What Event Producer Vanessa Gordon Has on Her Radar for the Hamptons and Montauk Summer Season

As the Hamptons and Montauk prepare for another high-energy summer, longtime local event producer and East End Taste founder Vanessa Gordon is looking beyond the obvious.

For Gordon, who has spent years producing, covering, and attending some of the East End’s most talked-about events, the season is not just about where to be seen. It is about what feels intentional, elevated, and genuinely connected to the elevated lifestyle of the East End.

“As a longtime local, I look at the season a little differently,” says Gordon. “The Hamptons and Montauk are filled with beautiful dinners, beach clubs, brand activations, wellness moments, and benefits, but the ones that stand out feel thoughtful. People want something special, but also grounded in where they are.”

This summer, Gordon has her eye on wellness launches, culinary openings, local markets, waterfront hospitality, benefits, and Montauk nightlife.

For Gordon, wellness remains one of the strongest Hamptons categories, but the concepts standing out this season feel more immersive, intelligent, and social.

“The hottest ticket in the Hamptons is not always a dinner reservation anymore,” Gordon says. “Sometimes, it is a workout.”

One space on her radar is Post House in Sag Harbor, co-founded by celebrity trainer Walter Savage and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Geno McDermott. The studio blends strength training and Pilates, and welcomes a ton of fun brand activations throughout the Hamptons summer season.

Another launch on her radar is Tracy Anderson’s new Growth Ring Strength class, now available at Tracy Anderson studios. The offering introduces strength-training tools with hand weights ranging from under two pounds to more than 20 pounds. Gordon has been taking Tracy Anderson’s classes in Water Mill and virtually since 2016.

“What I find interesting is that it is not just about lifting heavier or pushing harder,” Gordon says. “There is a more intelligent approach to strength training emerging, especially in the Hamptons, where people are wellness-conscious but also want longevity, alignment, recovery, and elegance in movement.”

Gordon is also watching the culinary scene closely as restaurants and hospitality concepts bring a more global lens to local ingredients.

In Bridgehampton, Nourish has debuted. Led by acclaimed Balinese chef Dewa Wijaya, the restaurant draws from the Hamptons’ seasonal bounty while incorporating influences from Wijaya’s Balinese heritage.

“What I love about Nourish is that it does not feel like it is trying to imitate something else,” Gordon says. “It is rooted in the East End, but it has a global point of view, much like East End Taste’s ethos.”

Also on Gordon’s radar is Sushi by Bou in Westhampton Beach, which features an intimate 12-course omakase experience. “A counter-style omakase experience works because it feels personal, social, and transportive,” she says.

Westhampton Beach is also gaining momentum with Citarella’s new market. After more than 25 years in the Hamptons, the gourmet market has expanded with its fourth East End location.

“This is a meaningful opening for Westhampton Beach,” Gordon says. “Citarella has deep roots in the Hamptons, and having a location farther west gives residents, weekenders, and hosts easier access to the high-quality seafood, butcher selections, prepared foods, produce, and specialty items people rely on during the season.”

The market offers cut-to-order seafood, Montauk tilefish, branzino from Tuscany, Prime dry-aged beef, chef-prepared foods, baked desserts, produce, and specialty imports.

In Montauk, Gordon is watching concepts that speak to the evolution of the area’s hospitality scene. Barlume Beach Montauk, from LDV Hospitality, is one project she is particularly interested in. From the team behind Scarpetta and The Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton, the seven-acre coastal destination will include a beach club, restaurant, hotel, and marina.

“Montauk has always had this raw, magnetic energy,” Gordon says. “What is interesting now is seeing concepts that bring a European beach club sensibility while still respecting that laidback Montauk scene .”

Also returning for its second season is Mary Lou’s Montauk, following an opening season with performances from Austin Millz, Coco & Breezy, Chromeo, MOONLGHT, The Castellows, and collaborations with Sushi by Bou and Arthur & Sons.

“Mary Lou’s brings a nightlife and culinary crossover that feels very current,” Gordon says. “People are looking for places where dinner, music, and surprise moments all blur together.”

Gordon is also watching how East End resorts are expanding beyond lodging and dining into fully programmed lifestyle destinations.

At Montauk Yacht Club, Memorial Day Weekend will mark the start of the season with live music, DJ sets, yoga, Pilates, tennis clinics, family-friendly activations, marina-side dining, and programming around ALBA Spiaggia. MYC will also celebrate the debut of The Courts with a Casa Club x Wilson exhibition match.

“What stands out to me is the layering,” Gordon says. “It is not just a hotel stay. It is courts, wellness, music, dining, marina culture, and social energy all happening in one place.”

On Shelter Island, The Pridwin Hotel & Cottages returns with “The Art of Summer,” including Sundowners on Shelter with a Dante-curated cocktail menu, Mahjong & Martinis, a Tammy Fender skincare residency, boating with Barton & Gray Mariners Club, and much more.

“The Pridwin feels like a classic American summer, but refreshed,” Gordon says. “Shelter Island has a quieter magic, and it is the only destination on the East End that is a true escape from the crowds and the ‘noise’.”

The Hamptons has also become a seasonal hub for beauty, aesthetics, and pre-event preparation. In Bridgehampton, JECT offers Botox, dermal fillers, SkinVive, facial balancing, Sculptra, Sofwave, PRFM, and Aquagold. Gordon is also watching ROWE Plastic Surgery, with offices in Watermill and New York City, among others.

“Beauty in the Hamptons is very much tied to lifestyle,” Gordon says.

While restaurants and hospitality openings generate buzz, Gordon says philanthropic events remain one of the most meaningful parts of the Hamptons summer.

She has circled the Hetrick-Martin Institute’s School’s Out Benefit on Saturday, July 25, in Bridgehampton. Also on her radar is the 68th Annual Summer Party on Saturday, August 1, under the tents on Wickapogue Road, supporting Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and the Stony Brook East Hampton Emergency Department.

Later in the month, the Southampton Arts Center SummerFest Gala takes place Saturday, August 22, supporting SAC’s year-round exhibitions, performances, films, classes, and conversations. This year, SAC will recognize John Paulson with the 2026 Champion of the Arts Award.

These events are all in addition to her own production efforts with the Hamptons Interactive Brunch and summer wellness partnerships with Porsche and Audi in Southampton, and Hamptons Hybrid Wellness / Hamptons Jiu Jitsu. In fact, she has been training in BJJ since 2022.

“People sometimes think of Hamptons events as purely social, but many of the most important ones are deeply philanthropic,” Gordon says. “Those events have staying power because they give people a reason to gather beyond the guest list.”

As an event producer, Gordon says she is most interested in experiences that feel entirely intentional from start to finish.

“The Hamptons are saturated in the summer,” she says. “A beautiful setting is not enough. A brand activation and a gorgeous presence is not enough. The details have to work together: the guest list, the pacing, the food and beverage, the brand presence, the photography, the flow, and the way people feel when they leave. And we need to laugh and celebrate more!”

“The best events have a clear identity and are also fun,” she adds. “They know exactly who they are for and how and when to loosen the reins a bit. Remember, the Hamptons is a vacation destination and its beauty should be celebrated in every moment.”

Her perspective comes from East End Taste and years of living, working, and producing events in the region.

“As a lifelong local, I always notice when something feels authentic to the East End versus when it feels dropped in for the season,” she says. “The Hamptons and Montauk have their own rhythm. The most successful brands and events understand that uniqueness.”

“The Hamptons summer season is about embracing and creating the moments that actually feel worth showing up for.”