100 North Fork things to do with kids this summer

With Kids

Jun 21

Summer on the North Fork is here! We’ve taken the work out of planning your best yet North Fork summer with a list of 100 things family-friendly to do with your crew. Some are events not to be missed, while others on the list are intentionally simple moments that we hope are forever ingrained in your family’s memory. Now get out there and enjoy the best season of all. Happy summer, Petite readers!

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Explore the summer night sky and learn about stars, planets, and nebulae at the Custer Institute and Observatory, Saturdays 8 p.m. to midnight.
Go on a StoryWalk Tour of Cutchogue’s Village Green — a self-led, family-friendly 11-board tour that engagingly presents local history.
Learn about local lighthouses during a family-friendly Cross Sound Lighthouse Cruise.
Opa! Cruise on over to the Annual Mattituck Greek Festival for family fun, fantastic food, live music, and dancing. (Fri., 6/26, 3 - 10 p.m. and Sat., 6/27, noon to 10 p.m.)
Tour a tall ship! Kalmar Nyckel returns to Greenport. 7/20 through 7/26. Keep an eye on Petite North Fork in early July for a roundup of all tall ships visiting Greenport.
Make a splash at Splish Splash Water Park’s kid zone, Stingray Bay, featuring three pint-sized water slides, six interactive spray features, five water play features, and a dump bucket.
Pick cherries at Wickam’s Fruit Farm. (Mid-end of June, super limited!)
Rainy Day Pick: Head to an indoor play space with your youngest crew. Our picks are Little Star Playland in Tanger Outlets, Riverhead, and Safari Adventure.
Pick blueberries and raspberries at Patty’s Berries and Bunches in Mattituck.
Grab your binoculars and go on a nature walk along one of the North Fork’s plentiful kid-friendly trails.
Take your shot at Sandy Falls Mini Golf in Riverhead. Or head to Drossos Mini Golf in Greenport for a round of mini golf and ice cream.
Cheer for Team USA during a family-friendly viewing of the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer games at Greenport Harbor Brewing Company in Peconic. They’ll be showing all World Cup games.
Hunt for seaglass along the Long Island Sound. Bonus points for finding blue or purple glass!
Learn who lives under the sea, a seining program for kids at the New Suffolk Waterfront. Wed., 7/22, 12 to 2 p.m.
Head to a North Fork Ospreys collegiate baseball home game at Jean Cochran Park in Peconic. Schedule here.
Learn how to fish with Tom Mangiamele at the New Suffolk Waterfront, dates in August.
Join local orgs, Group for the East End, North Fork Audubon Society, or Turtleback Environmental Education Center, for a family-friendly nature outing or event.
Cheer in the stands as monster trucks race and crush at Riverhead Raceway. (Sat., 7/11 at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
Roast marshmallows and make s’mores at Low Tide Beach Bar at the SoundView, open Friday through Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m.
Explore Peconic River Herb Farm and search for fairies.
Have a sleepover at the Long Island Aquarium. (Sat., 7/11 at 6 p.m.)
Listen to live tunes at Monday Night Dances in the Park, Mitchell Park, Greenport (6/29 kicks it off with GUNK & Sweet Ride Long Island, Mondays through Labor Day)
Play retro video and arcade games at Game On in Riverhead.
Head to Orient Beach State Park for “Music by the Beach,” a family-friendly concert series on Tuesdays, 7/7, 7/21, 8/4, and 8/18, at 5 to 7 p.m. Lineup here.
All aboard! Take a ride on The Greenport Express, the North Fork’s miniature railroad. Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Moores Lane.
Shake it off with “Fearless: The Taylor Swift Experience” at The Suffolk in Riverhead (Sun., 8/9 at 3 p.m.)
Rainy Day Pick: Play classic board games and more at The Loft Game Lounge in Southold. (Located in the loft within Rowan Craft Boutique)
Catch the Greenport Fire Department Carnival. (Thurs., 7/2 through Sat., 7/4, 6 to 11 p.m.)
