STONY BROOK, NY: February 24, 2023 – The Ward Melville Heritage Organization and Stony Brook Village’s Spring Appreciation Day returns on April 16 with live music, a car show, a petting zoo and scavenger hunts with prizes from 12-2pm. This event is free to the public.

Throughout Stony Brook Village there will be something for everyone: Rocking Horse Farms will be set up in front of the Rustic Loft with a variety of animals for children to pet.  The Mustang and Shelby Club of Long Island car show will take places between 11am and 3pm and be located in the parking lot behind the Post Office. They will display both classic Mustangs and the latest Pony cars that Ford has to offer. Automobiles from between 1964 – 2022 will be on display, including some special edition Mustangs like the classic Shelby GT500, GT350 and the iconic Boss 302. Brenda and Burke will be performing original and cover songs in the genres of R&B, Roots, Blues and Contemporary Acoustic at the Stony Brook Post Office. The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO)’s Youth Corps will be offering scavenger hunts around Stony Brook Village. Each person to return a completed scavenger hunt will be entered into a raffle to win Discovery Wetlands Cruise tickets. The Stony Brook Grist Mill (c. 1751) will be open for tours ($4 for adults, $2 for children, cash only) of the inner mechanical workings and history of the building, and shopping in the Country Store.

Spring Appreciation Day is sponsored by Goldfish Swim School and Suffolk Speech.

Black Friday returns to Stony Brook Village Center on Friday, November 25. Shop Black Friday deals all day long throughout the village, with carolers, live music, and a petting zoo from 2pm to 4pm, as well as the opening of the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Rocking Horse Farms will be set up in front of the Rustic Loft with a variety of animals for children to pet.  Burke and Brenda will be performing original and cover songs in the genres of R&B, Roots, Blues and Contemporary Acoustic at the Stony Brook Post Office. The Celestial Holiday Carolers will be performing holiday music throughout Market Square (shops between Luca Modern Italian Restaurant and Harbor Cleaners). Black Friday deals will be available all throughout the open-air center. A full list of Black Friday deals and sales will be available online at stonybrookvillage.com mid-November.

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame will be open to the public. The upstairs exhibit space will feature a permanent “Hall of Fame” with plaques and exhibits recognizing the over 100 and growing inductees. The main exhibit space will be the first rotating exhibit “Long Island’s Legendary Club Scene: 1960’s – 1980’s”.

Black Friday in Stony Brook Village is sponsored by News 12 Long Island.

Foodies and shopaholics unite for a three-part series of luncheon fashion shows in Stony Brook Village. Each part of the series will take place from 12:30pm to 2pm at a different restaurant (the Country House Restaurant, Luca Modern Italian Restaurant and Mirabelle Restaurant at Three Village Inn) and each will feature different fall styles from Mint, Chico’s and Loft. $35 per person at each restaurant for a prix fix lunch.

As guests enjoy their lunch, models will stroll through the restaurants, sharing information about the fall fashion they are wearing. The three-part series will take place at separate dining locations – On November 3, at the Country House Restaurant, on November 10 at Luca Modern Italian Restaurant, and November 17 at Mirabelle Restaurant and Tavern at the Three Village Inn.

To make your reservation, contact the restaurant directly. The Country House Restaurant’s phone number is (631) 751-3332 and is located at 1175 North Country Road in Stony Brook. Luca Modern Italian Restaurant’s phone number is (631) 675-0435 and is located at 93 Main Street in Stony Brook Village. Mirabelle Restaurant can be contacted at (631) 751-0555 and is located in the historic Three Village Inn, at 150 Main Street in Stony Brook Village.

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO)’s Annual Halloween Festival returns on Monday, October 31 from 2pm to 5pm for its 32^nd year with music from WALK 97.5, trick-or-treating throughout Stony Brook Village Center, dancing and games for children, Scarecrow Competition announcements at 4pm and a Halloween parade, led by Monster Merlin! This event is FREE.

