Hey South Shore, last weekend Spring Fling shut down Main Street in Babylon on Saturday and Springfest took over Sayville on Sunday. Both packed, both reminding everyone that the South Shore doesn't need a calendar to tell us the season started. We walked both of them. Kids everywhere, live music on the corners, local vendors doing their thing. If you were out there, you already know. If you missed it, don't worry. This weekend is bringing its own.

This one builds across all four days. Thursday has something for the community before the weekend even starts. Friday night, you're choosing between two completely different stages in two completely different towns. Saturday is stacked with a Broadway opening, a legendary rock tribute, and a show in Bohemia that people are going to be talking about all week. Sunday slows things down with Earth Day, live music, and a 5K along the water. Scroll through and pick your lane.

Five months ago, Debbie from Patchogue told us she really enjoyed reading SSD. This past week, she told us again. Debbie, this one's still for you. Hearing from readers like her is the reason we do this every Thursday morning. If this newsletter has helped you find a show, discover a restaurant, or just figure out what to do on a Saturday, we'd love to hear about it. So without further ado, let's get into it!

The story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons comes to Oakdale this weekend as CM PAC launches a month-long run of the smash jukebox musical. Jersey Boys traces four guys from Newark through doo-wop, fame, fractures, and a catalog of songs that never left the radio. CM PAC's stage has a way of making Broadway-caliber productions feel personal, like you're watching the rise from a front-row seat in the old neighborhood. This one runs through mid-May, but opening weekend carries its own charge.
When: Saturday, April 18 | Runs through May 17
Where: CM Performing Arts Center, Oakdale
Price: $$
🎭 See the full run

Friday night at 89 North opens with a wall of sound. Back to the Blizzard and Anesthesia bring the full weight of Ozzy and Metallica to Patchogue in a double-bill tribute that leans all the way into arena-level theatrics on a club-sized stage. The room at 89 North runs hot for nights like this, where the crowd knows every riff before the band plays it. If your weekend starts loud, it starts here.
When: Friday, April 17 | 7:00 PM
Where: 89 North Music Venue, Patchogue
Price: $$
🎸 Grab your tickets

Crystal Ship brings the full theatrical weight of The Doors catalog to the Boulton Center on Saturday night. The intimate seated setting in Bay Shore makes every note land differently than it would in a bigger room, and there's something about hearing "Riders on the Storm" in a space where you can feel the bass in your chest. A night for listeners, not just fans.
When: Saturday, April 18 | 8:00 PM
Where: Boulton Center for the Arts, Bay Shore
Price: $$
🎹 Reserve your seats

A touring lineup of Latin American legends takes over Stereo Garden on Friday night. Los Iracundos, Angeles Negros, Grupo Miralmar, and Los Terricolas de Hoy represent decades of romantic balada and cumbia, the kind of catalog that entire generations grew up singing along to. Stereo Garden's open floor gives nights like this room to breathe, and crowds for these tours tend to fill it early.
When: Friday, April 17 | 10 PM
Where: Stereo Garden, Patchogue
Price: $$+
🌙 Get event details

They lean right into the name, and that self-awareness is part of what makes 2U work. Sunday night at CM PAC in Oakdale, this tribute band runs through the U2 catalog with the kind of commitment that fills a theatre on a school night. From "Where the Streets Have No Name" to "One," the setlist covers the stadium anthems and the deep cuts. A strong way to close out the weekend.
When: Sunday, April 19 | 7:30 PM
Where: CM Performing Arts Center, Oakdale
Price: $$
🎤 Plan your Sunday night

Mo Willems' stubborn, scheming, totally lovable pigeon jumps off the page and onto the CM PAC stage this weekend. Kids who've spent bedtime negotiating alongside that bird are going to lose it when they see the story play out live, complete with all the dramatic pleading. Parents, you already know how this one goes. An easy yes for the whole family.
When: Saturday, April 18 | Runs through May 3
Where: CM Performing Arts Center, Oakdale
Price: $$
🐦 Snag your seats

An all-ages printmaking workshop at the Patchogue-Medford Library on Sunday afternoon. Hands go in the ink, paper comes out with something original, and nobody has to worry about making a mess at home. Creative, tactile, and the kind of afternoon project kids talk about for the rest of the week.
When: Sunday, April 19 | 2:00 PM
Where: Patchogue-Medford Library, Patchogue
Price: Free
🎨 Register at the library

