Once again... Happy 2010 Summer TO YOU from "The Hamptons".com! We continue to offer you cool video bytes from grandiose parties in and around The Hamptons as always!! Here's a taste of some of the finest galas and benefits of the season so you can scope it out and maybe get a ticket to the next biggie on our 2010 calendar - or find yourself in it : ) For those who are visiting we have a handy list of restaurants & night clubs...so be sure to bookmark those pages for easy reference to all the best spots to eat, drink and be merry...and for a nightcap & dancing we have a nightlife page! Montauk seems to be making a big splash on the scene these days and is fast becoming the hip hampton - once sort of secluded and protected but now has one place after another opening as the new faves of celebs and city dwellers. It's always been a tourist destination as the tip of Long Island and a secret spot for local surfers but is taking on a new shine - maybe the dream to make it Miami of the north is finally coming true...not sure if that's good or bad but Montauk is a special landmark in our great state of New York! Navy Beach JUST opened in May and is a casual restaurant & bar on a generous beach serving coastal cuisine & comfort food and is getting rave reviews from all the media. Combine it with a visit to Cyril's for some lobster & reggae or some of the great old original pubs and a stay at the Montauk Yacht Club or the Memory Motel and you're all set for a sweet experience for any budget! Another ultimate destination is Michael Gluckman's restaurant The Boathouse boasting stunning sunsets over Three Mile Harbor and close proximity to Harbor Marina so you c a n just pull up on your boat. Our video index has exploded into five p a g e s of videos featuring a library of summer parties in the Hamptons. Do preview our previous party pages...and if you need to get the most current Adobe flash player to play these videos, it's free and fast to install!! We encourage you to use firefox as a browser - it's a snap to download...it makes everything look just right : ) Follow us on twitter if you like updates...@hamptonsmedia...bookmark this page too so you can keep up with all the best events in The Hamptons! For LARGER size viewing check out our video index pages in the bigger flash player.

MD weekend was abosolutely gorgeous and cooperated with everyone's big holiday plans!! This year Cooper's Beach in Southampton made it all the way to the top of the list for best beaches and is ranked #one in AMERICA! That made it even more special for the annual family kite fly to promote lung cancer awareness and there was even a You Buy It We Fly It option this summer. Out in Montauk was a Fine Arts Festival hosted by the Chamber for more daytime fun but the more elegant ones held during the evening were A Safari Summer! Southampton Hospital's Annual Memorial Day Weekend Party in Westhampton and then the big Hamptons Magazine bash to open the summer with Mariska Hargitay from Law & Order fame as guest of honor. Over at Southampton Inn's MD bbq they seemed to have picked up some extra security via VP Joe Biden's security force who were staked out poolside! The inn's innovative take on barbeque fare included All American Spare Ribs, Sliced Sirloin with Wolffer Etate Merlot Demi-Glace, and Long Island Little Neck Clams with Valencia Fruit Broth - now how's THAT for tasty local twist?! Local drumming sensation Dan Bailey was playing out at Navy Beach on Saturday night and he's REALLY good but you can catch him on a Monday night on the beach in Sagaponack if you missed it. Lily Pond opened the season with The Camel Rider and then superstar Paul Oakenfold but you absolutely must put both Stephen Talkhouse & WHPAC on your roster for great performances throughout the year!! Social Life is the other glossy magazine who hosted an exclusive party with Matt Lanter (90210) and Sara Canning (Vampire Diaries) who graced the MD cover. The T-Bar at Savanna's was buzzing the big MD weekend too as big-name patrons walked in to celebrate the start of summer in style. Spotted enjoying the patio garden and The Hamptons A-list scene included Giants' QB Eli Manning withwife Abby, actor Alan Alda with Inside the Actor's Studio's James Lipton, FOX's Rosanna Scotto, Real Housewives of New York's Mario & Ramona Singer and Hamptons Magazine cover girl Mariska Hargitay with a large group including Hamptons Magazine's Publisher Jason Binn. My old time favorite though remains Pandy, Yves & Yvie's at their gracious home open to an old guard mix and locals of ALL ages! This year a lovely quartet of violinists played in the front hall as you entered and were greeted by old friends and family en route towards the enormous bar & past the lavish buffet PLUS a wealth of hors d'oeuvres in the garden and the new Moroccan style poolside bar!

Junerolled in more like September but was a welcome respite from the normal heat waves. The unusually summery spring weather warmed up the ocean to make it more like late June and easier for darting in & out! The 18th annual Decorators-Designers-Dealer's humungous preview sale cocktail party for the Fresh Air Home is ALWAYS an overwhelming success because all the items are high quality and in very good taste and practically brand new! What an amazing evolution from the old rummage sale our family used to make us volunteer at w/them as kids! The Maidstone Club in East Hampton had a special Gospel Benefit for the Bridgehampton Child Care & Rec Center called Songs of Solomon w/ Dan Rattiner & Kaycee Freed Jennings as co-chairs! The choral youth ensemble is from Harlem and was led by Chantel Renee Wright and have performed all over the US and in South Africa. We were lucky enough to attend the Opening Night Performance of Peter Shaffer's acclaimed play EQUUS sponsored in part by Guild Hall and c/of The Maidstone - the evening began though with cocktails and a light supper at the lovely Clifford-Levy home in East Hampton. The John Drew Theater offered guest premium orchestra seating for a close-up view of Alex Baldwin starring with Sam Underwood & Georgia Warner who all gave brilliant performances. Powerful, disturbing, provocative and rather riske for old guard East Hampton but certainly a stunning LOCAL cast for such a moving adaptation of the original play. There was a VIP Meet & Greet invitation for the Cast & Crew Party following the show along with a nice supper in the garden! East End Hospice is desperately trying to build a proper center for our community and they had a really lovely cocktail party & auction on Ram Island at Olivia McCrossin's - Shelter Island is so full of charm that every time I'm over there I think it'd be the perfect place to live except I'd ALWAYS be missing the ferry! The community came together at Ziggy's for Stephanie Crispinelli who was killed in January's earthquake while on a humanitarian mission to Haiti w/ her schoolmates from Lynn University. Her bestest friend Serina Peddy organized a very special benefit Love Lost in Haiti for stephaniesmission.org with Dan Bailey & Living Rhythm for live music along with a raffle & auction.