STONY BROOK, NY – September 2, 2022; Join the Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) in a new walking tour experience, Unwind & Uncork History: The Story of Wine & the Stony Brook Grist Mill on Friday, September 30 at 3pm. $25 per person, includes bottle of authentic Catawba wine from Lake Side Emotions Wine Boutique and program. All participants must be 21 or older. Registration required.

In this walking tour experience, tour-goers will “uncork” the stories of the Stony Brook Grist Mill (c. 1751), the sight of Long Island’s very first vineyard. This will include a tour of the Stony Brook Grist Mill, the scandalous story of Edward Kane, his Lakeside Wine Company, and a brief lesson on wine. The tour will begin at Tranquility Park (also known as T. Bayles Minuse Mill Pond Park) across from the Stony Brook Grist Mill, and will end at Lake Side Emotions Wine Boutique, which gained its name from Kane’s Lakeside Wine Company.

To learn more about the Unwind & Uncork History program, to register and to learn more about the WMHO, call (631)751-2244.

STONY BROOK, NY – August 31, 2022; Join the Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) in rediscovering the lives of Long Island’s 19th century free Black, Native-Black, and Black-White people on Saturday, September 24 at their in-person program, William Sidney Mount and Long Island’s Free People of Color at the Brewster House. Two sessions, 1:00pm – 2:30 and 2:30pm – 4:00pm. $8 per person. Books are available for purchase. Limited seats available, registration required.

The Three Villages may be the only community in America with a world-famous hometown artist who painted people of color during the mid-1800s. The Brewster House (c. 1665) was the focus of Mount’s Long Island Farmhouses now hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of art, and it is believed that many of the people featured in Mount’s work lived on the property and worked for the Brewster family.

Presenting ground-breaking research, authors Katherine Kirkpatrick and Vivian Nicholson-Mueller will reveal the names and life stories of the agricultural laborers, domestic workers and musicians who posed for Mount from their book The Art of William Sidney Mount: Long Island People of Color on Canvas. This event will also highlight co-author Vivian Nicholson-Muller who is a descendant of Andrew Brewster, the model who posed for The Bone Player. After a presentation, participants are encouraged to ask questions and are invited to tour the historic Brewster House (c. 1665), owned by the WMHO.

Register by calling the Ward Melville Heritage Organization at 631-751-2244.

LONG ISLAND MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT HALL OF FAME EXTENDS WMHO’S SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Crowds for the WMHO’s Summer Concert Series on the Village Green.

STONY BROOK, NY: August 9, 2022 – The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) is proud to announce an extension to their Annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green to include a concert with the Sound Symphony on August 28th at 7pm. This is a FREE concert sponsored by the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF). Ernie Canadeo, LIMEHOF Chairman, will make exciting announcements about the Hall of Fame and the red carpet grand opening in November.

The Sound Symphony, an orchestra comprising of about 50 pieces, will perform a combination of light classical songs, movie themes and Broadway tunes. Additionally, a vocalist will performs opera songs. The Sound Symphony was created in 1984 by Long Island musicians for Long Island communities.

LIMEHOF’s first physical facility is anticipated to open in November of 2022 at the WMHO’s Educational and Cultural Center (ECC). The ECC was designed for interactive programs and events; such as performances, exhibits and classes. In fact, the Great Room on the first floor has 28-foot ceilings. There will be a permanent “Hall of Fame” with plaques and exhibits recognizing the over 100 and growing inductees, as well as areas for a library, classrooms for educational programs and master classes, and a theater. The main exhibit space will contain a rotating exhibit theme, and the layout and first exhibit, “Long Island’s Legendary Club Scene: 1960’s to 1980’s” is currently being designed by world-renowned visual designer Kevin O’Callaghan.

The Summer Concert Series will take place in front of the Stony Brook Post Office in Stony Brook Village, located at 129 Main Street in Stony Brook. For more information on the Summer Concert Series, call the WMHO at (631) 751-2244. For more information on LIMEHOF, visit their website here.

