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The Dogwood Hollow Amphitheater was once located behind Stony Brook Village Center. It was the place to see musical stars such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Liberace, Tony Bennett and more until 1970.

Now it’s the spot to celebrate music once again. The Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame officially opened Friday, Nov. 25. On the night of Nov. 23, a ribbon cutting was held followed by a red carpet event,  preview of exhibits and performances by LIMEHOF inductees.

The 8,800 square-foot building is the first physical facility of the nonprofit organization and was previously used as the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s Educational and Cultural Center.

“We are thrilled our organization has found a permanent home in such a wonderful location,” said Ernie Canadeo, LIMEHOF chairman in a statement. “We’re excited to be able to share our world-class displays and unique memorabilia collection that showcases Long Island’s rich and diverse musical and entertainment history in new and exciting ways. We feature different and exciting exhibits, displays, videos and education
offerings that make the center a dynamic place for people to visit on a regular basis.”

The event was well-attended by entertainers, including members of Twisted Sister, Blue Oyster Cult, Zebra, Jen Chapin and Carole Demas and Paula Janis of “The Magic Garden.”  Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R), state Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James), state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), county Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket), Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) and WMHO President Gloria Rocchio were on hand to welcome the inductees and LIMEHOF organizers.

Attendees were able to preview the nonprofit’s first exhibit, “Long Island’s Legendary Club Scene — 1960s-1980s.” Designer Kevin O’Callaghan created the exhibit, featuring many of the LIMEHOF inductees, to be like a club crawl through the 60s, 70s and 80s club scenes.

Demas and Janis said they were honored to represent family entertainment in the hall of fame. While the show “The Magic Garden” went off the air in 1984, the duo have performed on stage occasionally through the decades. Janis said the two have known each other since they were teenagers in Brooklyn. The hall of fame includes artists who have lived in Suffolk Nassau, Queens and Brooklyn.

“We never imagined ‘The Magic Garden’ would walk us into something like this,” Demas said.

Mark Mendoza, who played bass in Twisted Sister, was also impressed by the facility. He said while it has taken several years for the LIMEHOF to find a permanent home, the wait was worth it because it enabled more time to collect impressive memorabilia from various artists.

He said Long Island is finally being recognized as music hotspot and the hall of fame will help to recognize even further the talented musicians from the Island.

“It’s definitely going to be a place for tourists to come — a lot of people to come here because of the music,” he said. “It’s great because it’s so diverse. The music is so incredibly diverse, and it’s great seeing all the other artists here tonight. This is definitely going to be a destination for people to show up at.”

The Nov. 23 event ended with performances by Demas and Janis,  Harry Chapin’s daughter Jen,  Elliott Murphy and Zebra.

The Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame is located at 97 Main Street, Stony Brook. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit limusichalloffame.org.