Landscape Pleasures is an annual two-day horticulture event that kicks off Parrish Art Museum's fundraising roster (well really...it's the Spring Fling : ) and this year featured at the symposium gardener Barbara Damrosch, renowned artist April Gornik and writer and editor Dominique Browning. Southampton Village gardens on the tour belonged to Lillian and Joel Cohen, Audrey and Martin Gruss, Martha McLanahan, Liz and Damon Mezzacappa, and Hilary and Wilbur Ross. Co-Chairs for this year's event were Lillian Cohen, Perry Guillot and Marty McLanahan. Alex Kuczynski and Charlie Stevenson hosted to private cocktail party afterwards at their home in the village. Now some weekends are just WAYYY bigger then others and the 19th was one of them...we got to as many as we could to snag you a little soupcon of these extravanganzas! At the top of our list was Group for the East End's GREEN Gala at Wolffer's highlighting local produce, products and production of OUR East End - through a farm-to-table approach with the farmers, growers and chefs who utilize and promote our fabulous East End bounty. Celebrity chefs James Carpenter, Tom Schaudel, Michael Ross, and Brian Fishman as they created a three-course dinner featuring phenomenal food from farms in the East End paired with wines from Wolffer. An exciting array of green-focused auction items encouraged guests to give green to go green. Henry Haid and the Only In America Band entertained and prompted everyone to get out on the dance floor for a full evening of enjoyment!! Then it was over to Ross for their annual Starlight Club Benefit featuring Motown Live Performances by The Miracles, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and Junior Walker's Allstar Band! Anke and Juergen Friedrich, Anne Hearst McInerney & Jay McInerney chaired this awesome event. After that it was off to the 10th Annual God's Love We Deliver for Midsummer Night Drinks and more out of this world appetizers ; ) Chad Leat hosted it at his place The Barnyard which has to be one of the most original interior design spectaculars out here! Once inside "the barn" it was a surprise of fresh, modern COLORFUL and cozy combinations...and we all got to go home with Bumble & Bumble in the super generous goody bags!

The following weekend was another jam-packed event megathon with Hands Across the Sand leading off the morning at Ditch Plains in Montauk to promote protection of our coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife and the fishing industry. The Southampton Press did a front cover feature of it so be sure to check it out. L. Londell Mcmillan was feted by the Reginal F. Lewis Foundation at their 3rd annual gala luncheon in East Hampton at the Lewis estate and it kept ON GOING...with a Young Professionals Beach Glamour Benefit afterwards for the younger set! Sponsored by American Express, Bloomberg, Black Entertainment Television, Belvedere, Kate's Paperie, The Camelot Group and GenNx360 Capital Partners - it featured performances by R&B singer Deborah Cox and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. WCBS-TV News Anchor Maurice DuBois served as emcee and we have had to actually convert it to TWO movie clips so you could appreciate the dance sequence separately. L. Londell McMillan, partner and co-head of the Media and Entertainment Global Industry Sector at the international law firm of Dewey and LeBoeuf received this year's award which honors African American entrepreneurs who succeeded internationally in business before the age of 50, as Lewis did. The first African American to build a billion-dollar company, Lewis led the largest leveraged buyout in the 1980s. He went on to shatter all expectations and inspire future generations of African American entrepreneurs. Then it was over to the Benson Keyes Arts season opening in Southampton who was presenting some local GREATS Bruce Lieberman, John Pomianowski and Jamie Depasquale (who used to assist Roy Lichtenstein privately) - for a sense of the quality of these artists : ) Julie Keyes & Kimberly Goff whose mother owned the legendary Elaine Benson Gallery in Bridgehampton for years & years have a whole roster of talent scheduled for the entire season so be sure to get on their mailing list pronto!! We hope you didn't miss 21 Women - the annual art exhibition opening bash for an all woman show: Paintings, Sculpture & Photography in East Hampton with local music, dancing, beer, wine & food - celebrating these awesome LOCAL WOMEN ARTISTS!

In between local art exhibitions, elegant garden tours like Parrish & ARF and top notch antique shows like Bridgehampton Historical Society's annual on Corwith Farm...oh and the BEACH & ocean...and maybe a yacht or two ; ) we helped rally for The Retreat at their 15th Annual Artists Against Abuse Gala with Shannen Doherty as celebrity host...I don't think one can de-emphasize the importance of this nonprofit organization, founded in 1987, whose mission is to provide safety, shelter and support for victims of domestic abuse and to break the cycle of family violence - and it happens to all ages, all social classes and all races & religions...so that person sitting next to you could perhaps use your help w/out having to tell you. As always the Nature Conservancy hosted the Beaches & Bays Gala in an idyllic setting - this year it was at Center for Conservation with just as many people OR MORE dancing to the music of Peter Duchin and eating "glorious food" - no pun intended ; ) Hayground School hosted Heart of the Hamptons Ball co-chaired by Dr. & Mrs. Wayne Isom, Mr. & Mrs. Justin Kennedy, Mr. & Mrs. Reuben Mark honored Dr. Karl Krieger with the Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding work as the Vice Chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Heart Hero Award was presented to Philip H. Geier, Jr., a heart transplant survivor who has made significant heart-health changes in his life. Cleverly themed Turn The Beat Around friends and colleagues from NYC, Long Island and the Hamptons all enjoyed eating delicious heart healthy foods, drinking yummy local wines and dancing till the wee hours of the night under the red-lit white tent!

SAME NIGHT...but no less worthy an event was Casablanca Nights - the summer gala for East End Hospice. I doubt there's anyone whose family hasn't needed this selfless fleet of angels in the midst of family despair. Seriously there are a few weekends that there's barely enough time to get between Quogue and Montauk in one night let alone one evening!! However party-hardy minds get the job done! We couldn't possible miss the Phoenix House Summer Party hosted by Margie & Michael Loeb at their Southampton oceanfront estate honoring none other then Tony DiSanto, President of Programming for MTV, Charlie Walk the former President of EPIC Records & Sony Music with his wife Lauran. Honorary Chairs were Randy Jackson of American Idol fame, Brett Ratner and Heide Banks. Other guests included actor, comedian, rapper, and television personality Nick Cannon, the cast of The Jersey Shore, actress Kate Walsh - so how's that for a formidable group of support?! Kudos to Linda Shapiro for another A+ summer event!!! We were so excited that Randy and Nick and a few others stopped to say hi to "the hamptons".com - and really what a month June turned out to be for charity events despite an economic roller coaster! These last couple of years it appears that there's no shortage of generosity abounding in the hamptons and if anything more and more major events are springing up each summer then ever before - AND raising tens of millions of dollars. We are going to tally up those profits and give you the report shortly.

