream addresses some of those issues Kennedy was trying to champion; there is still work to be done,” he added.
A 38-piece jazz orchestra will give two performances: first at The Jazz Loft and then at the Staller Center the following night. It is a passion project many months in the making. “I reached out to the artists, we were all home due to COVID and everyone got on board; we have been working on it for over a year,” Manuel said.
Drawing his own inspiration from Nelson’s work, Manuel organized the second act of the concerts to feature new original compositions by jazz musicians Ray Anderson, Jeff Lederer,Peter Coco, Steve Salerno, Grammy nominee Dan Pugach, and Nelson’s son, Oliver Nelson, Jr., who is flying in from Indiana for the concerts. Manuel also contributed original work.
“These are reflections on our society and our world. Some reflect on COVID-19, some on social statements around Black Lives Matter, equality, and equity, ” Manuel said. “It’s very beautiful and fresh, very emotional. Both halves resonate and have a lot in common with each other. When composers’ emotions are expressed honestly and genuinely, music always communicates powerfully; any music of any style that moves us, speaks to us.”
This language of music is spoken through community support, and the co-founders of Swing into Spring agree that the Three Village area is a uniquely welcoming atmosphere. “It’s a breath of fresh air, and what our community does so well. I’ve performed all over the world and the Three Village community is unique in how it offers support,” said Manuel.
Hahn views the event as an indication of neighborly investment in community and the future. “When we create partnerships, we can create ways to thrive. It depends on our sense of place.”
Additional funding for the festival comes from Michael Ardolino, founder and owner ofRealty Connect USA, and Dan Oliveri, who sponsors a concert series at The Jazz Loft.
To learn more about Swing Into Spring, visit https://www.thejazzloft.org. Prices and COVID protocols vary based on location.
Schedule of events:
Tuesday, March 22
◆ Live jazz at Bliss, Mario’s and Sweet Mama’s from 6 to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, March 23
◆ Jazz Improv Workshop & Jam at The Jazz Loft from 4 to 5:30 p.m. All ages and abilities welcome. $10
◆ Live jazz at Madiran The Wine Bar, The Three Village Inn, Sweet Mamas and The Country House from 6 to 8 p.m.
◆ Jam session at The Jazz Loft from 7 to 9:30 p.m. All ages and abilities welcome. $10 ($5 after 8 p.m.)
Thursday, March 24
◆ Jazz Duo at The Country House from 6 to 8 p.m.
◆ Interplay Jazz Orchestra at The Jazz Loft from 7 to 9:30 p.m. $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students,$15 children ages 6 and up; children 5 and under free.
Friday, March 25
◆ Community Jazz Night at The Jazz Loft from 7 to 9:30 p.m. $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children ages 6 and up; children 5 and under free.
Saturday, March 26
◆ Live Jazz and $5 hot chocolate at Stony Brook Chocolate from 4 to 6 p.m.
◆ The Kennedy Dream Project at The Jazz Loft from 7 to 9:30 p.m. $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students,$15 children ages 6 and up; children 5 and under free.
Sunday, March 27
◆ The Kennedy Dream Project at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts from 7 to 9:30 p.m. $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children ages 6 and up; children 5 and under free.
The Port Jefferson Documentary Spring Series continues on Monday, April 11 with a screening of “The Automat” at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson at 7 p.m.
Chock-full of rich archival footage of old Philadelphia and NYC, this everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-automats film is a lighthearted trip through the history of Horn & Hardart’s iconic and innovative eateries. Led by the irrepressible Mel Brooks, the film also features an impressive roster of celebrities (Colin Powell, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Carl Reiner, to name a few) waxing nostalgic on their experiences at the nickel-driven restaurants and their dreamy lemon meringue pie. Automats fed millions throughout the Depression and two World Wars, serving all comers in palaces of marble, silver, and steel.
