The Bay Lights set to go dark Sunday; Fundraising effort underway for their return
SAN FRANCISCO -- On Saturday, locals and tourists alike were taking photos with the Bay Lights as the backdrop.
While that is not uncommon to see on any night, many people were out to savor its final sparkling moments on the second to last night before the project goes dark indefinitely.
For the last decade, the lights have served as a glittering display on the bay, visible from both sister restaurants Epic Steak and Waterbar on the Embarcadero, managed by Pete Sittnick.
"There's a little bit of sadness in knowing that the Bay Lights are going to go dark. We've been here for the 10-year run that it's had and we've be able to, along with everybody that's dined with Waterbar and Epic, we've been able to take in the joy and happiness that it brings to people," he said.
At 8 pm on Sunday, on the 10th anniversary of its initial grand lighting, the artwork will go dark.
"It just leaves a little bit of a void, I think that people are still going to come to the restaurants because they love Waterbar, they love Epic. They love the waterfront. The view is still here, but it's just going to be missing a certain piece of the ambiance that's been so special," said Sittnick.
Sittnick and Illuminate, the non-profit behind the project, are confident the Bay Lights will come back in a new form, once they raise the $11 million needed to fund a system.
$6 million dollars has already been pledged towards the crowdfunding effort is underway on Illuminate's site.
"We're not going dark tomorrow, we're going dormant," said Illuminate founder and "Chief Visionary Officer" Ben Davis.
Davis said the current system of LEDs is failing at a rate faster than can be repaired. Parts of it are flickering and balding. A new system with double the amount of LEDs would be custom engineered to perform in the harsh environmental conditions of the bay.
"We're calling it the Bay Lights 360, because they'll be lights wrapped around both sides of the cables on the northern side of the western span of the Bay Bridge. That means you'll be able to see it from the Bayview, you'll be able to see it from Alameda, or from Oakland," said Davis.
Many waterfront diners say the Bay Lights have always elevated the experience.
"Seeing the lights just brings a spark to it. Without the lights, it's just like a regular dinner but it is what it is, they'll be back on," said San Francisco resident Jay Reece.
"We've got our fingers crossed, and we're going to spread the word that if everybody comes through with fundraising, Bay Lights will return," said Sittnick.
People interested in making a donation to support the project can do so at the Illuminate website.