July's first weekend paired up perfectly with July 4th this season but it pushed Southampton's parade into Monday which is was sort of odd but paved the way right through Sunday for lots of family picnics & backyard or better yet b e a c h bbqs. Loads of private parties marked social calendars for the 4th instead of tons of benefits which made for warm visits with old pals & real friends and family. Graduation parties too were going on all over the east end since most schools only let out the last week of June! Friday evening kicked off the celebration down on Meadow Lane with Grucci fireworks to benefit the Southampton Fresh Air Home and anyone on a boat in the bay or pulled over on the side of the road got a real treat...the traffic leaving the party always makes you realize just how many people DID go to see the annual sensation by Grucci! One of the nicest old Southampton galas also purposely scheduled for Independence Day and that was the Southampton Historical Museum's annual for the Halsey House! In full dress costume men & women reenacted some of the old customs to the delight of those present for cocktails & classic Long Island fare. On a more media score, the two glossy faves out here hosted in house parties to commemorate the holiday weekend. At Axe Lounge in Southampton Hamptons magazine publisher Jason Binn & his pretty wife Haley were entertaining with Samantha Yanks along with Hugo Boss AND Gossip Girls' Matthew Settle who graced the holiday issue cover. Kelly Killoren Bensimon invited a large group to celebrate her July 4th Cover with Social Life magazine at the private home of publisher Justin Mitchell the next night.

Continuing the July merry-go-round of parties the second weekend made up for the lack of big benefits on the fourth and there were twice as many on Saturday night! ArtHamptons opened the weekend up with an incredible show of interest and support - it looked almost as crowded as the Hampton Classic! Once inside it all made sense because the collection of high quality exhibits was beyond imagination as you'll see in our video clip and people were dressed to the nines for the gala opening to benefit the Longhouse Reserve in East Hampton. Known as "A mini Art-Basel" in The Hamptons - this international fine art fair has become the hamptons' art buying event of the year. Over 80+ revered galleries held exhibitions sponsored by Hamptons Cottages & Gardens magazine and it is surely going to grow into a much larger event and could very well become epic out here like the Hampton Classic! The other up & coming cultural event which opened this weekend is the Hamptons Music Festival which runs for 10 days every summer under a festive tent with outstanding programs and musicians to match. It is orchestrated by Eleanor Sage Leonard who is the president & founder.

East Hampton's Indoor Tennis Club was a perfect location for Project Most's A Taste of Land & Sea featuring the Nancy Atlas Project because of its casual ambiance accompanied by "Great Tastings", an open bar, classic local wines, a raw Bar & coffee/espresso...and when we say g r e a t tastings we mean the 1770 House, Art of Eating, Della Femina, Dreesen's, Nick & Toni's, Hampton Coffee Company, Channing Daughters and the list goes on...we got more then a taste of the Nancy Atlas Project doing some great cover songs for you to get a flavor of one of our most popular local bands in the hamptons. For the record, Project MOST is committed to building on the strengths of our children by providing kids a range of academic support, enrichment activities, physical exercise and positive social development everyday after school - and that goes right to the heart of the community. As quoted by the executive director "Rasing childen happens within the context of a family. But families flourish within the context of a community." The Spring Seedlings connects the day school and after school in a very special way. Then it was over to the Rogers Mansionon for Shecky's Girl's Day Out to shop for fashion and accessories and sample fabulous products and services while benefiting the Southampton Historical Museum! Now a little bit about the museum - the Society acquired the Rogers Mansion, built in 1843, and exhibited furnishings donated by local families. During that decade the Society acquired and restored two historical properties with the help of Southampton summer resident Henry Frances DuPont - the Thomas Halsey Homestead, built in 1660 (my parents were the last to rent the house before it was turned into a museum!) and the Elias Pelletreau Shop buil in 1686. After extensive restorations, the buildings were open to the public during the summer months with exhibits of colonial-era furnishings and tools. Growing up the Doll Exhibit was always a favorite! Now the property has 12 historical structures and even an old one-room schoolhouse. These benefits are crucial to helping the upkeep for the Society's properties so come join as a member and attend some of the great parties and programs they have on their roster year round. Both the Bridgehampton Historical Society and the East Hampton Historical Society are just as valuable and interesting - Southampton though was the first settlement in New York so steeped in rich history that spans eastward and westward. However it must be noted that the Shinnecock Indians were here even BEFORE that and are the real backbone of our east end along with the Montauket Tribe.

Onto the first annual SPLASH for OCEANA debuting in The Hamptons at the very pretty home of Lois Robbins and Andrew Zaro in Watermill. It was an inaugural event to celebrate the oceans and the work of Oceana with ocean advocates and Oceana board members Ted Danson and Sam Waterston along with Jeff Goldblum. It was such a gorgeous night with the pink & golden sunset overlooking Scott Cameron Beach on Mecox Bay while Jackson Browne gave a private performance! "The Hamptons 'Splash' is more than an introduction of Oceana to the Hamptons community," said event co-chair Susan Cohn Rockefeller. "We're bringing together a coastal community and making its residents more active stewards for the oceans to ensure it is there in the healthiest way for our children and grandchildren." Given what's going on with BP every one of their speeches hit home w/special relevance. The Southampton Rose Society Cocktail Party aptly called American Beauty was held over at Little Orchard on Great Plains at the home of Joan and Bernard Carl. It's a biennial cocktail party fundraiser which supports both SRS Rose Garden and the Beautification Program Endowment Fund which educates children and the public about gardening and design - specifically the highly prized rose. The lovely waterfront property has its own prize rose gardens which made a perfect landscape for the party as guests strolled the gardens. Now to give you a preview of An Enchanted Evening Southampton Hospital's 52nd Annual Summer Party we took a little video at the President's Committee Reception hosted by Bill Finneran at his house "Las Casitas" on Gin Lane where we saw lots of familiar faces!

At the very same time the Parrish Art Museum was holding their annual summer gala in the garden honoring Beth Rudin DeWoody and Ross Bleckner. They are breaking ground this week for the new Parrish so every bit of effort went into planning this mega fundraiser. The Parrish Art Museum is one of our oldest and most revered cultural pillars of our community so they have an incredible board who know how to put together a powerful guest list and also make it viral amongst the younger set. The after hours party is as massive a crowd as the dinner portion but another age set w/another spectrum of entertainment & music ; ) Nina Madison is Special Events director and is a pro at pulling off miracles for the museum. Next we darted over Luna Farm - a private horse farm - for the Love Heals 11th annual party sponsored by SONY make.believe : ) It benefits the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education and was co-hosted by Peter Davis and Mary Alice Stephenson. This year's theme of "A Picture Perfect Summer" included a silent auction, cocktails, dancing, and southern style barbeque courtesy of Deforest Gibbs of Charleston, South Carolina. It was very cool because the images were taken w/the new SONY NEX cameras and projected real time onto the ceiling of the tent with Lady Gaga blasting on the dance floor!! Other happenings were the Hampton Tea Dance on the gay pride agenda and Summer Mardi Gras! a benefit for Family Counseling Services on the Great Lawn in Westhampton Beach. We snapped some photos for a glimpse of the tea dance but couldn't get over in time for the 4th Annual Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Breath of the Hamptons in Bridgehampton at the home of Jeffrey Altman - however we heard through the grapevine it was every bit as much family fun as previous years with a buffet dinner by Fresh Flavors, live music and games for kids of all ages.

