A Soundtrack for the Season

The streets of Huntington come alive like a scene out of a classic holiday movie at this time of year.  The historic buildings and downtown feeling add to the charm, as people stroll the sidewalks past beautifully decorated shops and restaurants. The stage is set and the magic is something that brings people to the Village to experience a little bit of that old-fashioned holiday charm.

And like any good movie, the emotions are amplified with the accompaniment of a moving soundtrack that helps to illicit the feelings of joy and harmony that the holidays are known to produce.

For the past 26 years, the sounds of the season have been broadcast through the Village beginning on Black Friday and continuing until "Little Christmas" on Jan. 6. This seasonal serenade has become a tradition that visitors, store owners and residents alike look forward to as they prepare for their own holiday celebrations.

What most people don't know is that the idea originated on the 3rd floor of the Snappy Building, home of Snappy Shoes (now Ann Taylor Loft), when  John Vater, owner of , decided to share his musical choices in an unusual way.  "One day while I was in my photo studio, I opened my office window, pointed my speaker out and blasted my holiday music toward New York Avenue below me."  recalls Vater.

Jack Paladino, owner of , was walking by and loved the sound of it. So much that he and Vater devised a crazy plan to get another speaker and  run 500 feet of wire across the rooftops between Vater's office and Paladino's restaurant on Wall Street.

After their first attempts resulted in a blown radio, they realized that they would have to come up with a better idea. In trying to figure out how to make a PA system, similar to those used to make announcements at schools, they did some research at Radio Shack, found out what supplies they would need, and managed to get a local school to donate some of the materials for their project.

From that time forward, the music has played.

 There were some changes over the years - Vater gave up his studio space, and Salon Adriana, which had been located on the floor below it, moved to its current location on Main Street and became Spa Adriana. As a result of the move, Paladino took over for a few years and controlled the music out of Christopher's.  

Finally, about 9 years ago the Huntington BID came up with a few thousand dollars to buy new cones and a new amplifier and to hire someone to install a system throughout the village. 

The current lineup consists of a merchant committee list of approved songs compiled into mixed CDs. They have also received donations from Soundtraks and Value Drugs to add to the collection over the years.

Regardless of your religious beliefs or musical preferences, Vater says that the music is really just about sharing with the community, "It completes the feeling of the holiday season."

He will flip the switch on the holiday soundtrack this Friday. If you enjoy it, why not stop in and say thank you for something that has become a treasured Huntington tradition over the years.

And if you're not a fan, well, even the Grinch gave in to the music in the end.