When a severe windstorm toppled 73 trees and severely damaged the century‑old carousel building at Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven residents faced an unexpected crisis. The storm, which struck early Thursday, forced the city to close the waterfront park indefinitely, affecting eleven scheduled weddings and twenty‑seven other events.
Couple’s Plans Disrupted
Steph, a Washington, D.C., professional who requested only her first name, had been preparing for a year to marry her fiancée at the beloved carousel venue. The ceremony was set for Saturday, Aug. 22, with a sizable guest list that included plane tickets, hotel reservations and a full roster of vendors, including a photographer, DJ and the local Big Green Pizza Truck.
“We spent the next two days making phone calls and sending emails, just trying to figure out what to do,” Steph told the New Haven Independent while driving back from D.C. “It was tough because it was so close, and we were really having a hard time letting go of our dreams of getting married on the beach.”
Community Response
Friends and local leaders quickly mobilized. Mark Aronson, an artist and senior paintings conservator at the Yale Center for British Art, reached out to former alderwoman Caroline Tanbee Smith for assistance. Smith contacted several potential sites, including the Lost in New Haven museum and Edgerton Park.
“If you grew up around here, you grew up with the lighthouse and the carousel and its historic building, so it’s a core memory for all of us,” said Cynthia Bannon, managing director of Lost in New Haven. Although the museum is primarily an event space, it offered its date to one of the displaced couples.
Sean Duffy, board member and past president of the Edgerton Park Conservancy, echoed the sentiment: “We’re a public park, not a wedding venue, but if it works with dates, we’ll be happy to have them.” The park’s openness reflects the city’s DIY spirit in times of crisis.
New Venue Secured
Aronson also contacted Jackie Gleisner, communications manager at the Yale Center for British Art, who connected him with Ryan Paxton, executive director of the Eli Whitney Museum. The museum had an available evening slot, and Steph’s wedding dinner will be held there on Saturday.
In addition to the museum, the couple secured a ceremony location at Anthony’s Ocean View, a waterfront restaurant with a space called Lily Beach. “They very generously squeezed us in,” Steph said.
Looking Ahead
Community members continue to discuss long‑term recovery. Sabrina Bruno, longtime Lighthouse Park staffer, expressed enthusiasm for a proposed “wedding grove” of new trees to replace those lost, a concept Aronson suggested after seeing photos of the 129 damaged trees.
Lost in New Haven founder Robert Greenberg is designing an exhibit using fragments of the destroyed carousel building, describing the site as “living history.”
Tanbee Smith summed up the city’s response: “It’s the spirit of yes. It’s what makes New Haven the greatest small city in America.”
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
