WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — New Yorkers will get one last chance to tour Manhattan's last remaining lighthouse this season, as the 21st annual Little Red Lighthouse festival kicks off Saturday under the George Washington Bridge in Fort Washington Park.
The event is a celebration of the iconic lighthouse, which was immortalized in author Hildegarde Swift's 1942 children's book. The festival also marks the end of the lighthouse's summer tour season, and the first 500 visitors on hand will receive free tickets for group tours of the lighthouse.
In addition to the tours, the festival will include a reading of the children's book by Parks Department commissioner Veronica White, performances by the Little Orchestra Society and a water display by FDNY fireboat Marine 1. Neighborhood staples Storefront Science and Word Up Community Bookshop will be on hand with activities for families as well.
"It's a fun way for families to come out and enjoy this park," said Jordan Dyniewski, public events director at the New York Restoration Project, which is organizing the event along with the Historic House Trust, the Parks Department, the Riverside Park Fund and the Urban Rangers. "It's unique to be under the George Washington Bridge and be near this lighthouse that is so small."
The festival runs from noon to 4 p.m. and is free to the public, though food from vendors will cost extra. About 1,000 visitor are expected to attend. For more information visit the NYRP website.