Conversation, Comedy, Coffee (and Mimosa Moments ; ) with Joy Behar & Meredith Vieira produced and moderated by Angela Lagreca topped off a fabulous weekend with a special Guild Hall benefit brunch! Fast friends, former co-workers, and two of America's leading on-air voices reunited for a special morning coffee talk to benefit GH. Joy Behar is a comedian, and star of The Joy Behar Show on HLN. She has been a Co-Host of ABC-TV's "The View" since 1997. Meredith Vieira is the co-anchor of NBC's "Today" show and host of "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire" on ABC. For 9 years she was a co-host and moderator at "The View". Angela LaGreca is a comedian, and producer at NBC's Today show. For 9 years she worked at "The View", first as the audience warm-up personality and then as a writer. A garden buffet lunch accompanied the opportunity to meet and chat with these star ladies who were most gracious about photo opps and surprisingly warm & generous with hugs! Guild Hall has really made a huge leap in programming and with support from the Tarr family presented the first Hamptons Institute, a weekend symposium featuring thought leaders in their fields discussing hot topics and stimulating ideas that shape our community and our world. The VIP dinner was given by Leila and Mickey Straus for Panelists, Fellows and Sponsors.

Five beautiful private residences in Westhampton Beach and Quoque were showcased in a novel fashion - local artists painting plein air were paired with featured gardens all in festive summer blossom for Westhampton Garden Club's Art in Bloom House and Garden Tour. Mary J. Post and Deborah Shishido were committee chairs for the Quogue Wildlife Refuge's 4th summer gala appropriately themed Wild Night for Wildlife. Animals were being touted all over the east end as this weekend also marked the 2nd Annual Martinins for Mutts on Toppings Path in Sagaponack to save animals from kill shelters. East End Hospice held an elegant luncheon at Stone Creek Inn along with a fashion show w/ Emcee Bonni Grice, Radio Personality at WLIU in East Quogue making it a very busy week indeed west of the canal! East End Hospice is making a big push for building a proper center for OUR community so those angels can take care of our loved ones in the best, possible way. Having said that : ) another ingenious benefit at Ross presented a super impressive list of artists to help raise funds at the 10th Annual Box Art who were each given either a cigar box or a wine box to be auctioned off later. More then 75 artists participated including such greats as Louise Bourgeois, Peter Bynum, James Croak, Roberto Dutesco, Jimmy Ernst, April Gornik, John Hultberg, Bryan Hunt, Claes Oldenburg, Kryn Olson, Robert Rauschenburg, Denise Regan, Dan Rizzie, Frank Stella, John Torreano, Michael Viera and Gavin Ziegler. We stopped by ROCK THE DOCK FOR BAY STREET! t h e summer gala benefit for the Bay Street Theatre with hosts Joy Behar of The View & Headline News & Mario Cantone of Sex and the City. Always such gorgeous decor in the enormous tent covering pretty much the entire Long Wharf! A top notch auction, lively cocktail party followed by a sit-down-dinner and dancing to the live music DJ Tom Finn ("The King of Spin" - Avenue Magazine) and Escola de Samba BOOM played out the evening for those great supporters of our local theatre!

POLO matches at Two Trees marked the opening season of the Mercedes-Benz Bridgehampton Polo Challenge with SWAGG Mobile Application Lounge at Blue Star Jets Field. The sport's greatest athletes compete for one of polo's most treasured prizes. Returning as well will be some of the East End's most high-profile and influential audience of V.I.P's, celebrities and media. Season partners include: Mercedes-Benz, SWAGG, Blue Star Jets, Ralph Lauren, Patron, La Societe Stella Artois, Smart Water, Pop Chips, Coca-Cola, Bertaud Belieu Wines, Jarlsberg cheese, Zino Platinum Cigars, Crumbs Cupcakes and Bakery, Financial Times, Susan Foster Jewelry and Hamptons Magazine. We also stopped by The Champions of Education tent to chat with MacDella Cooper about her MCF Academy opening this fall to house and educate 200 children. It will be the first school dedicated to orphan and abandoned children in post-war Liberia to be founded by a female refugee of the civil war. The benefit sponsored by The Segal Family Foundation and Argentine Estate Winery Dona Paula continued on into the evening with a private red carpet dinner reception at Erika & Kelley Millet's home with some of the celebrity NYC Housewives. Back at polo Keeping Up With The Kardashians Kourtney Kardashian and boyfriend Scott Disick were the big draw for people-watching. New York & New Jersey Housewives were seen & heard as was model Amber Rose and NBA All-Star & Miami Heat newbie Chris Bosh opening day of the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge. In Southampton Hamburg Kennedy Salon had a special opening with Elliott Erwitt hosted by Fabiola Beracasa, Fernanda Niven and Melody Weir and was the first of a series to benefit ARF. Unconditional LOVE hosted by Liz Brown at her beautiful oceanfront home along with Honorary Chairpersons Bruce Weber & Nan Bush offered up drinks & bites to benefit the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation. Bernadette Peters was honoree and was sporting her dogs Kramer & Stella! We shot out to East Hampton to get to Russell Simmons' in time for his garden party benefit for Art for Life- this year honoring Deepak Chopra and Allison & Chip Brady. "Summer White with a Splash of Color" was written on the invitation for attire and added some extra pizzazz to this now infamous event for incredible imagination and star power. The temps were brutally high but even in spite of the heat all events carried on with full attendance and mega media coverage!! Holy Moley - the amount of press descended upon our quaint little hamlets to catch a photo opp of some of these celebrities is tantamount to Hollywood. Please lighten up and give the locals some s p a c e and local media respect!! Forbes, WSJ, New York Times, People mag...it's endless - didn't you celebs land in "the hamptons" for the country charm? ; )

