Once your school days end, the idea of joining a club seems like a privilege from youthful days gone by. When you’re a serious adult, who has time? You do, that’s who. Not to stream-shame, but if you were to add up all the hours you spend binging new shows like a bet-you-can’t-eat-just-one bag of potato chips (and, well, you probably do that, too), you might be pleasantly surprised by the extra room ready to open up in your schedule.
On the North Fork, clubs are as varied as the people who live here. Not only do they get you involved in a topic you know well or wish to master, they afford an opportunity to exchange thoughts, ideas, laughs and skills with others. And while we may feel like our hamlets and villages are small towns, you might be surprised by how many new people are here to add to your social orbit. From mahjong to Maseratis and Mustangs to shore-side angling to cooking and crafting and diving right in, what follows are eight great examples of clubs just waiting for you to join in on the intellectually stimulating, hands-on creating, downright soul-satisfying fun.
Cold Plunge, Warm Hearts
North Fork Polar Bears, Orient and East Marion, northforkpolarbears.org
Plunging into freezing waters in the dead of winter is a hard pass for most, but don’t knock it till you try it, insist organizers and partners Patricia Garcia-Gomez and David Snowdon-Jones. North Fork Polar Bears is a consortium of intrepid individuals who have found a warm community among the icy (sometimes literally) waters surrounding North Fork beaches.
“People would see us when they were walking their dogs, and they’d be like, ‘No … never!’, and we’d say, ‘Never say never! If you want to give it a shot, we’d be happy to help or show you.’ Our goal is for you to love it as much as we do,” says Garcia-Gomez, praising the invigorating feeling of winter plunging. The group’s WhatsApp and email list have 200 members.
Polar Bear “season” runs from October through April, with plunges off Orient or East Marion beaches. “It’s my job to check weather conditions around 6 a.m.,” says Snowdon-Jones. “If there’s no wind, honestly, it’s completely fine.”
While some Polar Bears start each day with a cold dip, the weekly Sunday Community Plunges offer camaraderie, beach bonfires and hot tea. The annual North Fork Polar Bear Plunge in late January fundraises for C.A.S.T. and Cornell’s Back to the Bays program, and you’ll often find adventurous first-timers holding hands while running into the water and screaming cheerfully. It’s all for a good cause — plus, a mobile sauna awaits their return to shore.
Tile Tactics
Mahjong Meetups
Was it the high-stakes mother-in-law mahjong scene from the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians that put the tile-based strategy game on Americans’ radars? Perhaps, but one thing is certain: mah-jong mania continues to sweep the nation — and the North Fork. There are meetups at local libraries around town (game sets provided) as well as informal gatherings at players’ homes. Even local shops like Kessie in Greenport have gorgeous versions of the game for sale.
Mahjong is usually, though not necessarily, played in groups of four, and library drop-ins let solo attendees join other players. “I’ve made lots of friends at mahjong,” says Sue Duffin, a retired Cutchogue resident who was brought into the fold by a friend she met while volunteering at a food pantry. She’s been playing for four years, mostly at the Southold Free Library.
The seemingly complex game, with its 144 tiles of Bams, Dots and Cracks, can be intimidating to first timers, but Duffin insists it’s well within reach.
“My aunt learned at 94 and played until she was 97,” she says. “It’s not too hard; you just have to focus.” And socializing? “Oh, we still chat and gossip, but you have to be careful or else you lose track of what’s going on.”
Crafting a Community
North Fork Fiber Arts, northforkfiberarts.com
The rhythmic clink of knitting needles provides a soothing backdrop to the friendly chatter at North Fork Fiber Arts on Mattituck’s Love Lane, where people come to learn a new craft, perfect existing skills and meet up with friends old and new.
Owned by Karen Calabria, the store holds knitting and crochet classes ($70 for two 2-hour sessions; $50 for single-project classes), with the occasional lesson in needle felting, weaving and basketweaving taught by guest instructors. But it’s the Sit & Stitch events that turn socializing up a notch.
Held the first and third Monday of each month after the shop closes, patrons can bring whatever crafting project they’re working on, get help if needed, BYOB or enjoy wine brought in from a local vineyard.
Mattituck resident Alexa Annunziata, director of outreach for Peconic Baykeeper, has been coming to Sit & Stitch for about three years.
“It’s very important in the winter months when things slow down,” she says. “It’s nice to sit down with familiar faces twice a month and see what everyone is working on while catching up with folks.”
Auto Focus
NOFO Car Club, @nofocarclub on Instagram
If there’s one thing car aficionados love more than cars, it’s talking about them.
NOFO Car Club gives them ample opportunity to do both. Vaino Narma, a self-described “car guy” who moved to the North Fork five years ago, founded the traveling club with a spirit of inclusivity. Now, the mailing list is 100-people strong.
