National Lighthouse Day is here! Here in Cape May County, we are lucky to have TWO of these great structures. In honor of this great day, stop by the Hereford Inlet or Cape May Lighthouse for one of their National Lighthouse Day celebrations!
Hereford Inlet Lighthouse:
The festivities will begin at 10 AM with a formal patriotic ceremony honoring our lighthouse and Coast Guard heritage. Special guest speakers will include U. S. Coast Guard representatives, State Senator Jeff Van Drew, Cape May County Freeholder Will Morey, Mayor Patrick Rosenello and various lighthouse and Coast Guard historians.
Additional activities include free admission to the lighthouse, guest authors and artists, food, historical exhibits and an historic performance lecture on becoming a Pharologist: Studying New Jersey’s Sentinels and Keepers. Shauna MacDonald (Villanova University) will tell stories from her ongoing ethnographic research about lighthouses and lighthouse keeping at New Jersey’s lighthouses. Combining poetic performance, key findings and memories from Nova Scotia, she will share some of what she’s learned during her quest to become a pharologist (that is, someone who studies lighthouses)
For additional information, please call 609-522-4520, Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, 111 North Central Avenue, North Wildwood, NJ.
Cape May Lighthouse:
Celebrate the majestic beacons that are America’s maritime treasures — lighthouses — during National Lighthouse Day on Friday, Aug. 7 and enjoy special family friendly activities at the Cape May Lighthouse from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
An aid to navigation since 1859 and one of the oldest continually operating lighthouses in the United States, the historic Cape May Lighthouse is hosting a day of family friendly activities and a crafts show at the base of the lighthouse, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC). Hands-on, kid-friendly activities include pirate-hat making, sing-alongs and games. Meet the Cape May Lighthouse Keepers and browse among crafts vendors who are setting up shop on the grounds and selling one-of-a-kind handmade goods including jewelry, photography, original artwork, nautical and nature-themed merchandise.
Admission to the activities on the grounds is free. Admission to climb the lighthouse is $8 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-12).