Long Island's parks and refuges offer a number of opportunities to enjoy the natural world. Quogue Wildlife Refuge has full-moon hikes each month. Montauk Point State Park has weekly seal walks. There are regularly scheduled guided hikes at Caleb Smith State Park. The Riverhead Foundation For Marine Research And Preservation has weekly seal cruises throughout the spring. The cruises include a lecture about seal biology and behavior by a naturalist.
There are a number of cultures celebrated on Long Island with festivals and parades. There's a Chinese New Year celebration in Stony Brook in February. Montauk has an annual St. Patrick's Day parade. June brings the St. Nicholas Shrine Greek Orthodox Church's Grecian Festival in West Babylon, with traditional food and dancing. ExploreLI.com also recommends Brentwood's Adelante Puerto Rican and Hispanic Day Parade and Festival, which has more than 60,000 people in attendance and also takes place in June. The Old Bethpage Village Restoration has an old-fashioned Independence Day celebration. All these events are family-friendly.
There are a number of races and other sporting events that take place outdoors throughout the year. In January you can participate in the Sayville Running Company's 10 Mile Run To The Brewery, which raises money for the Sayville Food Pantry. Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium offers weekly fishing opportunities. The Long Island Marathon of Races takes place in late April or early May, and offers a number of different races for all ages and ability levels, from one mile to a full 26.2-mile marathon.
Long Island offers a number of outdoor arts festivals. The largest of these is Arthamptons, which has more than 6,000 art pieces on display at Sayne Park in Bridgehampton. Another outdoor arts festival is sponsored by Nassau County Museum of Art. The Annual Spring Crafts and Fine Art Fair takes place in tents, rain or shine, each May. Hampton Bays also offers an outdoor arts show late each summer. This show is considerably smaller, but offers an opportunity to purchase works from local artists. This show also takes place rain or shine.
