If you're out east this week, add this to your plans. Hero Volley -- the beach volleyball tournament founded by three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings -- is back in Montauk July 28-30, and it's one of those summer events that delivers.

I went last year. The wellness session was a highlight -- Kerri is magnetic in person, and getting to hear her talk about her Olympic career in that setting was genuinely special. We also brought the kids to the Pro-Am tournament, and what struck me most was the mix of people on the sand -- local families, serious volleyball fans, people who just wandered over and stayed for hours. That's a hard thing to manufacture and Hero Volley has it naturally.

If you're looking for the best free thing to do on a Tuesday night in the Hamptons this summer, this is it.

Tuesdays at Main Beach is back for its fifth season, and it's become one of those summer traditions that just feels like East Hampton at its best. Free live music, ocean sunsets, a blanket on the sand, and thousands of people showing up simply because it's a beautiful evening and there's nowhere else they'd rather be.

The series is presented by the East Hampton Village Foundation and runs every Tuesday evening through September 8th, starting at 6pm. No tickets, no reservations -- just show up.

If you've been coming to Montauk for any length of time, you remember the conversation. New ownership at Gosman's, and suddenly everyone had an opinion. It was going to be different. The magic was going to be gone. The place that had been a Montauk institution for decades was about to become something unrecognizable.

That was a few years ago now. And I'm happy to report - Topside is exactly what it's always been.

I had high expectations for The Hedges Inn reopening. I was not disappointed.

After a full off-season renovation, one of East Hampton's most beloved properties quietly returned this week, and from the moment you arrive, it's clear that real thought and care went into every detail.

Most people drive right past Madoo in Sagaponack. And honestly? That's part of what makes it special.

Tucked away on Sagg Lake Lane, the Madoo Conservancy is a historic garden established in 1967 by artist, gardener, and writer Robert Dash. It's been called "an ever-changing masterpiece" by the New York Times -- and once you walk through the entrance marked by four large stone pots, you'll understand why. It feels less like a garden and more like stepping into someone's living, breathing work of art.