“The notion was to get a place where people could feel comfortable to bring their cars, no matter the brand, model or value — as long as you are happy about it and want to share with others,” Narma says. “We’ve seen everything from a $500,000 Ferrari to a Mercedes Smart Car to a 1960s Saab Rally Car to a kid who showed up in his grandfather’s rusted pickup.” More women are showing up too, he adds.
This year, the club is planning at least six Cars & Coffee meetups at Southold Social, with plans for a North Fork Road Rally, Sunday morning group-drive Coffee Runs (“Gotta get the cars out of the garages!” Narna says) and a Track Day.
An Old-Fashioned Dinner Club
The Office of W.A. Williams, North Fork Apothecary, @the_office_of_wa_williams on Instagram
W.A. Williams was the original proprietor of an 1875 general store now operating as The North Fork Apothecary in Cutchogue. In tribute to the building’s legacy as a community gathering spot, current owners Stephanie and David Sack renovated Williams’s upstairs office into a cozy, old-fashioned supper club.
“Mr. Williams was a true character, so when we send out the dinner invitation, we try to make it in his voice: Come wrapped in a sweater, or in hubris — either works, and prepare for an evening where the leaves fall gently, the laughter falls loudly, and no one falls down the stairs (unless they were headed that way anyway),” quotes David.
Co-ed parties are held at least once a month on weekends, with Gentlemen’s Nights during the week. The space, which contains a poker table and oversized TV, can seat 22 for dinner (food is prepared by chef Craig Huttenlocher) and 30 for cocktails. The space is also available for private parties.
“The dinner club idea was borne out of The Apothecary as an organic way to bring together all the wonderful people we’ve met through the shop,” says Stephanie. “The Gentlemen’s Nights have completely taken on a life of their own and have transformed into a convivial dinner club for dads to make friends and enjoy a steak.”
While events are currently invite-only, the couple plans to open them up to the Apothecary community this spring in a “more organized membership program.”
Neo-Networking
W.E.B. NORTH FORK (Women’s Entrepreneurial Business North Fork), @w.e.b_northfork on Instagram
Being a businesswoman or sole proprietor can be demanding, especially for those who spend long days behind a laptop or in their shop. Connecting with other working women, sharing experiences and unwinding over a glass of wine can offer a real sense of camaraderie and support.
Melinda Morris, owner of gift and stationery store Arni Paperie in Southold, founded W.E.B. North Fork four years ago to form a community of working women. The group now has over 1,500 followers on Instagram.
At the meetups, held weekdays at a winery or restaurant and with about 50 in attendance, women do wear nametags and introduce themselves, but Morris insists it’s more “unstructured and casual” than formal networking.
“Yes, they’re a great way to learn about other businesses and products and services that you might need,” she says. “But most importantly, lots of amazing friendships have come out of them.”
Sharing Stories
Well-Spoken Writers Club, [email protected]
“You don’t need to be a professional writer to write a good story; you just need to be a good storyteller,” says Frank Petrignani, founder of the Well-Spoken Writers Club and full-on supporter of aspiring and established writers.
A former newspaper reporter, Petrignani founded the club in 2024 because he missed writing. The club gathers the first Sunday of each month in a casual, intimate setting (currently the Watershed Kitchen and Bar in Jamesport) to read their fiction, non-fiction, personal essays and poems aloud and get feedback from the group. Think “open mic” without the stage or stage fright. Members range in age from their 20s to their 80s.
“When you put your thoughts and life experiences on paper and share your stories, they resonate with people,” says Petrignani. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
The club also hosts an annual competition based upon a thematic prompt (last year’s was autumn). Sandra Archbold, 81, won second place for “The Autumn Dance,” an essay she wrote about meeting her husband. Despite never writing anything beyond schoolwork, the contest inspired her to put pen to paper. “Now she writes regularly and has all these life stories to pass down to her children,” Petrignani says.
Fishing for Friends
North Fork Anglers Club, nofoanglers.com
If you think of fishing as just an excuse to drink beer on a boat, move along. North Fork Anglers, a self-declared “Gentleman’s Fishing Club,” takes itself and its mission very seriously. “Rules” include “no drinking and no demeaning talk about any group, be it politics or significant others,” says Larry Welcome, the club’s president. There’s also a heavy dose of environmentalism, from the catch-and-release ethos to the educational sessions.
The 50-member club doesn’t fish together, per se, as participants tend to have their own circle of fishing buddies or they prefer to surf cast solo. But members can drop into monthly meetings at the Mattituck-Laurel Library to tell stories, trade photos and learn from guest speakers. They can also partake in club tournaments or learn about the latest fishing gear.
Community outreach is a throughline, from beach cleanups to children’s events. “We’ll do a Porgy Day, where we teach kids how to tie a knot, bait a hook and cast out, catch a porgy, that sort of thing,” says Welcome. There’s even a scholarship for a worthy Mattituck-Cutchogue High School student “who isn’t just an above-average fisherman, but an environmentalist and a gentleman.”
