Huntington Lighthouse preservation group drops annual MusicFest

The good news is that the keeper of the Huntington Lighthouse is ready to do some repairs to the historic structure. The bad news is that the keeper — the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society Inc. — says it will no longer host its biggest fundraiser: the annual MusicFest.

Preservation society president Pam Setchell said that over the past four years, the event has raised about $200,000. She said it’s time for lighthouse projects for which the money was raised to be completed.

“We’re going to put our money where our mouth is; we’ve been working hard to raise the money and we need to do a lot of work, so this is the year,” she said, adding the work needs to be done during the summer. 

MusicFest, which was first held in 2007, is usually on the Saturday before Labor Day. It features a band playing atop the lighthouse, and donations are collected by volunteers, known as pirates, going from boat to boat.

Setchell said upcoming lighthouse projects include window replacement, a new handmade door, fixes to the roof, repairing and replacing wrought iron railings and fixing cracks in the structure’s exterior masonry. The preservation society also plans to create a display featuring memorial granite blocks that supporters purchased to raise money for the structure. 

A 'costly' undertaking

The lighthouse, built in Venetian Renaissance style, was constructed in 1912, according to town records. Located near the entries of Huntington and Lloyd harbors, it is listed on the National Register for Historic Places. Around 2008, the volunteer nonprofit preservation society was granted ownership of it, Setchell said.

There was no MusicFest in 2017, 2019 and 2020, according to Setchell. She said putting on the $85,000 event is a huge undertaking that involves fundraising just to make it happen.

“It’s grown to be so big and it is costly because we have equipment and gear and professional people taking days to set it up,” she said. “It’s months and months of planning and working to raise the funding.”

The lighthouse has no electricity and its unique location creates challenges in putting on a big show, Setchell said. Complicating matters is that there is no room for a rain date.

“All we need is one storm and it’s wiped out,” she said.

She said all the money raised on the day of MusicFest has gone toward restoration of the lighthouse.

'Hopeful for the future'

Setchell said she’s proud of MusicFest and how it has highlighted the lighthouse, and that ending it was a bittersweet decision not made lightly. But, she said, in addition to the aesthetic improvements coming, there is much to look forward to.

She said the preservation society is working to bring back dinner tours to the lighthouse, where visitors can enjoy a sunset while dining. In a nod to MusicFest, the tours will include some live music. 

The preservation society also is looking to increase the number of volunteers who can bring new ideas and talents — especially those who keep up with technology, she said.

“I’m hopeful for the future of the lighthouse,” she said. “I’m excited about what we are doing this year; I am very excited about getting a lot of this work done and showing it off.”

Preservation society director Joanne Graziano said drawing more visitors to the lighthouse is a priority. She said they plan to increase the number of summer tours and allow maritime-themed organizations and possibly businesses to hold meetings or events there.

She said taking time to focus on preservation sets the stage for the future of the lighthouse.

“We’re getting it to where it needs to be,” Graziano said.

Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said MusicFest no doubt introduced visitors to the town. 

“We saw boats coming from up and down the East Coast that would make the journey to come specifically for the festival,” he said. “It was a great maritime social event.”

He said once the maintenance is completed, he’s hoping the preservation society reorganizes and continues MusicFest.

When asked if that is a possibility, Setchell said, “the future remains to be seen.”