This summer's Hampton Designer Showhouse on Stoney Hill Road in Sag Harbor began with a gala preview party sponsored by Traditional Home magazine featuring over 25 top interior designers and decorative artists. The show runs right through Labor Day and there's some really fabulous interior design to be found in each of those rooms - a favorite was the kitchen where we found l o v e l y B. Smith and her hubby. This again was one of those jam packed Saturday nights with so many huge AND worthy benefits all at the same time - have a look at our calendar! We did manage to get to a good deal of them so in between CMEE Under the Sea! Summer Family Fair, Bridgehampton Polo, Champions of Education Benefit, Hamburg Kennedy Southampton Salon Opening, Unconditional LOVE, 11th Annual ART For Life, Hampton Designer Showhouse Gala Preview Party, The Perlman Music Program Annual Summer Benefit and the Water Mill Center summer gala we d i d get to the Chefs & Champagne GALA at Wolffers Vineyard and OMG if you love gourmet bites paired with the very best local wines this is one that DEFINITELY has got to be on your calendar from here on out!! Seriously for gourmands and wine lovers - it's such a nice opportunity to stop station by station for a bite size taste of each of the delicacies prepared by over 30 top chefs. It is James Beard Foundation's annual summer gala that is ALWAYS a sumptuous tasting party featuring flowing champagne, wines of Wolffer Estate Vineyard, a fine silent auction and live music to soothe your palate. Guest of honor was none other then local East Hamptonite Martha Stewart! Rock the Hamptons also known as Rock the Farm rounded out the evening with some real live rock n'roll at Ocean View Farm in Amagansett to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. Hosted by The Giving Tree Band and featuring the Ilo Ferreira Band plus a classic country bbq and open bar it was packed to the gills even late into the night so it made for a perfect end to a wonderful summer weekend : )

Midweek the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival began with a free outdoor concert of Russian masterpieces just across the street from everyone's favorite Candy Kitchen : ) The festival runs right through August 22nd so make sure to get to one of the special programs or join the Board of Directors at the Atlantic Golf Club for a concert that celebrates dance through the ages and an elaborate dinner. The Ladies Village Improvement Society of East Hampton celebrated 114 years with their annual old fashioned village fair starting w a y back in 1896!!! The popular designer sale better known as Super Saturday held its 13th event in Bridgehampton at Novah's Ark Project pulling in a whopping $3.3 MILLION dollars - it would surely be safe to say it's gotta be one of THE most profitable benefits of the season out here. Just a hop, skip & a jump away week two of POLO matches was playing out on the Blue Star Jets field with Black Watch teamed up against Heathcote for an exciting match-up under MUCH cooler circumstances making for a very pleasant afternoon. Gossip Girl's Michelle Trachtenberg and star polo player Nicolas Roldan were spotted hanging out at the SWAGG Mobile Application Lounge at Blue Star Jets Field. It was a nice way to start before ACRIA's Cocktail at Sunset sponsored by Vanity Fair and Steven Klein. Ross Bleckner, Jeff Koons, Eric Fischl, Donald Baechler, Ross Bleckner, Jeff Koons, Eric Fischl, Donald Baechler at the home of renowned fashion photographer Steven Klein. Steven has another big annual party coming up at his horse farm: HEAT to benefit the Breast Health Center at Southampton Hospital. Next it was on to Planned Parenthood at Michael and Andrea Gordon's modern spectacular - the enormous teak dining table with benches by the outdoor fire was outstanding in design and appeared to be their children's favorite spot for a family photograph! You might have heard of Bumble & Bumble?! After that we made it just in time for the ARF Beach Ball at the B & T in Bridgehampton - every party seemed to be in Bridgehampton which sure made it a heck of a lot easier to map out our event coverage!! We were greeted by two a d o r a b l e lab mix puppies which took our minds off the two little scoundrels we saw scampering down Midocean Road as if they were on a mad dash to get the hell out of there! No one seemed to lay claim to them so they must be part of the hood : ) We didn't notice them again on our way to Wolffer's for the Fighting Chance Summer Benefit that Duncan Darrow had much to do with - he was brilliant in orchestrating a magnificent event in a very special vineyard environment making you feel like you were across the ocean in Europe somewhere. Just the combination of colors from the cobalt blue glasses and the burnt orange table cloths against the well lit vines on THAT stone veranda was incredible!! Fighting Chance is helping people on the East End who are coping with cancer. Tiffany & Company sponsored this year's silent auction : ) Loaves & Fishes, Cavaniola's Gourmet and Round Swamp Farm provided hors d'oeuvres and dinner and The Lone Sharks played some great sets to get everyone dancing!

Bridgehampton got a burst of exotic color and samba with the opening of the much anticipated JOGO BY POONEH boutique which is fast becoming the de rigueur stop-in for chic Hamptonites and visitors alike. From the white pickled floor to the airy ceilings and soothing but upbeat bossa nova and samba rhythms, lucky guests were transported to another kind of beach where beauty, imagination and playfulness reigned as lithe models in jewel toned bikinis adorned with gilt buckles and ornaments played "Jogo beachball" ("Jogo" means "play/game" in Portuguese). Hosted by Haley Binn, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Susan Shin, the opening celebration also was the kick-off for the Best Buddies Gala that will be held August 21 at the home of Anne Hearst and Jay McInerney. A generous portion of proceeds from the evening was donated to the organization, whose mission is to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "JOGO BY POONEH is a celebration of passion for life, color, opportunity and for giving back," explained owner Pooneh Mohazzabi. So stop by JOGO BY POONEH Boutique located at 2462 Main Street in Bridgehampton if you want to find you want shop their beach lifestyle collection of items made and found only in Bali, Brazil and other exotic places around the world. Now to give you a preview of An Enchanted Evening Southampton Hospital's 52nd Annual Summer Party we took a little video at the President's Committee Reception hosted by Bill Finneran at his house "Las Casitas" on Gin Lane where we saw lots of familiar faces!

August! Farms & Fields was the big treat for all those who stayed out longer on Sunday night because it was Peconic Land Trust's exceptional gala over at the old Salms estate down by Cow's Neck. It's just SO protected and magical by Conscience Point because that peninsula was saved long ago from development so there couldn't be a more perfect spot for a benefit to save MORE land. A real celebration of land conservation at The Port of Missing Men - the historic hunting lodge on Scallop Pond!! After a little more POLO on Saturday it was off to An Enchanted Evening under a great white tent designed by Tony Urrutia and a great, big, starry summer sky! Plenty of stars inside too - Governor Paterson attended as did the mayor of Southampton and loads of other notables from the community. It was the fifty-second summer benefit for our Southampton Hospital - the ONLY hospital on the east end so it IS crucial to raise funds and keep it cutting edge. The hospital has apparently turned the corner and is moving forward now with renovations and a brand new emergency wing. The hospital has tried hard to keep pace with the enormous growth out here in the hamptons and with a new board in place seems to be accomplishing the agenda. Governor and Mrs. Patterson, Jenny and John Paulson and event chair Jean Shafiroff welcomed more than 1000 guests! Barclay's Wealth served as Honorary Corporate Chair and Tiffany & Company served as Honorary Jewelry Chair for the event which raised a historic $1.72 million - IN ONE EVENING!!! Next on the forefront for medical benefits we raced over to Red Hot Red Cross Cocktails to find Honorary Chairs Eli Manning and Debra L. Lee along with LL Cool J hosted by Tricia Kallett and Craig Klosk at their ultra modern home in Sagaponack. Specifically it was to benefit our local Suffolk County Chapter of the Red Cross. HUMBLE is what comes to mind after listening to the speech by LL Cool J - the man is so down to earth and so very caring of others. What a treat to meet both of them. It is no small wonder why he was given the Humanitarian Award for his selfless goals in reaching out to others.

