Huntington Lighthouse Music Fest Rescheduled Due to Pending Storm

For those hoping to have a rocking Labor Day weekend, the waters of Huntington Bay will be the place to be, only on Sunday instead of Saturday as Huntington Lighthouse's 4th Annual Lighthouse Music Fest has been postponed because of the threat of Hurricane Earl.

"Due to Hurricane Earl and high winds, we have decided to postpone the Lighthouse Music Fest to Sunday, Sept. 5 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.," said event chairperson Monica Stoller of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society's decision to move the event from its original date of Saturday, Sept. 4, in deference to the monster storm threatening to wreak havoc across Long Island.

On Sunday, from her vantage point atop the lighthouse, Stoller said she looks forward to seeing at least 700 boats filled with people having the time of their lives.

"The camaraderie – that is what makes it a fantastic event," Stoller said, adding that, thanks to Musical Director, Donald Davidson, "There'll be every kind of band that you can imagine."

Stoller said that there may be some alterations in the festival due to the date change, including the seven bands scheduled to play. The original lineup included Blacklight, Spiderbyte, Playback, La Fuerza Positiva, Behind Closed Doors, South Bound, and King Wellington.

Unfortunately, landlubbers who don't have boats will be out of luck as the lighthouse is not accessible by land, and the boat which would have ferried non-boaters, will not be in service, according to Stoller.

"No charter transportation on the Christeen will be available," said Pam Setchell, who has been president of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society for 13 years and owns Viewpoint Photography in Huntington. "You must have a boat to attend."

The Lighthouse Music Fest, the only "on the water" musical extravaganza of its kind, is also a fundraiser which fuels the ongoing preservation of the Huntington Lighthouse.

"Last year's Music Fest raised $20,000," Setchell said. "It brought fantastic awareness to the project. Our sponsorship has doubled."

Setchell said she hopes that this year's event will bring in $30,000, so that massive amounts of rip rap – 650 tons to be exact – can be added to the stone which shelters the base of the lighthouse. To add to the fun, she said a band of merry pirates from Ye Pyrate Brotherhood will be going from vessel to vessel, asking revelers to donate to the lighthouse's ongoing restoration.

"Two corners of the lighthouse are eroding," Setchell said. "Serious problems will develop in the next two years if this is not addressed ... It is a $20,000 job."

For updates on the 4th Annual Lighthouse Music Fest, visit www.lighthousemusicfest.com or call the lighthouse at (631) 421-1985.