4 Local Businesswoman Navigate Beloved Greenport Maritime Festival Into Next Chapter: 'It Takes A Village'

Sarah Phillips, owner of First & South Restaurant; Kimberly Loper, owner of Harbor Pet; Rena Wilhelm, owner of The Weathered Barn; and Kara Hoblin, owner of North Fork Art Collective, have been working together in various capacities for over a decade.

What began as an informal partnership among local business owners has now evolved into an official organization: the Greenport Business Owners Alliance, or GBOA.

While their involvement in Greenport events has already become familiar to many in the community, the formation of GBOA marks a new chapter, bringing their collective experience and individual strengths together in an effort to support the community they call home, they said.

Their roots became more deeply entwined back in 2024, when Loper spearheaded the move of the annual North Fork Dog Dock Diving Event to the Greenport Polo Grounds. Her goal, she said, was to bring more excitement and activity to the Greenport business district.

Phillips and Wilhelm quickly jumped on board to support their friend and fellow business owner. What developed, they agreed, "was a supportive and remarkably balanced team, with each person's strengths contributing to an event that was captivating for the community while also serving as a fundraiser for the Greenport Fire Department."

In 2027, the North Fork Dog Dock Diving Event will celebrate its third year at the Greenport Polo Grounds.

Hoblin brings her own event-planning experience to GBOA. She is the organizer behind Greenport's annual Holiday Stroll, hosted by Harbor Front Hotel, having successfully produced the event for the past two years. Her third—and, she promises, "extra-special" — Holiday Stroll takes place on December 18.

When the East End Seaport Museum announced late last year that it would discontinue its annual Maritime Festival, the news was met with deep disappointment throughout the Greenport community, GBOA said.

The festival was more than an annual event, GBOA said; it had been a beloved tradition for 35 years and an important celebration of the village's maritime heritage.

Village officials subsequently approached the Greenport Business Owners Alliance about working with the museum to explore whether the festival could continue under new leadership.

Those conversations ultimately resulted in a contract that allowed the museum to pass the torch to the new organization, GBOA said.

Phillips spearheaded the negotiations. Working alongside Ian Wile, owner of Little Creek Oyster Company, and his nonprofit organization, Hold Fast Fund, the group was able to take the reins of the Maritime Festival with the goal of not only preserving the long-standing tradition "but elevating it for the future," GBOA said.

As part of the agreement, proceeds from the Maritime Festival will be donated to the East End Seaport Museum for the next three years. GBOA said it has also been working with Erin Kimmel, the museum's new director, to bring new life to the event while preserving Greenport's maritime heritage.

However, GBOA said, producing an event of this scale comes with "extensive responsibilities, and each member has taken on multiple roles in bringing the festival to life."

GBOA said the four women's approach remains rooted in the same collaborative effort that made their earlier projects successful: utilizing individual experience and expertise to create something greater as a team.

GBOA has also partnered with local design team Visual Natives, which created a new website exclusively for the Maritime Festival. The website serves as the central hub for festival information, providing the community with access to schedules, events, participation opportunities and updates.

"But perhaps the most important part of this new chapter is that GBOA wants the community to be involved," organizers said.

The organization's first community meeting, held August 12, brought out numerous local business owners and residents for an informal cocktail gathering. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions about the event, share ideas and sign up to volunteer for various special events and responsibilities.

The second community meeting will be held Wednesday, September 16, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Hold Fast, 216 Main Street in Greenport.

Local business owners, residents and community members interested in becoming involved are encouraged to attend.

Phillips, Loper, Wilhelm and Hoblin agreed that taking on the Maritime Festival "is about more than adding another event to already busy schedules. It is about recognizing the importance of a tradition that belongs to the entire community and doing what they can to ensure it continues."

Each woman said she brings her own business, experience and perspective to the table.

"Together, those individual strengths give GBOA the opportunity to build on what came before while creating something new for the future," they said. "As the saying goes, 'It takes a village — and a rising tide lifts all ships.' And together, Greenport is capable of extraordinary things."

For additional information and a schedule of events, click here.