Editorial: Ten fun things you should do this summer

It’s officially summer and the last of our local graduation ceremonies will be held this week. There is no better place to be this time of year than the North Fork.

From the farms to the bay and Sound, every year people flock to this area to enjoy all it has to offer. And those of us who live here year round need to take advantage of our surroundings, too.

We reached out to our colleagues at northforker.com this week to create a summer checklist of must-do activities and experiences for our readers. We hope to see you out here.

• Pridwin’s Wednesday night cookouts on Shelter Island: For $39, you get all the food and light beer you can handle. There’s also chicken, shrimp, ribs, steak and more. Boaters should take advantage of the Pridwin’s free dock space.

• One of the North Fork’s most unique agricultural offerings is Lavender by the Bay in East Marion. The site of a lavender bloom is always something spectacular to see.

• Some negativity has surrounded the Tall Ships event July Fourth weekend in Greenport, but that shouldn’t stop you from attending. These are historic ships traveling the world to visit our port among a select few. They are arriving and you should go.

• Beck, Pharrell Williams, Keith Urban and others will perform at Martha Clara Vineyards Aug. 4-5. That is incredible. These are some of the biggest names in music performing one of their only domestic shows of 2015 in Riverhead. We pick Aug. 4 as the better lineup.

• Dances in the Park returns to Mitchell Park in Greenport July 6 with the Bobby Nathan Band. It continues through August with a diverse lineup of musical acts. This is a great (and free) event.

• Many local fire departments and churches host annual chicken barbecues to raise money and bring the community together. We recommend checking out Cutchogue Fire Department’s annual event (if you can get one of the 3,000 tickets before it sells out) on Aug. 22.

• Downs Farm Preserve in Cutchogue provides one of the most scenic hikes, featuring glimpses of coastal wetlands and nearby McCall Wines. Parking is always free, but be sure to check yourself for ticks and bring plenty of water.

• What would a North Fork summer be without a swim at some of our beautiful town beaches. Don’t have a parking permit? You don’t need one to park at Cedar Beach in Southold.

• You don’t have to sail to the Rock to enjoy Shelter Island’s Crescent Beach fireworks show. Greenport Harbor offers views of this colorful display, which will be held July 11.

• Wine and food go hand in hand and there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy both on the North Fork. During the week, several vineyards host food trucks and live music, like the Twilight Series at Corey Creek. McCall also hosts the North Fork Food Truck on Friday nights featuring the farm’s own grass-fed beef burgers. Don’t like wine? Food trucks and live music on the weekends at Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. in Peconic might be more your speed.