Cherry Grove, Fire Island

Before the Pines had its architecture and its circuit parties, before there was a Pride parade in any American city, there was Cherry Grove. This tiny, car-free hamlet on Fire Island has been a gay summer haven since the 1930s — a place where queer New Yorkers came to be fully themselves decades before Stonewall, and where a lot of modern gay culture, from drag pageantry to the very idea of a gay resort town, was quietly invented.

Today Cherry Grove is the older, campier, more come-as-you-are of Fire Island's two gay hamlets — the drag-forward counterpoint to the glossier Pines a short walk east. It's smaller, friendlier, and dripping with history, and for a lot of people it's the more welcoming place to land. Here's the complete guide.

Cherry Grove 2026 Overview

The essentials at a glance:

• What it is: Fire Island's original gay hamlet — camp, drag, and community, since the 1930s
• Where: On Fire Island's central stretch, immediately west of the Fire Island Pines
• The vibe: Bohemian, welcoming, drag-forward and unpretentious — less scene, more family
• Getting there: The Sayville Ferry to Cherry Grove (no cars on the island)
• Nightlife: The historic Ice Palace dancefloor and the waterfront Cherry's on the Bay
• Signature events: The Invasion of the Pines (July 4), Fire Island Leather Weekend (May), and Spartacus (September) all center on the Grove

The History: America's First Gay Town

Cherry Grove's claim is a big one, and it's earned: it is often called the birthplace of the American gay community. Theater people and artists began summering here in the 1930s, drawn by cheap rentals and a hands-off distance from the mainland, and by the 1940s and '50s the Grove had become an established gay and lesbian enclave — one of the only places in America where queer people could live openly, if only for a season.

At the heart of it is the Cherry Grove Community House & Theater, home to the volunteer-run Arts Project of Cherry Grove since 1948 and often described as the oldest continuously operating gay summer theater in the country. In 2013 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as one of the first sites recognized specifically for its LGBTQ history — a rare official acknowledgment that this little boardwalk hamlet is a genuine landmark of queer America.

Cherry Grove's importance is so well established that it has its own definitive history book: anthropologist Esther Newton's 1993 ethnography, subtitled "Sixty Years in America's First Gay and Lesbian Town." That subtitle isn't marketing — it's the scholarly consensus. And note the phrase "gay and lesbian": from the beginning the Grove was a shared haven, one of the only places in mid-century America where lesbians could vacation openly too, which is part of why it still feels more mixed and more welcoming than the gay-male-dominated Pines. Early gathering spots became legendary as some of the first places in the country where queer people could socialize in the open, and the community rebuilt and carried on even after the catastrophic 1938 hurricane flattened much of the island.

The Grove also gave the world one of gay culture's great traditions. Each summer it crowns a Homecoming Queen, and in 1976 — after a Grove drag performer was reportedly turned away in the buttoned-up Pines — the Grove's queens sailed over in full drag to "invade" their neighbor. That act of camp defiance became the annual Invasion of the Pines, which in 2026 celebrates its 51st edition. It's the perfect distillation of Cherry Grove: turning exclusion into a party.

Cherry Grove vs. the Fire Island Pines

The two hamlets are neighbors, rivals, and best friends, and knowing the difference helps you pick where to stay.

Cherry Grove is older, smaller, campier and more diverse — a genuine mix of gay men, lesbians, and everyone else, with a drag-forward, come-as-you-are spirit. Nightlife is centered on a couple of beloved institutions rather than a big club scene, and the whole place feels social and unpretentious.

Fire Island Pines is glossier and more famous for its modernist architecture, its circuit-scale parties, and a scene that skews younger, gay-male and more body-conscious. It's where Pines Party and the big tea dances peak.

Neither is "better" — they're two moods, fifteen minutes apart by water taxi. Many people stay in one and visit the other, and doing both is the fullest version of a Fire Island trip. See our Fire Island Pines guide for the other side.

Nightlife in Cherry Grove

The Grove's nightlife is smaller and more concentrated than the Pines', built around a few institutions that have anchored the hamlet for decades:

• The Ice Palace — attached to the Grove Hotel, one of the oldest gay dance clubs in the country and the Grove's late-night dancefloor. It's the historic heart of the hamlet's party scene and hosts marquee nights all season, including the Spartacus after-party.
• Cherry's on the Bay — the waterfront bar-and-restaurant right on the harbor, the Grove's daytime-into-evening social hub, with drag, dancing and a view of the bay.
• Arts Project of Cherry Grove — the historic Community House & Theater, still staging drag shows and theater all summer.

Cherry Grove Nightlife

The Ice Palace, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Cherry's On The Bay, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Arts Project of Cherry Grove, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Where to Stay in Cherry Grove

The Grove is all guesthouses and share houses — no big hotels — and on a marquee weekend they book out months ahead. The standouts:

• The Grove Hotel — the hamlet's main hotel, attached to the Ice Palace, so you're sleeping on top of the dancefloor.
• Belvedere Guest House for Men — the famous men-only, clothing-optional guesthouse, an over-the-top white Venetian-palazzo landmark and a Grove institution in its own right.
• Dune Point and other smaller guesthouses round out the options for a quieter, more residential stay.

