Weekend Planner: Menorah Lightings, Holiday House Tour, PTA Auction

Now that the kids have confided their Christmas wishes to Santa at various North Fork locations last weekend, it’s time for the adults to have some fun at a new seafood festival in Greenport and buy stuff at holiday auctions to support local school districts this weekend.

1. Greenport ‘Shellabration’ Seafood Fest: Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., a $10 wristband (click here to purchase online) will give you the chance to walk from restaurant to restaurant to sample shellfish culinary creations from the village’s top chefs for $5 per plate and samples of local wines for $3 per flight. The stroll starts at where wristbands can be purchased and a first sample of locally brewed beer and shellfish can be had. Participating restaurants and wineries include: Biere, Bruce’s Café, Cuvee Wine Bar, First & South, the Frisky Oyster, Front Street Station, Noah’s, North Fork Oyster Company, Scrimshaw, Castello di Borghese, Lieb Cellars, Macari Vineyards, One Woman Winery, Osprey’s Dominion, Raphael, Shinn Estate, and Sparkling Pointe. Proceeds from the event will go to the Greenport American Legion Skating Rink and the Southold Project in Aquaculture Training (SPAT).

Read about 'Shellabration's' organizor John Kramer here.

2. Oysterponds PTA Holiday Auction: Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at Poquatuck Hall in Orient, the Oysterponds PTA will be holding its annual holiday auction with over 100 prizes available. Admission is $1. All proceeds to benefit Oysterponds Elementary School PTA to help fund programs and events for students. Prizes will be drawn starting at 4pm.

3. Mattituck High School Chinese Auction: on Friday at 5 p.m., don’t miss an opportunity to support the Mattituck High School art department at a Chinese auction. This free event is also a booster for visual art scholarships and the grand prize is two Southwest Airline tickets.

4. Oysterponds Historical Society’s Holiday House Tour: On Saturday starting at 1 p.m., Orient’s historical society hosts its annual tour of historic homes in Orient and East Marion while they are all dressed-up in their holiday best. The tour is $20 per person in advance or $25 at the door. Everyone is to check-in for tickets, map and home descriptions at the Orient Congregational Church, 23045 Main Road. All tickets will be held at the door of the Congregational Church. For information please email: ohs.main@gmail.com. All proceeds to benefit the Oysterponds Historical Society.

5. Greenport, Cutchogue Menorah Lighting: On Sunday at 5 p.m., Jewish and non-Jewish people alike are invited to attend the lighting of Greenport’s Hanukkah menorah, which is taking place this year on the second night of the eight-night holiday at Mitchell Park. In the spirit of ecumenism, the menorah will remain lighted throughout the holiday season, sharing the park with the village’s Christmas tree. Rabbi Gadi Capela of the Congregation Tifereth Israel will lead those attending the ceremony in prayers and songs of the holiday. Scheduled to participate in the Mitchell Park program are Greenport Mayor David Nyce, synagogue president Adrianne Greenberg, and other local dignitaries. For more information about the menorah lighting in Mitchell Park, call the synagogue at 631-477-0232 or Adrianne Greenberg at 631-477-0813.

On Saturday, Dec. 8 at 4:30 pm the North Fork Reform Synagogue and the Cutchogue Historical society are lighting the first candle of Chanukah on the Cutchogue Green. All are welcome to bring their own menorahs (candelabra) back to the synagogue's home in the Cutchogue Presbyterian Church, light a candle and celebrate with hot cider and donuts (the traditional fried food for this holiday which commemorates the oil which lasted 8 nights). Email Sylvia Eisenstadt Pafenyk at smep2@aol.com, northforkreformsynagogue.org.