Summertime Celebrations
Volume 49, Issue 4
By Grace Corradino

Here on Fire Island, like in many towns across America, people celebrate the Fourth of July in different ways. My happiest times have been with my family and friends, always at the beach. I cannot remember ever having a summer where we weren’t at the beach.

Parades, hot dogs, hamburgers, lemonade, watermelon, flags, sparklers––these are the props in the setting for all of those celebrations.

In some of our Fire Island towns, there are parades. I remember when my children were in Fourth of July parades. Like so many little boys, my son always loved fire trucks. Naturally the opportunity to ride in one was a thrill. So when he was invited to participate in the local parade and ride with the chief––it was just thrilling.

I remember seeing them as they drove by, slowly proceeding through the streets of our beloved beach, and I wept. I wept because it was such an American thing…people standing on the parade route, waving flags, kids selling lemonade, parents in lawn chairs, hanging out. I also distinctly remember my daughter chiding me for being such an emotional wreck. Protesting, I assured here that I wasn’t a wreck on any level. It was the notion of celebrating America’s birth in such a small town way that got to me. And that we were all standing out on the street, waving flags.

Whether you are new to Fire Island or if you have been here for generations, you will have your own happy memories of Fourth of July celebrations past.

If you are trying to create new customs, here are some ideas for unique Fire Island things to do to create your own special holiday.

• Go down to the dock in your town and watch the fireworks light up the night sky all across Long Island. Look in the Long Island newspapers for the schedule of events. In general, the fireworks begin on the night before the Fourth and the Fourth itself.

• Check out the Fire Island News Web site, www.finews.biz, and bulletin boards in your towns. Pancake breakfasts, the ultimate small town event, are happening all over the beach.

• Arrange a block party for your Fire Island neighbors. Check with your local village to be sure there aren’t any restrictions. Someone will have to be in charge of the event. Be sure to get everyone involved. Plan to decorate the neighborhood with lights and flags. Prizes for the children will assure that the Fourth of July party will always be remembered.

• Arrange for games and prizes for the kids. Water balloon tosses are always great fun. Watermelon pit spitting contests bring out the best/worst in everyone, adults and kids alike.

• Music is really important for any good party. Choose music that everyone likes. Maybe everyone will start to dance at your party, which is the surest sign the party is a success.

Keep It Simple

Fourth of July food should be very simple, especially here; hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon and brownies. Get or make lots of lemonade. There are more and more vegetarians among us. To satisfy them, we always have some veggie burgers on hand. If we feel ambitious, we will also grill some Portobello mushrooms or roast some peppers. Simply adding either of these to a veggie burger or hamburgers makes it special. The better the roll, the better the sandwich.

• On the Fourth of July, be sure to have “light sticks” on hand. I love light sticks. I like them so much that when I get one, I wear it to bed. Frightening thought, isn’t it? Tie a length of string on the light stick and go up to the beach. Kids can throw them around using the string as a sort of lasso and fling it as far as they can. Then the kids can have a contest to see who can get to the light stick first. This is one of the surest ways to wear your children out at night. You will find that the adults will want to chase the light stick too.

• Do something you have never done before. How about going crabbing? If you do not have your own small watercraft, you may need to befriend someone who does in order to go crabbing. In addition, you need a bucket and “crab net.” You will need to ask a local fisherman where to get crabs. Likely it will be over behind one of the islands. Get to shallow water and let the boat drift. Once adrift, stand up, crab net in hand and peer down in the water. The crabs are down there and it takes a bit of patience. When you do spot one, put your net out gently so as not to alert the critter and try to scoop it in to your net. I am so bad at it, all I do is laugh. I never expect to get many of them and I really don’t care. It is just plain fun.

Grace Corradino lives year- round in Saltaire. She owns Fire Island Living Real Estate and Property Management and welcomes your comments and ideas about all things Fire Island. Send questions and comments to Grace@FireIslandLiving.com.