Around town: the week of August 31, 2026
Five local notes from the week of August 31, 2026, in and around the Town of Smithtown, each with its source.
Seawolves Open Season With a Marathon Five Setter
Stony Brook's volleyball team kicked off its 2026 season down in Orlando with a five set win over Robert Morris, part of a weekend tournament put on by UCF. The final scores tell the story of a back and forth night, with each team trading sets before Stony Brook pulled out the fifth 15-12.
What stood out was the defense at the net. The Seawolves piled up 17 blocks on the night, their best showing in that category in years. A handful of newcomers made an early mark too, and a fourth set collapse that let Robert Morris force the decider only set up a tighter finish once Stony Brook regrouped.
The team turned right around to play again that same day against NC State, so the season opened with a full weekend of volleyball before anyone even got back to Long Island. More from Stony Brook University Athletics.
Having a Division I program so close by is one of those small perks of living in this part of Smithtown. Curious what else the area offers? Take a look at /towns/.
A Commack Food Account Turns Into a Small Business
A Commack native has built a following online by posting about food, and that following has grown into an actual business. The account, known as Your Foodie Princess, started as a way to share meals and recommendations and turned into something people now rely on for where to eat.
According to Newsday, the growth reflects how much appetite there is on Long Island for finding new spots to eat, whether that means a diner that has been around for decades or a new place that just opened. Commack sits close enough to Smithtown that plenty of the same restaurants and takeout spots get mentioned in both directions.
It is a reminder that food content like this often works because the towns themselves have so much to offer within a short drive. If you are curious what else is nearby when you are picking a neighborhood, our town guide breaks down what each area around here is known for.
A Football Field Becomes a Volleyball Court in Smithtown
Smithtown High School East hosted something new this week. Crews built a full volleyball court right on the football field, and East and West took their longtime rivalry outside for what organizers believe was a first for high school play on Long Island.
The idea came from East's girls coach and took months of planning before the district signed off. Athletic director Jason Lambert said the finished setup went beyond what he pictured. East came away with wins on both sides of the net, and players from both schools said the outdoor version of the game felt like a different sport entirely, one they were glad to try.
It is a small thing, a court built for one week on a field that usually holds football. But it is the kind of local detail that tells you something about how a school district spends its time between the seasons everyone expects.
Curious what else is happening around town this fall. Take a look at the Smithtown guide or see what your own place might be worth these days at my home value.
Story via Greater Long Island.
The Old Hospital Grounds at Kings Park Still Draw Memories
Kings Park State Hospital sat on about 100 acres above the Long Island Sound, and for close to a century it was one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in New York State. It first took in patients in the 1880s and by the mid 1900s housed thousands of people at once, cared for by a large staff who lived and worked right in the surrounding community.
A recent piece in the Northport Journal shares one family's memory of visiting a relative committed there decades ago, a reminder of how much personal history is tied up in that stretch of Kings Park. The hospital closed its doors long ago, but its buildings and grounds are still part of the landscape people pass every day, now folded into the state park and preserve that sits above the water.
It is one of those places where the past and the present sit close together, which is part of what makes Kings Park worth walking through slowly. Curious how this corner of Smithtown compares to others nearby? The town guide at /towns/ is a good place to start.
A Commack Connection to Babylon's Argyle Theatre
The Argyle Theatre in Babylon is starting a new chapter. A director with roots in Commack has been named the theater's next artistic director, taking over from the person who helped build its name over the past nine seasons. The incoming director already has history with the Argyle stage, having directed a Disney production there earlier this year, and comes off a run leading a playhouse in Illinois.
The outgoing director leaves behind a run of productions that shaped the Argyle's reputation for big, polished shows, and he will direct one more before he goes, a holiday classic set to open next fall. The two first crossed paths in the Argyle's lobby years ago, and that early conversation about staging turned into a friendship that now becomes a handoff. It is a reminder of how much Long Island talent ends up staying close to home, or finding their way back to it, according to Greater Long Island.
Commack sits close enough to Babylon that a night at the Argyle is an easy plan, and stories like this one are part of what makes the area feel connected rather than scattered. If you are curious what else is nearby or thinking about your own place on this stretch of the Island, take a look at /towns/ or check /my-home-value/ when you are ready.