Live @ the Lighthouse in Fairport Harbor draws big audience for first music festival of 2022
Jul. 16—For the second year in a row, a reggae music festival turned out to be a popular attraction in Fairport Harbor.
A multitude of music lovers attended Live @ the Lighthouse Reggae in the Harbor on July 9 at the Lighthouse Amphitheater. That outdoor venue is located just north of the Fairport Harbor Marine Museum and Lighthouse at 129 Second St.
"Live @ the Lighthouse's Reggae in the Harbor was a smashing success," said Chris Pinta, co-chairman of Fairport Harbor Arts & Culture Alliance.
A nonprofit organization, the alliance is marking its second year as the organizer and sponsor of the Live @ the Lighthouse Music Festival Series.
Reggae in the Harbor kicked off the series in both 2021 and 2022. While the 2021 show consisted of three bands, this year's lineup featured five groups.
Fans who attended the entire 2022 Reggae in the Harbor festival enjoyed music provided by local favorite Lake Irie; Predator Dub Assassins, from New Jersey; Root Shock, of Syracuse, New York; Carlos Jones and the P.L.U.S. Band from Cleveland; and headliner Arise Roots, which hails from Los Angeles.
The composition of that roster illustrated one of the alliance's goals for the 2022 Live @ the Lighthouse series: To bring in national headliners, while also including regional and local musicians.
In addition, the alliance made foundational improvements to its festival setup, such as a larger, lifted stage, along with better lighting and sound-production quality.
"The stage we added this year really added to the experience (at Reggae in the Harbor) and the all-ages crowd were engaged all day," Pinta said.
Live @ the Lighthouse offers free admission to spectators, who are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on the grass that stretches from the lighthouse to the stage.
For festival visitors who needed food, beverages or a diversion from the music, 2022 Live @ the Lighthouse also featured food trucks, a beer tent, and craft and artisan vendors.
"Our vendors and food trucks had nothing but praise to all the visitors, who helped bring many single-day sales records to their small businesses," Pinta said.
The second and final Live @ the Lighthouse festival for 2022 — the Jerry Garcia Birthday Celebration — will take place Aug. 6. This event is a tribute to the Grateful Dead vocalist and guitarist who would have turned 80 this year.
Pinta said on July 14 that the local band Grav has been added to the Aug. 6 celebration lineup of Papa Bear, Rustbelt Ragtops, Sunshine Daydream, Dupree's Dead Band and the Nashville-based group The Stolen Faces.
Performance times for the revised roster of musicians will be announced soon, Pinta said.
