Pride and Pageantry in September: Fire Island and South Shore Things To Do Over the Weekend and the Week Ahead

Saturday, September 12 (3 p.m.) 60th Annual Miss Fire Island Pageant The Ice Palace, 1 Main Walk, Cherry Grove, is thrilled to announce this year’s Miss Fire Island Pageant, featuring hosts Logan Hardcore, 2011 Miss Fire Island, and Ariel Sinclair, 2002 Miss Fire Island. This year’s theme, “There’s No Place Like Home,” is a subtle nod to the classic film The Wizard of Oz. A special All Stars category will feature past pageant winners. Contestants can win up to $3,000 in prizes! Experience the spectacle in person at 3 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit redeyetickets.com/events/miss-fire-island-pageant-2026. Sunday, September 13 (1 p.m.) Miss Isle of Fire Contest The 6th Annual Miss Isle of Fire contest will be held at The Island Mermaid, 780 Bay Walk, Ocean Beach. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., and the show begins at 1 p.m. Whether you’re a fan or a first-timer, this event is all about good vibes and great company. Spend the afternoon cheering on your favorites and soaking up every minute of the action! This fun, fierce competition costs $55 per person. For tickets and more information, call (631) 583-8088.

September 11-13 Trans Celebration Weekend Queer Grove, a volunteer initiative founded by Parker Sargent in the LGBTQIA+ haven of Cherry Grove, will host the annual Trans Celebration Weekend in Cherry Grove, Fire Island. The weekend brings the community together to celebrate, educate, and entertain, with dazzling events and activities that’ll interest and inspire every attendee. […]

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Honoring the Mighty Oyster in Bellport Waters

“There were many an oyster piled up on the Friends of Bellport Bay (FoBB) vessel that a couple of us had to get off the boat,” said volunteer Neil Koenig. “All the cages were emptied.”

“There were many an oyster piled up on the Friends of Bellport Bay (FoBB) vessel that a couple of us had to get off the boat,” said volunteer Neil Koenig. “All the cages were emptied.” Just before noon, the FoBB team, led by co-founder Thomas Schultz, was heading back to the Bellport marina with 140,000 […]

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Couple builds company on Central American roots

Nelson Hernández (L.) and Isabel Ramos (R.) of Nelson & Isa Lácteos.
LI Press

About 45 years ago, Nelson Hernández, as a boy in El Salvador, helped his grandmother make Central American cheese the old-fashioned way. It’s a craft he still associates with his childhood, although lately he runs a company based in Bay Shore, providing Central American cheeses to thousands of customers. “I was a young kid.…

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What Lies Beneath the Tryst: Land, the Legacy, and the Unfinished Future of Fire Island Pines Harbor

For more than two summers, residents and visitors in Fire Island Pines have looked across the harbor and wondered the same thing: What is happening with the old Botel?

For more than two summers, residents and visitors in Fire Island Pines have looked across the harbor and wondered the same thing: What is happening with the old Botel? The answer may be more complicated than a delayed hotel renovation. In 2024, hospitality entrepreneur Tristan Schukraft acquired roughly 75% of the community’s commercial district, including […]

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25 Years: September 11 Memorial Events Along South Shore Long Island

All ceremonies will take place on Friday, September 11, 2026.

All ceremonies will take place on Friday, September 11, 2026. Babylon Town: The Town of Babylon and the Town of Babylon Fire Chief’s Association will host the 25th-anniversary memorial ceremony for September 11, 2001, honoring Babylon residents and all who lost their lives that day at the 9/11 Hometown Memorial between Overlook and Cedar Beach […]

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Seatuck’s new Coastal Research and Innovation Center coming to West Savyille

The new Seatuck facility will be at this building in West Sayville.
LI Press

The Seatuck Coastal Restoration and Innovation Center will celebrate the grand opening of its newest facility in West Sayville on Sept. 16. The new facility, dubbed the Seatuck Coastal Restoration and Innovation Center, will serve to “advance protection and restoration efforts of coastal and estuarine ecosystems across Long Island.” Following its opening, the center…

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Transporting the Students of Fire Island School District

For Fire Island, after the tens of thousands of residents leave following Labor Day, the island maintains an estimated 300 to 400 year-round residents. Braving the isolated winter months for the tranquility of ocean waves and salt air, families enjoy a car-free island life. Their children, 40 in total, benefit from one of the lowest teacher-to-student ratios in New York, guaranteeing the most personalized education a public school can offer.

The days are growing shorter, and the first cool breezes of fall are upon us. Parents are celebrating, while kids mourn the end of summer and face the inevitable back-to-school season. Within Long Island’s 124 school districts, a handful qualify as micro districts. Remsenburg-Speonk, Sagaponack, Fisher Island, and Fire Island have fewer than 200 students […]

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Meet the Fire ISland News Cover Artist: Jane Corbellini

In our last issue of Fire Island News, our cover art featured an image of Davis Park Ferry’s vessel, Kiki, arriving at shore on Fire Island. In this issue, a painting of Kiki shows the vessel departing Fire Island and heading back across the Great South Bay. Victoria Schneps, Founder of Schneps Media, personally chose the cover artwork. She had long been searching for an image of a ferry making the journey back home to the mainland to close out our summer season. Jane Corbellini delivered exactly what she was looking for—with both technical skill and grace.

In our last issue of Fire Island News, our cover art featured an image of Davis Park Ferry’s vessel, Kiki, arriving at shore on Fire Island. In this issue, a painting of Kiki shows the vessel departing Fire Island and heading back across the Great South Bay. Victoria Schneps, Founder of Schneps Media, personally chose […]

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