Get creative at Art Lab by Artfully Long Island, hosted at Hotel Moraine. $15/person, children and people of all ages welcome. Summer dates: Sundays 7/5, 7/19, 8/9, 8/23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Register here.
Stock up on summer reads from local book retailers, including Burton’s Books, A Book Place, and The Little Book Nook.
Kick it old school and go bowling at The All Star in Riverhead.
Take your teen to Farm Yoga on Sunday mornings for a soothing way to kick off your week together. Schedule and registration here.
Catch a fireworks show: Orient Harbor Fireworks on Sat., 6/27 at 9:15 p.m., the Greenport Fire Department Carnival, Thurs. 7/2 and Sat., 7/4 at 10 p.m., and Peconic Bay Vineyards on Sat., 7/11, 5 p.m., just to name a few. Complete “Where to watch fireworks” guide coming to Petite North Fork later this month.
Wakeboarding, wakesurfing, water skiing, tubing — surprise the fam with a day on the water with Peconic Water Sports.
Play a round of pickleball at Box Pickleball in Riverhead.
Surprise them with ice cream before dinner from local faves, Magic Fountain or Snowflake Ice Cream Shoppe.
Have a proper picnic lunch in Orient’s Poquatuck Park. Conveniently, the Orient Country Store is a stone’s throw away.
Play for hours at Waterdrinker North Fork.
Dance the night away at Hallockville Museum Farm’s first-ever “Hallockville Hootenanny.” (Sat., 8/15, 12 to 7 p.m.)
Visit a family-friendly winery or brewery.
Try for the gold ring on the Greenport Carousel in Mitchel Park.
Hop on the ferry to Shelter Island for The Pridwin’s Wednesday Night BBQs, through 9/26.
Let them dance until they’re tired at the annual Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could summer family concert at Mitchell Park. (Tues., 7/21, from 6 to 8 p.m.)
Rainy Day Pick: Head to The Shoppes at East Wind in Wading River, where you’ll find plenty for kids, plus a carousel.
Don’t miss Lobster Fest at Veterans Beach in Mattituck on Sat., 7/25, 5 to 8 p.m.
Teach your kids how to do handstands in the Peconic Bay.
Kick off “Pick your own flower bouquet” season at Horton’s Flower Farm on Tues, 7/11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Kids’ Day.
Clean up a local beach with the help of Relic’s Beach Cleanup Stations across the North Fork.
Watch the sun go down while hanging with friends and fam and noshing on pizza from Palmer Vineyards at Sunset Fridays. Fridays, 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Climb to the top of Horton Point Lighthouse.
Shift into gear at Long Island Antique Power Association’s Summer Show and Flea Market featuring Ford tractors and equipment. (Sat., 7/11 and Sun., 7/12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Nosh your way through Jamesport Farm Brewery at their family-friendly Food Truck Rodeo on Sat., 7/11 and Sun., 7/12 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sign up your kiddo for a Friday Children’s Workshop at Sang Lee Farms.
Pick juicy peaches at Lewin Farms in Calverton or Truxel Peaches at Hayden’s Orchard in Wading River, or Pavel Peach Farm in Jamesport.
Eat dinner at Little Fish in Southold and take dessert to go as you watch the sunset at Kenney’s Beach.
Hike and picnic at Hallock State Park Preserve. Plus, join a weekly beach clean-up led by Atlantic Marine Conservation Society on Saturdays at 10 a.m.
Chart your own North Fork farm stand crawl. Insider tip: The North Fork Trail map coming soon to Petite North Fork!
Bribe your kids to take photos with you at Lavender by the Bay (East Marion and Calverton) or the new Saltwater Farm in Riverhead when the fields are in full bloom. Worth it, we promise.
Enter a corn-eating contest at Harbes Family Farm’s Annual Sweet Corn Festival, Sat., 7/25 and Sun., 7/26, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Pack up dinner to go and watch the sailboats at New Suffolk’s Wednesday Night Sailboat Races.
Drop your crew (ages 4-8) at the Oregon Road Organics Tiny Farmers program. Thursdays in July and August from 9 a.m. to noon.
See Greenport from a different view through Camera Obscura.