STONY BROOK, NY: June 28, 2022 – The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) will be hosting seven Pop-Up Saturdays (rain dates: Sundays) in Stony Brook Village on Saturdays from July 9 to August 20, from 2pm until 4pm.  This family friendly event is filled with animals, magic, music, art and more! Pop-Up Saturdays are free to the public and except where noted, will take place in Stony Brook Village’s Inner Court (by the Rustic Loft and Crazy Beans). Pop-Up Saturdays are a family friendly event series sponsored by Edward Jones in honor of their 100^th anniversary throughout 2022!

On July 9^th, experience the Magic of Amore from 2pm to 3pm, and North Fork Country Kids Rescue Vixen from 2pm to 4pm. On July 16^th, Sweetbriar Nature Center will bring birds of prey and touchable animals from 2pm to 3pm. On July 23, Burke and Brenda will be performing original and cover songs in the genres of R&B, Roots, Blues and Contemporary Acoustic from 2 to 4pm at the Post Office. On July 30, Characatures by Marty Macaluso (no rain date) will visit the village and draw caricatures of individuals and groups from 2pm to 4pm. On August 6, Sweetbriar Nature Center returns with birds of prey and animals to touch from 2pm to 4pm. On August 13, enjoy storytelling and singing by Johnny Cuomo from 2pm to 3pm, enjoy the music of Burke and Brenda at the Post Office from 2pm to 4pm. On August 20, Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center will visit the center with adoptable dogs from 2pm to 4pm and L.I Traditional Tae Kwon Do will host a free Martial Arts class outdoors from 2pm – 3pm. On August 27, the last pop-up Saturday, Charactures by Marty Macaluso (no rain date) will return by popular demand!

Edward Jones is a financial advising service dedicated to making a difference in their clients’ lives and helping them achieve what matters most. Over the last 100 years, Edward Jones has been committed to partnering with communities to create deep relationships that make a lasting impact. Edward Jones is located at 97 Main Street in Stony Brook Village. To learn more about their services, call (631) 444-0179.

To learn more about Pop-Up Saturdays and the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, call (631) 751-2244.

STONY BROOK, NY: June 10, 2022 – The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) is excited to announce the long awaited return of the Summer Concert Series on the Village Green. These free concerts will take place in front the Stony Brook Post Office at 7pm on Sundays from July 10 to August 21.

Performances include the Precisions, a vintage rock group performing songs from the golden age of rock and roll on July 10; the Rustlers, a high energy group performing classic and contemporary country and rock and roll songs on July 17; the Clusters, a super group performing hits from the 50s through the 80s on July 24; Linda Ipanema, performing traditional jazz songs on July 31; the Brooklyn Bards, performing acoustic traditional Irish music on August 7; the NY Exceptions, a doo-wop band performing songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s on August 14; and Country Rhythms, a country music line dance instruction group on August 21. In the case of rain, the concerts will be cancelled.

The 2022 Summer Concerts Series on the Village Green is made possible by our sponsors: the Tantillo Auto Group, Chevrolet of Smithtown, Realty Connect USA, Team Ardolino and Realty Three LLC.

The WMHO is a 501©3 not-for-profit corporation founded in 1939 by businessman and philanthropist Ward Melville. Inspired by his legacy to preserve historic and environmentally sensitive properties, the WMHO continues to protect and interpret these Long Island treasures. The organization creates interdisciplinary educational and cultural experiences that integrate history, art, theater, music, science, and technology for all ages. The organization owns and manages properties deeded to it by Ward Melville, including the Brewster House (c. 1665), the Thompson House (c. 1709), the Stony Brook Grist Mill (c.1751), which are listed on the state and national register for historic places, the Dr. Erwin Ernst Marine Conservation Center, and the pristine 88-acre wetlands preserve at West Meadow, the 11-acre T. Bayles Minuse Mill Pond and adjacent park, two- acre Upper Pond, and the two-acre Jennie Melville Village Green. To learn more about the WMHO, visit wmho.org or call (631) 751-2244.