Southampton Arts Center Hosts First Annual Summerfest After Dark Party

Following the long-awaited return of Southampton Arts Center's SummerFest benefit on Thursday, September 1, the organization will host its first SummerFest After Dark party with a special musical performance by Kelis! Cardi B's alcohol infused Whipped Cream Shots will be featured during her performance of Milkshake.

Hosted by Alexander Hankin, Danielle Naftali, Makenzie Moon Phelan, and Andrew Warren, with event co-chairs Emira D'Spain, Ivy Getty, Connor Kennedy, Paige Lorenze, Gaia Matisse, Julia Moshy, Grace Murdoch, Noor Pahlavi, Ryan Thomas Roth, Ming Lee Simmons, and Harrison Vail and special committee guests Margaret Abrams, Jack Brinkley-Cook, Sophie Elgort, Greer Grammer, Ty Gaskins, Christie Grimm, Morgan Halberg, Hayley Hasselhoff, Jason Ikeler, Serena Kerrigan, Di Mondo, Claudia Oshrey and Ben Soffer, and Abby Silverman. DJ's Zeke Thomas and Timo Weiland will perform.

Guests will enjoy drinks, bites, and dancing from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sponsored by Bulgari will dress the committee in jewelry and share sweet treats from their dessert cart; other sponsors include Whispering Angel, Baked by Melissa, 21 Seeds Tequila, and Pearl Street Caviar. Tickets are $250 and may be purchased at http://www.southamptonartscenter.org.

"I'm really excited to be hosting the first annual SummerFest After Dark party!" shares Andrew Warren, "As someone who spent my whole life in the Hamptons and specifically Watermill/Southampton, I was honored when Simone asked me to help put this together. We have a GREAT group of young, well-known hosts, and with everyone's help we brought this idea to life in just a month's time. We really wanted to mold this into an annual event that supports a great cause, with an emphasis on fun, music, dancing - something people want to be a part of. The overwhelming excitement and interest from people and brands is a testament to how great this benefit will be this year, and for years to come! SummerFest After Dark is the new it-party of the summer!"

SAC's SummerFest benefit and culinary arts festival is a critical fundraising initiative responsible for 1/3 of the nonprofit's annual contributed income. This year's event honors Helena and Rob Vahradian with the 2022 Champion of the Arts Award and features a special performance by Broadway Star Jessica Vosk. Guests will be invited to stroll through the galleries and grounds to experience SAC's current exhibition, FIGURES TRANSFORMED, curated by Christina Mossaides Strassfield. Serving as the backdrop for SummerFest, guests can explore the various works on view by Deborah Buck, Hal Buckner, and Strong-Cuevas, while also enjoying signature dishes from some of the most celebrated East End restaurants. SummerFest tickets begin at $1,000 per person with tables beginning at $10,000. For more information, visit www.southamptonartscenter.org/summerfest.

Special thanks to SummerFest sponsors Bloomberg Philanthropies, Bulgari, GTIS Partners, KPMG, and Shearman & Sterling. Additional thanks to Fiduciary Trust International, and Purist. Dinner will be served by Acquolina.

SAC continues to follow all New York State and CDC guidelines for all programs and events. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test is required for all indoor events.

Select Southampton Arts Center programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. FIGURES TRANSFORMED is presented by Sylvia Hemingway and Lana Jokel, with media partners Purist and WLIW-FM. FILM @ SAC is sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens. Wellness @ SAC media partner is The Purist. ECO Programs at SAC are made possible by Dorothy & Michael Reilly. Financial Literacy Partner: J.P. Morgan Private Bank. General operating support is provided by Bank of America. The SAC Summer Stage 2022 is sponsored by Primary Care and Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.