The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill will open its doors at no charge on Saturday, December 5, 2026, for Winter Welcome Day, a full day of free gallery admission, hands-on art workshops, curator-led tours, food trucks and a holiday market with more than 20 vendors. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 279 Montauk Highway, and no registration is needed to attend.

The museum lists the day as free and open to all. On a regular day, adult admission is $20, so the Saturday gives families and first-time visitors a chance to see the galleries, the Creativity Lounge, the Museum Shop and the Parrish Café without buying a ticket. The program is presented by GeekHampton.

What is on the schedule

According to the museum's Winter Welcome Day page, the day is organized in blocks so visitors can plan around what interests them most:

  • Free admission, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: all galleries, the Creativity Lounge, the Museum Shop and the Parrish Café.
  • Art activities and workshops, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: holiday card collaging and abstract snowflake impressions in the Creativity Lounge and classroom.
  • Imagination Play Project, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: open-ended building and creative play for children of all ages and abilities, led by Play Curator Linda White.
  • Winter Wonderland 3D Landscape, noon to 3 p.m.: a classroom project with arts educator Wendy Gottlieb.
  • Holiday market, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: vendors set up inside the Lichtenstein Theater.
  • Food trucks, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: on the Mildred C. Brinn Event Lawn and Terrace, with Balo's among the trucks named.
  • Book signing, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Parrish collection artist Donald Sultan signs his new Rizzoli book, Donald Sultan: Flowers, in the interior lobby.

There is also a small extra in the lobby: a Mini Print Vending Machine from Inciardi Prints that dispenses a surprise print for $1 in quarters, including a print made for the Parrish.

Curator-led gallery tours

Between noon and 1:15 p.m., museum curators will lead three short tours. Space is limited and the museum asks visitors to register in advance for these, even though the rest of the day needs no sign-up.

  • 12 to 12:15 p.m.: FRESH PAINT: Chase Hall, with Scout Hutchinson, The FLAG Art Foundation Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Parrish.
  • 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.: Abstract Expressionism: The East End, 1940 to Today, with Associate Curator Kaitlin Halloran.
  • 12:45 to 1:15 p.m.: William Merritt Chase and Walter Granville-Smith: American Impressionists of the East End, also with Halloran.

Two new exhibitions this month

The tours land just after the Parrish adds two shows to its galleries. William Merritt Chase and Walter Granville-Smith: American Impressionists of the East End opened November 14 and runs through March 21, 2027. It pairs two painters who worked on Long Island, Chase (1849 to 1916) and Granville-Smith (1870 to 1938), with scenes that range from society gatherings to family life and East End landscapes. The show is part of the museum's PARRISH USA250 series marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Janet Cardiff: The Forty Part Motet opens November 22 and stays through February 14, 2027. The museum notes it is the first exhibition of the Canadian artist's work on the East End. The piece is her 2001 sound installation built from a sixteenth-century choral composition by Thomas Tallis. It is presented with The FLAG Art Foundation. Both shows are listed on the museum's upcoming exhibitions page.

Anyone who wants an early look at the Chase and Granville-Smith show can attend a panel on Saturday, November 21, at 4 p.m. in the Lichtenstein Theater. Halloran will talk with Suzanne Siano and Shauna Young of Modern Art Conservation. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for guests of members; members, Resident Benefits PassHolders, students and children attend free. The theater opens at 3:45 p.m., and advance registration is recommended.

Holiday market vendors

The museum's vendor list, current as of November 12, includes jewelry, knits, ceramics, candles, soaps, books and home goods from makers such as Southampton Soap Company, Hamptons Handpoured, Mecox Gardens, Brian Burgess Ceramics, The Clay Art Guild of the Hamptons, Briar Press NY Publishing, Ms. Shevy Knits, Swimming Llama Knits and Provence Platters, among others. The market is full, and the Parrish says new vendors can ask to join a waitlist by writing to [email protected].

Plan your visit

Winter Welcome Day is Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Highway, Water Mill. Admission and activities are free and no registration is required, except for the curator-led tours, which ask for advance sign-up on the event page. The museum's visitor information notes free parking behind the building. Regular museum hours are Thursday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For questions, call 631-283-2118.

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