A Lively Lighthouse: Celebrate National Lighthouse Day and All of August with the Absecon Lighthouse
It’s time for me to make a confession. Lean in if you’d like to hear this author’s secret.
I have grown up in New Jersey, less than 30 minutes from the shoreline at any given moment, and yet until recently, I have never so much as thought about a lighthouse existing in the state (much to my chagrin, I will admit this makes me a shoobie, rather, an unknowledgeable non-resident of the shore). Now that I’ve taken my head out of the sand and moved out from under the rock I’d apparently been living under, I know that New Jersey is home to at least twenty-three lighthouses, as per the U.S. Coast Guard, including the Absecon Lighthouse, which stands as the third-tallest masonry lighthouse in the country!
I share my embarrassment with you publicly in the event that I’m not alone. Perhaps others out there weren’t aware of what New Jersey has to offer by way of maritime entertainment. I have since been enlightened thanks to Jean Muchanic, the Executive Director of the Absecon Lighthouse. She was very kind to note that my lack of awareness isn’t abnormal.
It’s not that I didn’t know they existed so much as, it had just never occurred to me to consider them. I’d never needed one personally and so they didn’t take up much brain space. I say this as someone deeply terrified of the ocean, and anything floating on or living in said ocean. Perhaps I’d simply blocked out their existence due to my thalassophobia.
Jean has since made me realize that I can happily avoid the ocean and enjoy the lighthouse at a safe distance! The month of August has a lot to offer, including National Lighthouse Day, which will be celebrated on August 7th with family-friendly activities from 11 AM to 3 PM. There will be a petting zoo, pony rides, games, face painting, and Mermaid Bubbles! Most of those sound pretty self-explanatory, but I had to ask more about the mermaid bubbles. It turns out that Tina Notaro is a clown of sorts and brings her brand of fun to the event, where she will be portraying a mermaid and crafting giant lawn bubbles for children to interact with. She is also known to juggle and hula hoop on occasion! In addition to these exciting events, the lighthouse remains open as well as the museum. Children under 12 can climb the lighthouse free of charge during the National Lighthouse Day celebrations.
The festival will be followed up with the Wine Porch Party on Saturday, August 9th, where from 5 to 7 PM the Lighthouse will feature fine wine and cheese selections from White Horse Wine and Spirits alongside music provided by DJ Kelli. The requested donation is $25, and all proceeds will benefit the Absecon Lighthouse.
August will also offer what the Lighthouse is calling “Wacky Wednesdays at the Lighthouse.” Each Wednesday in August, from 11 AM to 3 PM, will include crafts, activities, movies, and coloring. Themes will vary each week, with the first, August 6th, focusing on Outer Space, where kids can learn about the solar system, make a paper hat, sticker scene, or color in their own rocket.
August 13th will be a Surfin’ Safari where kids can make their own safari animal sticker scene, color an animal face mask, and more!
August 20th sounds like it might be my personal favorite, Wacky Wednesday Soup, where attendees can feast on select crafts from each of the previous themes.
For a more adult-focused event, the Lighthouse offers Morning Yoga with The Leadership Studio every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 AM.
There will also be a Fiddle Concert on Wednesday, August 27th, from 6 to 7 PM featuring twenty musicians playing foot-tapping tunes for free on the two-acre lawn. The Lighthouse simply asks that you bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers.
While the Absecon Lighthouse offers these unique monthly events throughout the year, they also remain open daily throughout the summer from 10 AM to 5 PM where you are able to take advantage of the free parking, free exhibits, and free museum. All are welcome to climb the 228 steps to the top of the lighthouse for a small fee. Winter (September through June) hours are 11 AM to 4 PM from Thursday through Monday.
The Absecon Lighthouse was first lit on January 15, 1857, and was decommissioned in 1933, but the lens is lit every evening so that onlookers may enjoy its beauty. The museum offers much to learn about the Lighthouse and the use of active lighthouses, making it an excellent opportunity for school groups, family tours, and even overnight stays!
The lighthouse is also known to be an excellent wedding venue, with one couple having traveled all the way from Somerset, England, to be married at the Absecon Lighthouse. I’ve already made a mental note of this, should I ever tie the knot.
Standing at 171 feet tall, the Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey. It is also the only one in the state with its original first-order Fresnel lens still in place at the top, an impressive feature for a structure of its age. Though preserved and managed through the efforts of the Inlet Public/Private Association, community support is always appreciated. If you’re interested in supporting this historic landmark, you may consider joining Club 228.