Where to Stay in Cherry Grove

Hotel

The Grove Hotel, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

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Hotel

Belvedere Guest House for Men, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Hotel

Dune Point Guest House, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

Hotel

Froot Falls, Fire Island

Fire Island, New York

The Beach & the Outdoors

Cherry Grove's Atlantic beach is a two-minute boardwalk from the harbor — wide, clean and, by mid-week or shoulder season, gloriously empty. The Grove's stretch has long had a relaxed, anything-goes feel, and it's the center of gravity on a sunny afternoon before the tea dances start.

Just east, between the Grove and the Pines, is the wooded stretch officially the Carrington Tract, nicknamed the Judy Garland Memorial Park and known to everyone as the Meat Rack — a legendary after-dark cruising ground that's been part of Fire Island lore for generations. And a short water-taxi ride west at Sailors Haven is the Sunken Forest, a rare 300-year-old maritime holly forest laced with a boardwalk trail, protected as part of the Fire Island National Seashore — the perfect quiet morning after a big Grove night.

Where to Eat in Cherry Grove

Dining in the Grove is casual and social rather than fine-dining — the point is the harbor view and the people. Cherry's on the Bay doubles as the hamlet's main waterfront restaurant when it isn't hosting a party, and there are a handful of casual spots and a small market for provisions. Most share-house crews bring groceries over on the ferry and cook in, but a sunset dinner on the bay between the beach and the night out is part of the ritual. See our full Fire Island dining guide for the best of both hamlets.

Events in Cherry Grove

The Grove punches far above its size on the Fire Island events calendar — several of the island's signature weekends are Grove-based:

• Invasion of the Pines (July 4) — the queens gather in the Grove and sail to the Pines; 2026 is the 51st edition.
• Fire Island Leather Weekend (May) — Excelsior MC's leather season kickoff, with the Mr. Fire Island Leather Contest and the Ice Palace after-party.
• Spartacus (September) — the Cherry Grove season-closing party at the Belvedere, with the after-party at the Ice Palace.

Getting to Cherry Grove

Cherry Grove is reached only by ferry — no cars, no bridge. Take the LIRR to Sayville, a short shuttle or taxi to the Sayville ferry terminal, and the Sayville Ferry straight to the Cherry Grove dock (about a 20–30 minute crossing). Once you're there, everything's a boardwalk walk, and water taxis run to the Pines and beyond. See our full Fire Island ferry guide for schedules, tickets, and tips.

Is Cherry Grove better than the Fire Island Pines?

Neither is better — they're two different moods. Cherry Grove is older, smaller, campier, more diverse and more welcoming; the Pines is glossier, more architectural, and more of a circuit-party scene. If you want friendly and unpretentious, choose the Grove; if you want the big tea-dance scene, choose the Pines. They're a short water-taxi apart, so most people do both.

Is Cherry Grove only for gay men?

No. Cherry Grove has always been the more mixed of the two hamlets — a genuine blend of gay men, lesbians, and the wider LGBTQ+ community, with a welcoming, come-as-you-are feel. It's often considered the friendlier and more diverse of Fire Island's two gay communities.

How do you get to Cherry Grove?

By ferry only. Take the LIRR to Sayville, then the Sayville Ferry to the Cherry Grove dock — about a 20–30 minute ride across the Great South Bay. No cars are allowed on the island. See our Fire Island ferry guide for full details.

What is Cherry Grove known for?

Cherry Grove is known as the birthplace of the American gay community — a queer summer haven since the 1930s, home to the historic Community House & Theater (the country's oldest continuously operating gay summer theater), the Homecoming Queen tradition, and the origin of the Invasion of the Pines. Today it's Fire Island's drag-forward, come-as-you-are hamlet.

When is the best time to visit Cherry Grove?

The season runs Memorial Day through late September. July and August are peak, with the Invasion (July 4) and the biggest crowds; May's Leather Weekend opens the season and September's Spartacus closes it. For quieter beaches and better rates, the weeks right after Labor Day are a golden secret.

Can you visit Cherry Grove as a day trip?

Yes, easily. Because the Sayville ferry crossing is short and boats run frequently in summer, plenty of people come to Cherry Grove just for the day — a beach afternoon, a drag show at the Arts Project, or the Invasion. Take an early boat over, spend the day, and catch an evening ferry back; just confirm the last departure to Sayville before you go, since it leaves earlier than most first-timers expect and fills up on party nights.

What should I know before my first trip to Cherry Grove?

A few things make the first visit smoother: there are no cars — you'll walk boardwalks and pull your bags in a little red wagon from the dock; the hamlet is tiny and entirely walkable; lodging is guesthouses and share houses that book out months ahead for big weekends; and groceries are limited and pricey, so many people provision on the mainland in Sayville before the boat. Bring cash for water taxis, and pack layers for cool evenings even in summer. Above all, come open and social — the Grove's whole character is friendly and come-as-you-are.

Plan Your Cherry Grove Trip

Cherry Grove is Fire Island at its most historic and most human — a tiny, welcoming, drag-soaked hamlet that helped invent gay America and still throws its best parties. Whether you come for the Invasion, a leather weekend, or just a quiet stretch of beach, it's a place every LGBTQ+ traveler should see once.

Keep planning with our other Fire Island guides:

• LGBTQ+ Guide to Fire Island 2026 — the complete hub guide to both hamlets
• Fire Island Pines Gay Guide — the glossier hamlet next door
• Fire Island Ferry Guide — routes, schedules and tickets
• Complete Fire Island Events Guide 2026 — every major weekend, all season long
• Where to Stay on Fire Island 2026 — hotels, guesthouses, and share houses

And browse what's live right now: Fire Island events, Fire Island venues, and the Fire Island city page.