New Year’s Eve in the Pines
A Global Holiday Tradition Pines-Style
New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration around the world, and the Pines is no exception. Although the Fire Island season is considered by most to be long over, Pines community members have been coming together to ring in the new year for decades.
It began with the small cadre of year-rounders, but over time more and more homeowners who winter off-island began coming out . With the commercial businesses closed, parties were held at private homes. These ranged from quiet gatherings to more elaborate events — including a huge bash at the TV House on Ocean Walk in the late 60s that is still talked about today.
TV House in 1960s. Photo credit: Unknown.
It was not until the 1990s however, did a centerpiece event emerge when Scott Bromley and his husband Tony Impavido established what became a tradition -- an early evening New Year’s Eve party held at the traditional Pines Teatime from 6 pm to 8 pm.
What began as an event for ‘the crazies who come out in the winter’ (as Scott endearingly calls his off-season neighbors), the party took root and rapidly grew in popularity. Open to everyone – Scott and Tony posted an invitation in the harbor – its timing allowed people to toast with friends and neighbors before going off to their own dinners or other parties. It also allowed those who preferred early evenings to participate.
New Year’s Eve Party Invitation. Photo courtesy of Scott Bromley.
Good cocktails make for good parties. Scott and Tony, long famous for their ‘Margaritas from Hell’, created a yuletide version named ‘Christmas Margaritas’ by adding a splash of cranberry juice to the concoction. No less lethal, the cocktail helped the event become a fixture on the Pines calendar. A diverse mix of guests came from across the Pines, as well as neighboring communities. Over the years they included people like Clern and Carole LaFountaine, the second of a multi-generational, year-round family who played an instrumental role in the development of the Pines, as well as current FIPPOA President Henry Robin and his husband Bob McGarity, business owners Karen and Walter Boss, and Doug Harris and Bill Van Parys, who own the famous A-Frame house on the Bay.
The crowd size varied from year to year. As Tony noted:
“The number of guests we had depended on the weather and what day of the week New Year’s Eve fell. On very cold or snowy days or if New Year’s was on a Wednesday, we got a smaller turnout. But on warm days or weekends, it could be quite large. One unseasonably warm year we had so many people our Tea House became the overflow room!”
Longtime Pines residents Larry Tallamy and Jerry Gaschen, who are known for their extraordinary garden on Ocean Walk and their role as volunteer drivers of the Pines Mobility Cart, were regular attendees:
“Scott and Tony are fantastic hosts. Beyond the potent margaritas there was an extraordinary spread of food in a place of gorgeous architecture with a warm wood stove. One night there was a heavy snowfall, and it felt like being inside a snow globe. Most of all, they made sure everyone felt welcome and appreciated.”
Larry Tallamy and Jerry Gaschen in the Pines Mobility Cart. Photo courtesy of Larry Tallamy.
The party came to a crashing halt during COVID. As Scott and Tony noted, it was sad, but essential. However, like everything else, post-COVID demand was back and stronger than ever. It was at this juncture that Scott and Tony passed the mantle to their neighbors, Pines realtor Vinnie Petrarca and his husband John Krawchuk, who is President of the non-profit, Friends of Carrington.
The move was impulsive as Vinnie noted: “The impetus for us inheriting the party from Scott and Tony was a huge tin of caviar that we received as a gift from a client. What better way to bring in the new year in the Pines, but with caviar and cocktails?”
Vinnie Petrarca and John Krawchuk at the 2024 NYE party at their home in the Pines. Photo courtesy of Vinnie Petrarca.
John and Vinnie both acknowledge their approach to the party is more off-the-cuff than Scott and Tony’s. They have continued with the Teatime tradition, but rather than posting an invitation in the harbor, they rely on word of mouth, encouraging everyone they see to come and bring friends. As a result, the party has continued to be a place where people can get to know neighbors they never met in the summer and also spend time with good friends.
New Year’s Eve 2024 Pines. Photo courtesy of Brad Ingals.
One thing that has changed is the number of people who attend. With the post-COVID influx of new homeowners and improved infrastructure (including high speed internet) the Pines has grown much more popular in the off-season, especially around the holidays. Some even show up in ‘Christmas Drag’. As Vinnie noted:
“Many new homeowners buy with the intention of using their homes well into winter. With H2O and private boats, they are not as dependent on the ferry schedule, and are able to take advantage of freight service for delivery of food and household items via Peapod, Cornucopia and others. Some even put up Christmas trees and decorate their houses, creating a great holiday ambiance, especially with a fire going.”
The increase in off-season residents has served to bolster the feeling of community in the Pines. It’s also meant that there are now more ‘off-season’ parties, which on New Year’s Eve have been known to rage into the wee hours. Indeed, for some, Vinnie and John’s party is just the first stop in a long evening of festivities.
One more recent tradition is heading down the beach for Cherry Grove’s annual ball drop. Like the Pines and other Fire Island communities, the Grove has a number of residents who come out to celebrate the New Year.
In a local take on the Times Square tradition that started in 2021, some Cherry Grove residents host their own version of the midnight ‘ball drop’ on Doctors Walk. The event has grown in popularity and an increasing number of Pines residents make the trek west, especially when the weather is mild.
Ball drop in Cherry Grove. Photo courtesy of Fire Island News.
While New Year’s Eve celebrations are rarely historic in and of themselves, their longevity and growing popularity in both the Pines and Cherry Grove tell a larger story. They are evidence that these are not merely beach resorts, but full-fledged communities that operate long after the summer visitors have left. The population is a mix of year-rounders and those who split time with the mainland, but at their core they are people who have put down roots in these places.
Vinnie Petrarca concurs: “I always tell new homebuyers that not only are they getting a great beach house, but they are joining an amazing and historic community where they will likely meet people who will become friends for life."
Vinnie Petrarca with a client in winter 2025. Photo courtesy of Vinnie Petrarca.
What has helped create this culture is that both the Pines and Cherry Grove were forged by people who wished to have a community of their own in a world that was largely hostile to many of them. As one resident noted: “It wasn’t built for us, it was built by us.”
These roots have made for strong and durable community bonds. In that light it is not surprising that year after year a growing number choose the Pines as the place to say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new one. In this way, they have made New Year’s Eve one of its enduring traditions.