Huntington paid tribute to one of its most enduring cultural figures last Sunday when dozens of Long Island musicians gathered at the Chapin Rainbow Stage in Heckscher Park for the annual "Just Wild About Harry" concert.

The free outdoor event, part of the Town of Huntington's Summer Arts Festival, featured nearly three dozen local performers interpreting the music of Harry Chapin. Songs such as "Cat's in the Cradle," "Taxi," "Flowers Are Red," and "Mr. Tanner" filled the park as fans settled in with lawn chairs and blankets. Many also brought non-perishable food donations for Long Island Cares, the regional food bank that Chapin founded in 1980.

Organized by longtime producer Stuart Markus with support from the Folk Music Society of Huntington, the concert has become a summer tradition that keeps Chapin's music and humanitarian values visible in the community where he lived and worked. Chapin's connection to Huntington remains strong more than four decades after his death, and the decision to stage the tribute on the Chapin Rainbow Stage carries extra resonance for Long Island audiences.

The evening mixed well-known hits with deeper cuts, giving both casual listeners and longtime fans something to connect with. The presence of so many Long Island-based musicians underscored the depth of local talent and the continuing influence of Chapin's songwriting on the regional folk and singer-songwriter scene.

For residents of Huntington, the Town of Oyster Bay, and the surrounding North Shore communities, the concert offered more than nostalgia. It served as a reminder of the role music and community institutions play in Long Island's cultural life. The food drive component kept the focus on service, reflecting Chapin's belief that art and action belong together.

In a summer filled with festivals and outdoor entertainment across Nassau and Suffolk, the Harry Chapin tribute stands apart because of its local roots and its quiet insistence on continuity. The songs, the setting, and the cause all belong to Long Island.