NBA and ESPN commentator, Mike Breen welcomed philanthropists and friends at the 12th Annual Hoops 4 Hope Summer Benefit hosted by Susan Burden and William Goldman at their lovely home in Sagaponack. There was a special two hour VIP EA Sports "NBA Elite 11" reception preceding the evening event. H4H's summer bash has received continuous support from friends at the NBA, business leaders, celebrities, foundations, and this year, EA SPORTS and ESPN. VIP guests were given the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of their favorite NBA players and celebrities to trial the new game during a night of African music, beautiful food, Ketel One cocktails and positive action. Underground basketball legend, DJ, author and our honoree of the evening, Bobbito Garcia, received the "Ubuntu Award". "Ubuntu" expresses an ancient South African concept of unity, that every human is part of a greater whole; that I am who I am through you, and you are who you are through me. It captures in one word the combined love of all humanity. Dan Bailey provided drumming entertainment too making the perfect combo! An amazing array of silent auction items: a chance to win cross-country getaways, overseas trips, bespoke Astor & Black suits, autographed Retro Brand t-shirts, sports memorabilia and experiential packages...speaking of which...excitations.com is one of MY favorites for cool unusual gift packages if you're ever looking for that just-right-something for that person who has e.v.e.r.t.h.i.n.g : ) Speaking of TERRIFIC auctions... Great Chefs Dinner chaired by Toni Ross, Jon Snow & Nanette Lepore for the Hayground School offered a FABulous Day & Dinner w/world renown Florence Fabricant, an Apartment in Paris for one week near the Place des Vosges, a Big Dance Party at Your House ; ) w/Rolling in Dough, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company & Escola de Samba BOOM, a FANtastic Insider Package - VIP tour of Silvercup Studios for 4 including a visit to the set of 30 Rock set in action PLUS 2 Founders Passes to HIFF, all parties, films, NO LINES (uh-huh) and dinner at Nick & Toni's during the festival! OHHHH and la piece de resistance: Top of the World - one week at a SEVEN bedroom estate in Telluride Colorado for ski season! AND last but not least was a Chef's Tasting Dinner at Le Bernardin for six. NO WONDER the stars like Richard Gere, Barry Sonnenfeld and Jon BonJovi arrived for the four-course special dinner with musical guest Diane Birch! Barry actually led the auction with Mark Ross! For those who opted out of the 4 course meal it all started with a sensational cocktail party and local bounty set up as appetizer stations from dozens of chefs celebrating Jeff's Kitchen & Hayground's organic garden.

Guild Hall AWLAYS has a splendid summer gala and this one was no less spectacular. A VERY cool exhibition previewing Barbara Kruger's most recent work at GH was celebrated during a preview exhibition cocktail party. Alec Baldwin, Leila and Mickey Strauss, Sheila Isham, Bonnie Comley and Stewart Lane, Francine LeFrak, Denise LeFrak Calicchio and John Calicchio, Donald Mullen, Romaine Gordon - owner of (B)East Fitness Studio with house guest, Barbara K. of Tools for Women fame and many other noble and local supporters were on hand for the summer soiree. It all carried over into a beautiful tent at the home of Julie and Bobby Taubman for dinner and music as fete accompli and another successful summer at Guild Hall. The kick-off for the famed Artists & Writers game was The First Pitch Cocktail Party in Sag Harbor to benefit East End Hospice, East End Day Care and Phoenix House. Perfect way to get some team spirit going before the game! After a nice round of POLO matches it was onto East Hampton to the library for the sixth annual Authors' Night Benefit whose founder is none other then Alec Baldwin (now perhaps t h e biggest give-back-to-the-community star we have here - we like that : ) The line-up of famous authors were all eager and happy to pose and autograph for the loyal readers and newcomers alike - even Candace Bushnell made a genuine effort to reach out to the fans who were squished in line to meet her. David Reynolds, Ken Auletta, Robert Caro, Jay McInerney and Richard Reeves were all honorary co-chairs along w/ Barbara Goldsmith and Founder, Alec. The proceeds of the books purchased at the event went directly to the library as a donation. People got to choose "the right" party and all dinner guests automatically received an entry ticket to the Authors Reception. On our events calendar we actually have a link to all the authors and dinner choices so have a look in case you want to opt in next year!

"Chef Tasting" is definitely the theme of Summer 2010...every party we went to seemed to have elaborate tasting parties!!! The Waxman Family held its 7th Annual Hamptons Happening to raise money for the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation and their cutting edge technology research in particular and funding innovative science. They have a collaborative group of world-class scientists - namely the Institute Without Walls - who share information to speed the pace of cancer research. Their fall event in NYC was an enormous fundraiser with a special performance by Steve Winwood of Traffic! This was a delightful and more casual summertime theme but sparing no less attention to the elegant list of auction items and bountiful buffet of great chefs' culinary bites: Bobby Van's, Bamboo Sushi, Clamman Seafood, Hampton Coffee, La Masseria, The Seafood Shop, Wok n' Wine, Town Line BBQ and too many more to list here & now. A favorite was also the BLT Go Burger Truck - yes food trucks are "in" BIG time out here - check out the Moo one that some LOCAL surfer girls set up at Scott Cameron beach on the Bridgehampton side of the cut and their cool ice cream truck. Tell Kat you saw it on "the hamptons".com and you might get a FREE one : ) Totally wonderful because it was a beach week all the way through to Friday and even held up for a beautiful sunset evening in Westhampton Beach at the old Seafield estate for Be Our Guest - an extraordinary evening of cocktails & dinners at various private residences all chosen ahead upon rsvp. The Advisory Council of Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center presented a gala benefit which began with cocktails and sumptuous hors d'oeuvres catered by Starr Boggs at the lovingly restored historic 1903 Seafield Estate hosted by WHBPAC Board Chairman Len Conway. The magnificent residence was originally designed by Henry Bacon, best known for his design of the Lincoln Memorial. Guests enjoyed an orchestra setting on the generous waterfront property for the cocktail reception before departing to one of the ten private residences in Westhampton Beach, Westhampton, Quiogue, Quogue or Remsenburg for elegant dining in quintessential Hamptons style. Each of the guest hosts created a special menu to make it an exceptional dining experience - with choices made from superb menus and settings: "Taste of Land and Sea" at a historic home (the former Phipps-Tuttle House), the oldest home in Remsenburg to "A Piece of Tuscany in Quiogue" at an Italian style palazzo to a "Summer Feast featuring local seafood and seasonal bounty fresh from the garden at a stunning oceanfront estate in Quogue. How nice? very!! After the cocktail portion WE departed to meet some friends for dinner at the Blue Parrot in East Hampton on our way to the Hamptons Social Series at Lily Pond where Couri Hay and partners had Sonja Morgan hosting an event in salutation to American Friends of Blerancourt with sounds by Lee Kalt and food by Philippe...and yes we stayed out w a y too late ; ) We even ran into some old guard Southampton friends over there where we met up w/ Harold Grant of Sotheby's who was kicking up his heels with a close friend on the dance floor along with all the new chic set.

