Perhaps the most famous celebration of the Hamptons is the Hampton Classic horse show. The showgrounds are on 240 Snake Hollow Road in Bridgehampton and the gates open at 8 in the morning daily from August 29th to September 5th, 2027. Most people drive to the Hampton Classic from points west, and the route involves driving along the Long Island Expressway east and then along Route 27 east. You finally turn onto Snake Hollow Road. Alternatively, you can take the Hampton Jitney bus all the way from Manhattan.
Long Island Expressway
If you are starting out from Manhattan, take the Long Island Expressway out of town. Follow this road east all the way to Exit 70. Turn south on Eastport Manorville Road and go for about 5 miles. Here you pick up the Sunrise Highway going east.
After crossing the Shinnecock Canal, Sunrise Highway (Route 27) becomes a two-lane road known as County Road 39. You follow this for several miles until it finally meets up with Montauk Highway. Turn left (east) on Montauk Highway and follow it for about 5 miles. Follow the Montauk Highway through the center of Water Mill. Past the Bridgehampton Commons traffic light, look out for the Gulf gas station on the left. Turn left here, just before Dime Bank, onto Snake Hollow Road. After going over the railroad tracks, the Spectator Entrance to the Hampton Classic is on the left.
If you are leaving from New Jersey, take the New Jersey Turnpike north to exit 13. Cross Staten Island on Route 278 to the Verrazano Bridge. From there, follow the Brooklyn Queens Expressway north to the Long Island Expressway east to Exit 70. From western Long Island or the South Shore, pick up the Southern State Parkway. Take it east to the exit for Sunrise Highway in Oakdale. Continue along Sunrise Highway and go for about 30 miles until you reach the Shinnecock Canal.
If you fly into Islip MacArthur Airport, pick up Veterans Memorial Highway (Route 454) heading east a few miles until it meets Route 27. Go east along this for about 35 miles until you reach Bridgehampton. Starting out in Riverhead, take Route 24 south past the Big Duck toward the south shore. When you get to Sunrise Highway (Route 27), take it east toward Montauk.
If you are coming from Upper New England, start off on the Cross Sound Ferry from New London, Connecticut, to Orient Point in eastern Long Island. From there, pick up Route 25A for 7 miles until you get to Main Street. At that intersection, head toward Greenport and continue along Front Street until you reach the North Ferry. Take the North Ferry to Shelter Island. You will need cash for the ferry. Take Route 114 to the South Ferry, where you will be happy to have cash again. When you get off this ferry, follow the signs to Sag Harbor and turn right as you enter town. At the end of Main Street, take a right on the Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike. Take the right onto Scuttlehole Road, and continue to Mitchell Lane. Take the left onto Mitchell Lane and finally take the right onto Snake Hollow, where you will find the Hampton Classic.
To avoid the ferries, you should take Route 25A west from Orient toward New York. When you reach Riverhead, take Route 105 going south until you meet up with Flanders Road (Route 24). Take Route 24 south until you find Route 27, where you turn east.
Admission to the Hampton Classic
Each year, over the entire span of the show, the organizers expect something on the order of 50,000 people to come see the horses. At the entry gate, pay the daily parking fee of $25 per carload. You can pay here, or buy in advance online. Admission to the Hampton Classic is free for seniors, active-duty military, veterans, and also for people who bring three non-perishable food items for the Sag Harbor Food Pantry.
If you come on Grand Prix Sunday, you will need a reserved grandstand seat to watch the Longines Grand Prix and the 2* Grand Prix that precedes it. There is no standing room available for these two events. Reserved grandstand tickets do not include parking, which costs extra but can be bought at the same time you get your Grand Prix seats. You may drink alcohol on the showgrounds. However, no glass containers or dogs are allowed in the grandstands. You may be subject to a bag search on entry.
If You Are Not Driving
If you are not driving, the Hampton Jitney bus service is the show’s recommended choice. It goes from Manhattan to Bridgehampton. Another alternative is the LIRR Bridgehampton train station, though it does not have good service. The Bridgehampton station is at the corner of Maple Lane and Butter Lane on the Montauk branch. The Cannonball train only stops here during the summer, and schedules change sometimes.
