Dances in the Park to return to Greenport in August; pair of ships will visit in June

Last year, the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench into most summer plans, but events are making a comeback in 2021.

At a village work session Thursday, officials outlined a tentative schedule of events, including the return of the popular Dances in the Park concert series in August.

“We thought we would start a little bit slowly this year while we reopen,” said village Clerk Sylvia Pirillo, announcing an abbreviated Dances in the Park schedule that will run on Monday nights from August 2 through August 30.

Friday nights in Mitchell Park will also be musical with the Greenport Band expected to make a return from July 2 through Labor Day weekend.

Tall ship Nao Santa María, which last visited Greenport in the fall of 2019, is also planning to return from June 17 to 20, Ms. Pirillo said.

“They will be in contact with the school as they were last time, offering free tours and a little bit of a history lesson for the kids,” she said, adding that there’s plenty of space in the marina for those dates to work.

After making a brief pit stop in Greenport last summer, a specially fitted catamaran called the Impossible Dream is expected to dock in the village from June 30 to July 2.

Village officials agreed to waive dockage fees for the vessel, which offers accessible cruises to those with disabilities.

“It’s a really good idea and a positive thing,” Mayor George Hubbard Jr. said Thursday, asking village residents to help spread the word to those that may benefit from the two-hour excursions whose costs are covered by the Impossible Dream Foundation.

Its owners, Rob Klein and Steve Baker, are expected to make a presentation to village board members during a meeting Thursday, May 27.