Good food served cheap, and the enduring thrill of the automat machines themselves wins the Automat a place in our culture and hearts alike. More than just entertainment, THE AUTOMAT is a parable of how we once dined happily together before turning to the isolated and unhappy experience offered by fast food, a bad deal that no amount of advertising can disguise. Running time is 79 minutes.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Director Lisa Hurwitz moderated by Tom Needham, Host of The Sounds of Film at WUSB radio.
Tickets are $10 per person at the door or at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.
The following events are scheduled at The JazzLoft for April 2022.
Wed. 4/6 Young at Heart: Blame It On The Bossa Nova 1 PM
The JazzLoft Trio performs the popular Brazilian music in the afternoon concert series Young at Heart.
Tickets: $10
Wed. 4/6 JazzLoft Trio and Jam Session 7 PM
The JazzLoft Trio performs at 7 PM followed by a jazz jam at 8 PM.
Tickets: $10 at 7 PM, $5 at 8 PM
Thu. 4/7 JazzLoft Big Band 7 PM
The 17 member JazzLoft Big Band led by JazzLoft founder and trumpeter, Tom Manuel, performs jazz standards, original compositions and arrangements written by band members.
Tickets: $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children, children under 5 free
Fri. 4/8 Lew Tabackin-Randy Brecker Quartet 7 PM
The Quartet is led by jazz tenor saxophonist and flutist, Lew Tabackin and Grammy winning trumpeter and flugelhornist, Randy Brecker.
Tickets: $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children, children under 5 free
Sat. 4/9 Bakithi Kumalo South African All Stars 7 PM
Bakithi Kumalo is a South African bassist, composer and vocalist best known for his playing on Paul Simon’s Graceland recording.
Tickets: $30 adults,$25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children, children under 5 free
Tuesday 4/12 Amadis Dunkel DMA Recital 7 PM
Amadis Dunkel, trombonist, is a graduate student in the Stony Brook University Music Department.
The concert is a recital for his DMA degree.
Tickets: Adults $10, Seniors & Students $5, SBU Faculty and Staff Free with SBU ID
Wed. 4/13 JazzLoft Trio and Jam 7 PM
The JazzLoft Trio performs at 7 PM followed by a jazz jam at 8 PM.
Tickets: $10 at 7 PM, $5 at 8 PM
Tuesday 4/19 Eli Yamin DMA Recital 7 PM
Eli Yamin is a pianist, composer, author and singer. He has performed as a jazz and blues ambassador in over 25 countries. The concert is his graduate recital for his DMA degree from Stony Brook University.
Tickets: Adults $10, Seniors & Students $5, SBU Faculty and Staff Free with SBU ID
Wed. 4/20 JazzLoft Trio and Jam 7 PM
The JazzLoft Trio performs at 7 PM followed by a jazz jam at 8 PM.
Tickets: $10 at 7 PM, $5 at 8 PM
Thu. 4/21 The Bad Little Big Band 7 PM
Pianist Rich Iacona leads the 12 member Bad Little Big Band in performing the music of the Great American Song Book. Vocalist Madeline Kole accompanies the band.
Tickets: $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children, children under 5 free
Sat. 4/23 Sivan Arbel Quartet 7 PM
Sivan Arbel is a critically acclaimed Israeli vocalist, composer, arranger and world wide performer.
Tickets: $30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children, children under 5 free.
Wed.4/27JazzLoft Trio and Jazz Session 7 PM
The JazzLoft Trio performs at 7 PM followed by a jazz jam at 8 PM.
Tickets: $10 at 7 PM, $5 at 8 PM
Thu. 4/28 Interplay Jazz Orchestra 7 PM
The 17 member Interplay Jazz Orchestra plays original music and arrangements written by band members.
Tickets:$30 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students, $15 children, children under 5 free
The JazzLoft is located at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook Village, phone 631 751-1895.
Tickets can be purchased at www.thejazzloft.org and if available, before events at The JazzLoft.
Throughout the year furniture donations are accepted from individuals and organizations through scheduled pick-ups and drop-offs. The pieces received go through an intake process where they are cleaned, inspected and repaired if necessary. Families and individuals are then welcome to the ODE warehouse where they can view and choose the pieces that work for them.
Schedule of events:
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