Dan's Papers celebrated its 50th anniversary in a big way over at Tim Burke's 230 Elm in Southampton which went well on into the night w/the After Party at 230 Down : ) It was to benefit East End Hospice, Group for the East End & Peconic Public Broadcasting 88.3 - all really terrific causes. Celebrities mixed with famous local artists and supporters at the golden anniversary 50 Years and 50 Artists along w/Dan himself who was on hand to sign autographs in his just published book *one chapter on my cousin Cecil Hoge! Kimberly Goff of the new Mironova Gallery (formerly her mother's well known Elaine Benson Gallery) helped Dan put together an astonishing list of the best of the best artists which included the likes of Peter Max, Leroy Neiman, Mickey Paraskevas, Daniel Pollera, Ted Asnis, Giancarlo Impiglia, Hilary Knight and 43 others. Polo madness continued in Bridgehampton with only one more match to come before the Hampton Classic builds their little village and tens of thousands come to visit the horse show. It appeared that this too was a gorgeus August night crammed with plenty to do all day and all night. We hopped over to check out On Our Toes - a lovely benefit with the Evidence dance troupe performing to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of World Renowned Choreographer Ronald K. Brown's Evidence, A Dance Company. It was also honoring Prince Kunle Omilana and Princess Keisha Omilana for their support and dedication to the company and Gala Co-Chairs The Honorable Bernard Jackson and Joyce Mullins Jackson were hosts of what has become the premiere African American cultural event of the Hamptons social season. The mission of Evidence is to promote understanding of the African Diaspora through dance and storytelling. Highlights have included a four-week tour to Africa sponsored by the U.S. State Department, performances at the Vancouver International Dance Festival and a smashing season at Harlem Stages. We have a beautiful clip to show you some of that talent which graced the stage in the hamptons!

Next it was on to the 3rd Annual Best Buddies gala at the beautiful home of Anne Hearst and Jay McInerney who hosted along with Co-Chairs Tatiana & Campion Platt. The theme was festive Southeast Asian for this year's posh benefit making for a most colorful and imaginative set of clothes on many. It was awfully sweet to be welcomed by two kind "buddies" who were front and center along with some beautifully matched butlers dressed in oriental costume offering a great big welcome! One might imagine WE'D be tired but onward party soldiers...MARCH! HEAT was next on our agenda for one of these last summer Saturday evenings and has become a HUGE gala presence for local celebrities as well as local heroes. Kim Canttrall & Edie Falco were honorary chairs and Christie Brinkley, Gabby Karan de Felice, Lisa Schifter Greenberg & Kelly Klein filled in the quota for "chairs" at the event : ) Christina Hale & Michael Hirtenstein were generous to host it at their home in Bridgehampton. Plenty of sponsors gave as well: Self Magazine, Andrew Sabin Family Foundation, Absolut Vodka, S. Pelligrino, Acqua Panna just to name a few! The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center & Ellen's Well gained the profits and it was a nice way to kick off the 15th Ellen's Run the following day which rivaled the 3rd Annual Hamptons Pursuit Car Ralley for The Retreat for same timeframe. Both though thankfully have enormous support from our community so there was no conflict of interest especially since it helps LOCAL women in two very important capacities and saves many lives. We raced over to Southampton for Operation SMILE, a rather new event on the circuit but an "evening of smiles" to help children in need receive life-changing surgery worldwide. It was certainly one to debut with a heart warming agenda and melted ours once we got there in time to grasp the enormity of its impact. This one is sure to be back next season!

A poolside brunch benefit in Southampton for RID was hosted by Founder and Chairman Betsy McCaughey, Ph. D and Avis Richards, CEO and Founder of Birds Nest Productions - already the sixth such annual benefit to reduce infection deaths. "Poolside Attire or White Coats" was marked as attire for the invitation only luncheon attended by New York's top doctors. Some of those brilliant minds were Dr. Jeffrey Borer, Dr. Tracy Pfeifer, Dr. Steve O'Brien, Dr. Jeffrey Moses, Dr. Joel Kassimir, Dr. John Schaefer and Dr. Morrell Avram, along with former Lt. Governor of New York State and Founder of RID (Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths) Betsy McCaughey, Ph.D. - just the sort we need to make real headway for this critical mission that is out to protect every one of us. The 3rd annual Hamptons Pursuit Car Ralley kicked off the day for the Retreat, starting at their boutique thrift store in Bridgehampton Commons. Beginning with a continental breakfast and coffee, courtesy of Hampton Coffee Company, all participants were given a map and route that that took them through back roads to enjoy the full flavor of "The Hamptons"...winding through farms and fields - BUT - stopping along the way at various checkpoints to answer Trivial Pursuit Questions! The entourage met up for lunch at a beautiful waterfront home belonging to one of the board members where they had a chance to admire one another's choice cars and exchange info over cool summer drinks and something to eat after such a innovative challenge.

