Music Lovers Take to Waters for Annual Lighthouse Music Fest

After being pushed back a day because of fears about Hurricane Earl, more than 700 boats and hundreds more people attended Sunday's 4th Annual Lighthouse Music Fest. The event, which is the only "on the water" musical extravaganza of its kind, is also a fundraiser which fuels the ongoing preservation of the Huntington Lighthouse.

"We raised about $9,000 in donations, raffle ticket sales and shirt sales," said event chairperson Monica Stoller, of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society. "Our current emergency project is obtaining and installing rip rap – the rocks around the lighthouse." Stoller added that the preservation society is looking for 650 tons of granite rip rap, which are three to five ton boulders, to prevent the lighthouse's basic structure and landing from being destroyed.

Stoller said that those in attendance started arriving Saturday night and by noon on Sunday, there were more than 500 boats surrounding the lighthouse. Then, during a seven-hour set on Sunday, seven bands – King Wellington, Hometown Heroes, La Fuerza Positiva, Spiderbyte, Blacklight, Playback and Pamela Betti – played from atop the lighthouse.

"The event was just fantastic," Stoller said. "The day was a rocking success and we are already working on 2011."

For more information on the lighthouse or the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society's efforts, visit huntingtonlighthouse.org.