Have lunch farm-side at 8 Hands Farm while watching the animals roam the field.
Attend a pint-sized, small-town carnival at the Annual Jamesport Fire Department Carnival and Bazaar. (7/14 through 7/18)
Spend the entire day at the beach of your choice. Bonus points if it ends in casual takeout from Lucia, The Shack, or Fiocha Pizza.
Pop into VEME Studio’s Art Bar for an afternoon of creativity with your kid.
Rainy Day Pick: Go roller skating at Greenport’s GCD Roller Skate Rink.
Have an impromptu water balloon fight with your kids.
Paint “kindness” rocks and leave them around town for others to find.
Rainy Day Pick: Climb rock walls, play laser tag, and surf an indoor wave at Scott’s Pointe in Calverton.
Volunteer your family’s time helping at a local organization. CAST and Common Ground are both great options.
Gather your family and march in a small hometown Fourth of July Parade. Southold and New Suffolk are our faves.
Weave through the sunflower maze at Rottkamp's Fox Hollow Farm.
Check out North Fork Arts Center’s children and teen workshops.
Give your kiddos $5 each and let them buy something of their choice, no matter how silly or unnecessary, at Goldsmith’s Toys in Greenport.
Learn about Polish culture at the Polish Town Fair and Festival in Riverhead. (Sat., 8/15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun., 8/16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Don’t miss Alive on 25, a summer street festival in Downtown Riverhead. (Thursdays 7/9 and 8/6)
Workout and play at The Heart of It — a hub for all things mommy-and-me and more.
Have a “daycation” at Orient Beach State Park, including hanging at the beach, swimming, trail walking, playground playing, then grilling, or grabbing grub from the new North Fork eatery, Third Culture Club.
Hang with the fam at Sparkling Pointe’s Fizz and Fry, Mondays 4:30 to 7 p.m. Food truck by Balo’s.
Make your unicorn-loving kid’s dreams come true as they decorate and ride a “unicorn,” aka pony, at The Little Red Barn.
Visit the Railroad Museum of Long Island, with locations in Riverhead and Greenport. Celebrate Engine #39’s 97th Birthday Celebration on 6/27 and 6/28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Riverhead.
Explore a native garden and create a lasting memory art project for kids at the New Suffolk Waterfront. Sat., 8/15, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Have a North Fork professional photographer take family photos of you and your kids. You can thank me later.
Get in the car after dinner for a “count the Osprey” drive, see how many you can tally up.
Wake the kids early and head to Orient Point to catch the sunrise.
Teach your kids how to shuck an oyster, a North Fork rite of passage.
Visit Critterville Farm Sanctuary in Riverhead to learn about their mission and meet the sanctuary’s animals.
Pop into The Treatery, North Fork Doughnut Company, Disset Chocolate, or the new For Goodness Cakes in Wading River for a sweet treat.
Wander the grounds at Landcraft Garden Foundation in Mattituck.
Cool off with a family-friendly flick at Mattituck Cinemas or North Fork Arts Center.
Gather with friends and neighbors at New Suffolk’s Community Picnic on Wed., 7/1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Bring your own picnic!
Host your own cannonball competition, bonus points if it’s off a local dock!
Hunt for second-hand reads at Riverhead’s Yellow Book Barn, open Mon., Wed., Fri, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or at Southold Library’s Book Cottage, open on Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Hang on Peconic Lane and play at the Tasker Park playground, ride bikes or scooters around Jean Cochran Park, and walk to Panoramica cafe for a bite to eat.
Pick up dough from Lombardi’s Love Lane Market and make homemade grilled pizzas using North Fork bounty. Kid-friendly and delicious.
Don’t miss Friday Fridays on Love Lane for family-friendly fun. 8/7, 9/4.
Take a leisurely family walk. Our picks: Narrow River Road in Orient or the charming streets of New Suffolk.
Visit local North Fork libraries for tons of family-friendly programs and happenings.
Create a family memory capsule filled with thoughts, photos, and small souvenirs (rocks and shells are totally included!) of your favorite things about summer 2026.