A popular annual event celebrating East Hampton’s maritime heritage might be another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, but may also happen in modified form this year.
The East Hampton Town Trustees considered ways to hold the annual Largest Clam Contest, an event that usually takes place in the fall on the grounds of the Lamb Building in Amagansett, in a manner that would ensure public safety while still awarding prizes to the children and adults who enter the largest specimen they can find in four of the town’s waterways.
Susan McGraw Keber suggested on Monday that in the interest of safety it may not be possible to hold this year’s contest, which also includes a clam chowder contest, a free raw bar and clam chowder for those attending, and a short lesson on the trustees’ role in the town and its management.
Jim Grimes agreed that the public’s attendance would be “problematic,” but “we don’t have a crystal ball as to where we will be a month from now.” He described the contest as an event that children should be able to enjoy regardless of the pandemic as they compete for donated prizes that usually include fishing and clamming gear.
“We can perhaps do it very much like we do these meetings,” Mr. Grimes said. “We can do it on LTV.” It would be unfortunate not to hold a social event, he said, “but I’d hate like hell to deprive the kids of this event and the prizes.”
The event could be limited to contest participants and with social distancing protocols observed, he suggested. “Everybody’s out there clamming, fishing — we keep whittling down the things people have to do. I think this is an opportunity to retain some normality in our lives.”
Entrants typically take clams harvested from Lake Montauk, Napeague Harbor, Accabonac Harbor, and Three Mile Harbor to one of several seafood shops in the town, where they are kept until the contest. They are weighed and winners announced in adult and children’s categories for each waterway. “I think we could pull that off,” Mr. Grimes said, “in a very safe and secure manner, and not abandon this.”
Earlier this year, Ben Dollinger, who is serving his first term as a trustee, was named chairman of this year’s contest. He pointed to the Clamshell Foundation’s annual sand castle contest, which is typically held at Atlantic Avenue Beach in Amagansett but happened in a virtual form on Saturday, with participants sending pictures of their creations via email and on Instagram, and with winners announced on Sunday. “That worked out really well,” he said. “I think we can do a blend,” perhaps with entrants sending videos of their clam-harvesting efforts and a live weigh-in event.
“Plus,” Mr. Dollinger said, “clamming is a great social distancing activity."
Francis Bock, the trustees’ clerk, asked that Mr. Dollinger and any of his colleagues further develop plans for the contest and present their recommendations at the body’s next meeting, on Aug. 24.
