Harry Chapin Tribute Concert Coming To Huntington's Heckscher Park

HUNTINGTON, NY — "Just Wild About Harry," a Harry Chapin tribute concert, is set to return to Heckscher Park following the success of last year's show, according to a news release.

The concert is set to be held at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 27, on the Chapin Rainbow Stage, located off Prime Avenue and Main Street (Route 25A).

The show will feature nearly three-dozen Long Island-based musicians and songwriters. Each act will perform its own interpretation of a song by the late Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, humanitarian and anti-hunger activist who called Huntington home.

"I had in mind that I’d consider it a success if the audience filled the viewing area within the fence, and we achieved that and beyond," said Stuart Markus, who organizes the show and serves as its emcee, in a news release. "It’s a testament to how beloved in memory Harry still is in Huntington."

Markus’ trio, Gathering Time, will perform Chapin’s best-known song, "Cat’s in the Cradle," while 17 other acts will take on his other hits and fan favorites. These will include "Taxi," "Flowers Are Red," and "Mr. Tanner," plus some of his more obscure songs as well.

Although the concert is free, attendees are asked to bring donations of nonperishable food to support Long Island Cares, Inc., the regional food bank founded by Chapin in 1980 — the year before his tragic death in an auto accident.

Markus launched the free concert 20 years ago as an homage to the beloved singer/songwriter and humanitarian. He called it a "cultural tradition here on Long Island" in a video interview with Patch.

The 2024 show saw the collection of $756 and 797 pounds of food.

"It’s very fitting that people remember Harry for his music and his work in calling attention to the issue of hunger in America and on Long Island," Paule Pachter, president and CEO of Long Island Cares, told Patch. "Harry’s advocacy was just as significant as his music, and he inspired other artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Pat Benatar to pick up the mantel by supporting Long Island Cares."

Pete Crescenti, spokesman for Long Island Cares, called it "fitting" that Chapin is not only celebrated in his hometown of Huntington, but across Long Island.

"We constantly hear stories about Harry’s music and his work on behalf of the food insecure from volunteers, visitors to our food pantries, donors and more, who remember Harry fondly and, all these years later, are inspired to contribute to the work that Harry sparked across Long Island," Crescenti said.

"Just Wild About Harry" is presented by the Huntington Arts Council as part of the 60th annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival that is produced by the Town of Huntington. The Folk Music Society of Huntington, on which board of directors Markus serves, is providing promotional assistance for the concert.

"All the performers are pro-caliber, full-time and part-time musicians who perform regularly at local venues and/or on the folk circuit," Markus said. "Throughout the show’s two decade-long history, I’ve always encouraged them to treat the songs as their own — however they imagine them. This has resulted in some very creative interpretations."

Other performers in the show include Judith Zweiman, Martha Trachtenberg, Karen Bella, Roger Silverberg, Debra Lynne, Patricia Shih & Stephen Fricker, Roger Street Friedman, Media Crime, Lisa Ann & Akiva Wharton, Judy Merrick, Christine Solimeno, Grand Folk Railroad, Robinson Treacher, Gerald Bair, Wonderous Stories, Toby Tobias, Mara Levine and Matthew Ponsot, in various ensembles.

"People should attend the concert because they will be able to support Long Island Cares’ work and remember someone who Newsday called one of the most important Long Islanders of the 20th century," Pachter said.

Long Island Cares’ staff and volunteers will collect donations of non-perishable food at a tent near the entrance to the Chapin Rainbow Stage, where t-shirts and Harry Chapin CDs will also be available — along with literature about the nonprofit organization’s programs and services. Concertgoers are advised to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets to Heckscher Park for the show that will be held rain or shine, precluded only by thunderstorms.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness in our local communities of hunger, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks and 60,000 local meals programs across the country, estimates that nearly 34 million people, including 9 million children — about 1 in 6 Americans — are living with food insecurity. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.