Then we headed for East Hampton where Ross School was holding The 6th Annual Hamptons Pro/Am Tennis Invitational benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation at their tennis facility. PCF holds 4 tennis events every year in Palm Beach, Indian Wells, Greenwich and East Hampton - collectively raising over $12.5 million for the foundation founded by Michael Milken in 1993. The Prostate Cancer Foundation is the world's largest source of philanthropic support for prostate cancer research and has helped build a global research enterprise of nearly $10 b i l l i o n. The event hosted by Mike Milken and Bonnie Pfeifer Evans featured 40 professional and amateur tennis players as part of the Charles Evans PCF Pro/Am Tour. Some of the most familiar names in tennis have played over the years: Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, Todd Martin, Luke and Murphy Jensen, Mats Wilander, Stan Smith, Justin Gimelstob, Jonas Bjorkman, Andres Gomez Vince Spadea, Jimmy Arias, Aaron Krickstein, Bob Bryan, Wayne Ferreira and Jiri Novak. The pro/am pairs the professional players up with some of today's biggest business leaders and entrepreneurs for a full day of round robin tennis tournament play. How cool is that?! It is very cool if you consider it was THESE Pros competing in this year's event: Jimmy Connors, The Jensen brothers, Vince Spadea, Jimmy Arias, Jared Palmer, Don Johnson, Johan Kriek, Rick Leach, Ellis Ferreira and Scott Davis - Justin Gimelstob unfortunately hurt his back so had to opt out of the matches. Summer coming to a close on everyone's mind meant more worthy foundation happenings during the weeks before Labor Day weekend. Flip and Lisa Crawford generously hosted a cocktail party for the McCarton Foundation in Southampton along w/Gopa & Jay Dobson, Mary & Richard Harris, Ellie & James Libby and Penny Toefer who sent out loads of invitations for the summer cocktail party BOUTIQUE featuring LSC Design vintage jewelry, Sue Devitt Beauty, CJ Laing clothing, Barbara Bellin house portraits, Mrs. Monogram personalized gifts, Catch All home goods and Smathers & Branson needlepoint accessories. The McCarton Foundation was founded in 2002 and is dedicated to increasing educational opportunities for children with autism and developmental disabilities.

The last weekend before the final Labor Day holiday marked the final match of polo for the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge at Blue Star Jets field. Last round was sponsored by Hamptons Magazine and Jason Binn was filled with celebrity guests including NBA superstar and Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade who hosted the season's final match. Other A-list guests included actress Gabrielle Union, Jeff Gordon (four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion), Wilmer Valderrama (That 70's Show), Beth Ostrosky Stern, NBA star Richard Jefferson (San Antonio Spurs), Alex McCord and Simon Van Kempen (Real Housewives of New York City), Stella Keitel, T.V. personality Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Paul Wharton (Real Housewives of D.C.) and Dan Lembo (Survivor: Nicaragua) who were all spotted dancing to music spun by celebrity DJ Solange Knowles at the SWAGG Mobile Application lounge. Over in Bridgehampton at Soul Cycle Chelsea Clinton made a special appearance with father President Bill Clinton, for a 60-minute ride to benefit The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Master instructors Laurie Cole and Stacey Griffith inspired the group of enthusiastic participants through the challenge! Haiti's devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010 worsened an already desperate situation for a nation in which half the population live on less than one dollar a day...and not surprisingly the Soul community took action. On January 21 they rode together and raised $66,000 and on Saturday in honor of the six-month anniversary - joined forces again in earnest support of Haiti which is still in despair. Robert Wilson and co-chairs Lisa Anastos, Valerie Boster, Martin Dawson, Amanda Hearst, Shamim M. Momin & Dalia Oberlander orchestrated the third annual Watermill Center Concert with Rufus Wainwright and his special guest Kylie Minogue. Krystle Warren opened it and DJ Rachel Chandler was spinning for the guests in between sets. Proceeds support Watermill's Fall and Spring Residency Program whose avant garde artists exhibit or perform their work for the East End of Long Island Community as part of their residency experience...so a give-back-to-the-community appreciation shout out to them.

As sad as it was to be kissing Summer goodbye it meant that the Hampton Classic was back in town with their little village all set up in Bridgehampton for Opening Day Media Luncheon in the chalet with a great big welcome & thrilled for the coverage! As well, over 100 Ferraris w/ a total estimated value of over $75 million dollars were winding their way down back roads for the Second Annual Ferrari Hamptons Rally - hosted by Founder and Ferrari Enthusiast Nathaniel Christian of Georgica Restaurant and Lounge in East Hampton where everyone ended up for the big bash after the race. The glamorous, red-carpet inaugural event was an invitation-only guest-list of jet-setters, from celebrities and socialites, to media and business moguls. Ferrari aficionados enjoyed a circuit of breathtaking estates, polo fields, vineyards, marinas and the ocean preceded by an intimate brunch to boot! Kelly Ripa & Mary Rivas were hosting Let's Dance Benefit for Amaryllis Farm in Bridgehampton where we ran into a huge group of supporters. We found Katie Lee Joel strolling through the crowd w/her friend Chris who stopped to admire and place a bid on Sabina Streeter's beautiful charcoal horse drawing. Elegant sectionals graced a portion of the tent cordoned off from the dance floor making for a casual mood while people weaved in & out to the bars and the auction. Amaryllis Farm Equine Rescue is the Hamptons' only horse rescue and Amaryllis opened Long Island's first Horse Sanctuary in 2009 specifically for the seniors and special needs equines. Hundreds of horses have been rehabilitated or trained and rehomed under their protection. Thousands of horses have been assisted from coast to coast since 2005. Approximately 20 senior horses are permanent residents within the sanctuary. The average age is 26 and the special care requirements are met daily and the seniors are treated with the greatest respect, "as we were taught to respect our elders". Syo Defenceman, son of Afleet Alex is currently healing from a fractured bone in our rehabilitation center. Several horses are eagerly seeking their forever homes. Children's educational and volunteer programs happen daily. Your contribution SAVES and SUSTAINS LIFE for the horses Amaryllis intercepts from slaughter.

Wrapping up the season for 2010 was an impromptu, very hip Hurricane Poetry Reading on the heels of Earl in the village where we all sat atop awesome piles of luxury middle eastern rugs and took in the talented performances of close friends! The big holiday weekend rolled in w/ the annual Shinnecock Powwow, a very special last of series Summer Docs w/Alec Baldwin & Billy Joel at Guild Hall, Pop up Stores galore - one particularly cool version next to Hampton Coffee Company, an end of season Lu Berry Fashion Show and a ton of private parties everywhere from Westhampton to Montauk...what a great season 2010 turned out to be even if it was one of the hottest on record!! Please follow our NEW seasonal social page to keep up with The Hamptons all year round! Autumn, Winter and Spring are very special here and that's why so many have lingered on and opted to become LOCALS!! Please come for a visit during each of those and find out why there is still so much to keep you here most all of the time. TheHamptons.com and @hamptonsmedia are invited to cover events here & there so keep us bookmarked and share w/your friends : )