Things to do in the Hamptons this fall
A miniature golf course at the Children's Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The lifeguards may have left the beach, but so have the peak summer crowds. This is arguably the best time to enjoy the Hamptons, without the hassles those crowds create. Below is a roundup of things to do and see, bites to enjoy, beverages to imbibe and places to stay out east this fall.
GRAB A BITE
Fresh peaches and other homemade goodies are available in abundance this time of year at The Milk Pail farmstand in Water Mill. Credit: Doug Young
Start your day with a breakfast indulgence. Cider doughnuts plucked fresh from the fryer at the Milk Pail (1346 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill, milkpailfreshmarket.com) are hard to resist. Grindstone Coffee and Donuts (7 Main St., Sag Harbor, grindstonedonuts.com) offers brioche doughnuts and bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches on brioche buns. Carissa’s (221 Pantigo Rd. and 68 Newtown Lane, East Hampton; 3 Bay St., Sag Harbor; carissasthebakery.com) bakes exquisite croissants with unusual flavorings like pistachio chocolate and kimchi cheddar. Hardier breakfast fare is available at the Pantigo Road location.
EXPLORE NATURE AND THE ARTS
The Fairview Farm at Mecox in Bridgehampton. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
If the weather is nice, spend some time outdoors. Take a walk on Coopers Beach (268 Meadow Lane, Southampton), No. 3 on Dr. Beach’s 10 Most Beautiful Beaches in the Country list in 2022. Fairview Farm at Mecox (19 Horsemill Lane, Bridgehampton, fairviewfarmatmecox.com) offers pick-your-own pumpkins, an 8-acre corn maze and homemade pies. Or wander the Long Pond Greenbelt’s many miles of trails (parking at 1061 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Tpke., Bridgehampton, longpondgreenbelt.org), exploring its wildlife and rare plants.
The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill. Credit: Randee Daddona
Art lovers will appreciate the stunning architecture and impressive exhibits at the area’s outstanding museums. The world-class Parrish Art Museum (275 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill, parrishart.org) has a permanent collection of Hamptons-related artists including Fairfield Porter, Jackson Pollock, and Willem de Kooning. The Church (48 Madison St., Sag Harbor, thechurchsagharbor.org) is a community arts center in a historic Methodist church. The dazzling space, renovated by painters (and local residents) Eric Fischl and April Gornik, hosts innovative exhibitions, concerts and artist talks throughout the year.
FAMILY FUN
Cameron Gallagher, enjoying the books at The Children's Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
If you have young kids in tow, Sag Harbor makes a good home base. There are kid-friendly eateries like LT Burger (62 Main St.) and Sag Pizza (103 Main St.) and a charming toy store called the Wharf Shop (69 Main St.). The Children’s Museum of the East End (reservations required; cmee.org for tickets) and the South Fork Natural History Museum (sofo.org), both with fun and interactive displays, sit across from each other on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike.
Visitors walk on a path from the beach at the Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge in Sag Harbor. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
The Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge (2595 Noyack Rd., Sag Harbor, fws.gov) is a compact and beautiful one and a half-mile-long peninsula with a platform overlooking Noyack Bay, ideal for spotting osprey and other birds. The Clubhouse (174 Daniels Hole Rd., East Hampton, clubhousehamptons.com) is great for a rainy-day emergency, with a deluxe bowling alley offering lane-side drinks and dining, plus a 30-game arcade.
DINNER AND DRINKS
Guests sip wine at Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack. Credit: Randee Daddona
Be sure to take a local beverage break. Welcoming wineries include rosé specialist Wölffer Estate Vineyard (139 Sagg Rd., Sagaponack, wolffer.com) and Channing Daughters Winery (1927 Scuttlehole Rd., Bridgehampton, channingdaughters.com), with its lovely sculpture garden. At Sagaponack Farm Distillery (369 Sagg Rd., Sagaponack, sagaponackfarmdistillery.com), you can sample spirits made from grain and potatoes grown on the farm in a rustic-chic tasting room.
Coconut tres leches cake with coconut custard, strawberries and coconut crumble at Coche Comedor in Amagansett. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
Each Hamptons hamlet has its own standout restaurants. Some favorites, all celebrity-approved: Coche Comedor (74A Montauk Hwy., cochecomedor.com) in Amagansett for upscale Mexican, Cove Hollow Tavern (85 Montauk Hwy., covehollowtavern.com) in East Hampton for eclectic gastropub fare, Calissa (1020 Montauk Hwy, calissahamptons.com) in Water Mill for souvlaki and other Greek specialties, and Union Sushi and Steak (40 Bowden Sq., dineatunion.com) in Southampton for something for everyone.
Outside dining at Calissa in Watermill. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
REST AND RECHARGE
A room at Baker House 1650 in East Hampton. Credit: Baker House 1650
Refresh and rest at a hotel with a spa. Baker House (181 Main St., East Hampton, bakerhouse1650.com), a small hotel in the style of an English manor house, offers the ultimate in privacy — limiting its spa facilities, including a eucalyptus steam shower, soaking Jacuzzi and lovely countercurrent swimming pool, to two guests at a time. Fall room rates start at $460.
This meditation hall is part of the wellness program offered ar Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill. Credit: Fredrika Stjarne | Shou Sugi Ban House
The serene, minimalist Shou Sugi Ban House (337 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill, shousugibanhouse.com) offers infrared and dry saunas, an aromatic steam room and saltwater plunge pools, as well as dozens of spa treatments, and classes in yoga, sound therapy, crystal healing and more. Even in the offseason, be prepared for some Hamptons sticker shock: Weekend rooms at these places in September start at $915 per night. Alternatively, book a massage at Naturopathica Day Spa (74 Montauk Hwy., East Hampton, naturopathica.com) and then sleep at the East Hampton House (226 Pantigo Rd., East Hampton, easthamptonhouseresort.com), an old-school motel refreshed and upgraded in 2021, with rooms starting at $385 per weekend night in September.
