Summer (and yes, we know that technically May, some of June and late September are not in summer) always has been time for celebration on Long Island, either for the lure of its golden beaches or the excitement of its tony towns and villages.

Here is our list of our favorite festivals from those seasons (in chronological order, not in an order of favoritism), but no end of research—both of the academic sort and the road-tested variety—can prove that it is exhaustive. Therefore, we are asking your help, so as to make sure that the list is the best it can be, and to get more and more of you out on the roads and supporting your communities.

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The 8th Annual Huntington Tulip Festival
When: May 4
Where: Heckscher Park, Huntington Village
What: This festival features one of the Netherlands’ most famous icons, the tulip. More than 200,000 blooms are on display at this Huntington event, as well as numerous crafts-related stalls, hands-on attractions for the family and refreshment booths run by nonprofit concerns. Last year, approximately 4,500 people showed up, and a shuttle bus also takes visitors to the nearby Sheep to Shawl Festival, a look-back to colonial life that features sheep shearing and traditional crafts, at the nearby Huntington Historical Society (www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org/sheep_to_shawl.htm).
More Information: 631/351-3099; http://town.huntington.ny.us/eventdetails.cfm?eventID=372

The 25th Annual Dutch Festival
When: May 4
Where: South Campus Playhouse Quad, Hofstra University, Hempstead
What: More tulips will be featured at this annual Dutch extravaganza. With the family firmly in mind, this colorful event has an arboretum plant sale, clowns, a Boston Pops-style concert, raffles, puppets, food and face painting. And who can resist a performance by the Van Winkle Dutch Dancers or late-afternoon jazz and swing by Bon Cantwell & the Saturday Night Stompers. Did you know that Hofstra University actually has a tulip named after it? It does. Not surprisingly, it is called the Hofstra University tulip, the hybrid being officially named and presented in 1985.
More Information: 516/463-6582; www.hofstra.edu/Community/Fest/Fest_dutch.html

The 54th Annual Strawberry Festival & Country Fair
When: June 13-15
Where: Rt. 48 (Cox Neck Rd.), Mattituck
What: Everyone loves strawberries, the fruit that is probably associated with long summer evenings than any other. Organized by the local Lions Club, this finger-lickin’ event began in 1954 and is now in its 54th year. As well as strawberries and cream, chocolate-covered strawberries, strawberry shortcake and strawberry pie, the event features games, crafts, an international food court, fireworks and the crowning of a Strawberry Queen (the current monarch is Jennifer Italia from Mattituck). Volunteers can get into the event a day early (from 5 p.m.) by helping out preparing buckets and buckets of strawberries by detaching stalks—a process known as hulling.
More Information: 631/298-2222; www.mattitucklionsclub.org/StrawberryFestival.html

The Long Island International Film Expo
When: July 9-17
Where: Bellmore Movie Theatres, Bellmore
What: The Long Island International Film Expo puts on approximately 150 short and feature-length independent films over the course of eight days (check out its website in about mid-June for its movie schedule this year—submission had to be in by April 1). Local work is featured, but then so are, perhaps, filmmakers from everywhere from Azerbaijan to Zambia. This is very much an international affair, and big stars often are known to attend. The big winner last year was tense drama Meg’s Song, directed by London-born, New York City-based Brett Berg and featuring Stella Keitel, the daughter of Harvey Keitel.
More Information: 516/572-0012; debfilm@aol.com; www.longislandfilm.com

The 5th Annual Long Island Irish Festival
When: July 18-20
Where: Mattituck
What: The Irish are famous for throwing a good party, and this one does full justice to the Old Country. Three stages feature more than 40 bands and acts, with the instruments played ranging from the traditional to the modern. New York City-based Black 47 might be the best-known band here, but highly anticipated is a set by Aiofe Clancy, daughter of one of the members of the famous Clancy Brothers band. (Her first name is pronounced Eee-fah, by the way.) Lots of food (and Guinness, we imagine) and crafts also make appearances.
More Information: 631/278-6986; www.irishculturalcentre.com/festival.html

10th Annual Riverhead Blues Festival
When: July 19-20
Where: The Riverfront and Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, Riverhead
What: More music is on offer at this annual event in eastern Long Island. A grand fireworks display marks the end of the events (no event should really end without colorful pyrotechnics, we feel), and last year’s show featured Tommy Keys, Jack O’Diamonds, The Mojos, Gail Storm, Johnny Volume and Joe Vicino & The Smokedaddys (we have no idea what the music sounded like, but we love those names). Bring a fold-up chair, sit by the river and listen to the cool sounds. Food is on sale when your feet have to do more than tap.
More Information: 631/727-5782; www.vail-leavitt.org/riverblues.html

Metro NY Balloon and Music Festival
When: Aug. 8-10
Where: Brookhaven Calabro Airport, Shirley
What: This is one of the largest events anywhere in the state, not alone Long Island, and it remains popular for one very good reason—it’s fun. For example, we have no idea why we like monster trucks, but we know we do, and this festival features lots of them, as well as hot air balloons, motorcycles, skydivers, BMX bike riders, skateboarders and circus acts. Also on site are lots of food stalls, an arts and crafts gallery and a home-improvements pavilion, where Tim Allen wannabes can practice remodeling and house skills. A circus is held, and headline performers (last year: Pat Benatar, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Big Head Todd & the Monsters) perform, too. And fireworks to cap it all off with.
More Information: 516/794-4444; www.metronyballoonfest.com

The 17th Annual Seafood, Crafts & Music Festival
When: Aug. 16-17
Where: Long Island Maritime Museum, West Sayville
What: Many of our favorite festivals feature food—and why not when so much that is good comes from the fields and waters of Long island. This one is no different. Organized by the Long Island Maritime Museum to fund its continued efforts to preserve the heritage and health of the island’s shores, the two-day event features indoor and outdoor museum exhibits, approximately 150 stalls of nautical-related arts and crafts and several gigantic tents purveying fresh, delicious seafood—and lots of it, for last year more than 18,000 people showed up. That’s an awful lot of shucking. 
More Information: 631/447-8679; jab@limaritime.org; www.limaritime.org

Long Island Apple Festival
When: Sept. 28
Where: Sherwood-Jayne House, Setauket
What: Celebrating apples is as old as celebrating the United States. The two seem to go hand in hand, all the way back to the days of Johnny Appleseed. The 18th century Sherwood-Jayne House realizes this, hence its one-day festival in its original orchard. Apples take center stage, notably with a pie contest, but also entertaining families are games, crafts, demonstrations of traditional life and music, hay rides and colonial-era storytellers.
More Information: 631/692-4664; www.splia.org/hist_sherwood.htm

The Long Island Fair
When: Sept. 25-28
Where: Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Old Bethpage
What: It has the simplest name of all the festivals listed for one simple reason—It’s the oldest. The history of the fair can be traced back to 1842, when it was held on land belonging to members of The Agricultural Society of Queens, Nassau & Suffolk Counties. The King Arthur Flour Baking Contest features competitions in making bread and cookies, both for adults and children. Elsewhere is entertainment galore, with jugglers, food and crafts stalls, music, children’s races, wagon rides, petting zoos, a fair featuring a Ferris wheel, demonstrations, agriculture and livestock judging halls, lectures and games of baseball featuring rules from 150 years ago.
More Information: lifair@lifair.org; www.lifair.org