Nick the Balloonatic turns a Saturday morning library visit into a high-octane, hands-on balloon-twisting show that keeps kids locked in from start to finish. The Islip Library hosts, and the format is perfect for families with younger kids who need something interactive that runs on pure fun. Get there early, because these fill up.
When: Saturday, April 18 | 11:00 AM
Where: Islip Public Library, Islip
Price: Free
🎈 See event info

Earth Day weekend gets hands-on at the Babylon Public Library, where families can plant their own seeds to take home and nurture through the spring. It's simple, it's seasonal, and it gives kids a project that keeps going well past Saturday. A springtime Saturday morning done right.
When: Saturday, April 18 | 11:00 AM
Where: Babylon Public Library, Babylon
Price: Free
🌱 Check the details

Prog rock was built for rooms like the Boulton Center. Manticore takes on the sweeping, intricate catalog of Emerson, Lake & Palmer on Friday night in Bay Shore, and the seated intimate setting lets every time signature shift and keyboard run land the way it was meant to. ELP's music rewards close listening, and this is a room where close listening comes naturally. A Friday night for the couple that takes their music seriously.
When: Friday, April 17 | 8:00 PM
Where: Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, Bay Shore
Price: $$
🎵 Secure your tickets

A structured, low-pressure speed dating night at the Lizard Lounge in Bohemia. The format keeps things moving, the age range is specific enough that the room feels like peers rather than strangers, and the casual bar setting makes the whole thing feel more like a night out than an interview. Saturday evening, no overthinking required.
When: Saturday, April 18 | 6:30 PM
Where: Lizard Lounge, Bohemia
Price: $$
💬 Save your spot

Saturday night at The Fit Factory in Bohemia transforms into a full-scale showcase of pole, dance, and aerial artistry. Spring Equinox is part performance, part spectacle, with athletes and artists pushing what the human body can do in ways that are equal parts athletic and cinematic. The kind of Saturday night you don't expect to find in Bohemia, which is exactly what makes it worth going.
When: Saturday, April 18 | 6:00 PM
Where: The Fit Factory, Bohemia
Price: $$
✨ Get your tickets

Side Street Dive sits just off Main Street on Railroad Avenue, tucked into a space that used to house Burgerology, and the transformation is hard to overstate. The outdoor patio is the first thing that grabs you, with lounge areas spread across the front that make the place feel more like a weekend retreat than a restaurant that just opened in March. Inside, the room opens up wide, anchored by a massive bar that connects to the outside through a garage door, letting the air and the energy move freely between the two spaces. The walls are covered in retro signage and pop-art touches that lean mid-century without feeling like a theme park, and the warm wood floors keep it grounded. Even on a casual visit, the whole space reads like someone built it to be lived in, not just eaten in.

My wife and I went on a Tuesday evening and we both agreed before we even got to the food that we would be back. We split the Stuffed Rice Balls and Fried Ravioli to start, and we could have stopped there and called it a win, but we kept going. She got the Chicken Capricciosa and I had the Meatball Parmigiana, and neither of us said much while we were eating, which is usually the best sign. The same kitchen crew behind Alitalia Pizzeria in Center Moriches is running things here, and once you taste what comes out of that kitchen it makes complete sense. The pepperoni with fresh mozzarella pizza is already getting a lot of attention at the tables around us, the disco fries with vodka sauce are generating real buzz, and the cocktails feel like a genuine part of what this place is, not just something they threw on a list. Owner Max Feinberg, who also runs Bull Smith Tavern in Smithtown, built this around one idea he keeps coming back to: fun is undefeated in this industry.

Patchogue keeps adding places that give people a reason to stay out longer, and Side Street Dive fits that pattern without copying anything else on Main Street. The lounge areas outside feel built for warm-weather weekends that have not even fully arrived yet, which means this spot is only going to grow into itself over the next few months. It opened quietly at the end of February, started regular hours in mid-March, and already feels like it belongs. If you are in Patchogue and you have not walked down Railroad Avenue yet, that is an easy fix. This one rewards curiosity.

📍11 Railroad Avenue, Patchogue | Check out Side Street Dive on Instagram

Earth Day falls on Wednesday this year, but our community is marking it all weekend long. Here's where to plug in.

If you're organizing an event on the South Shore, from Babylon to Patchogue, we want to know about it. Reply to this email or tag us on Instagram to get it in front of your neighbors. → Submit an event here