Delaware Lighthouse Festival set for Aug. 11
Everybody loves lighthouses, and there will be plenty of them at one of the newest events on the shore, the Delaware Lighthouse Festival.
Sponsored by the Cape May-Lewes Ferry and organized by the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation, the festival takes place on the grounds of the ferry’s Lewes terminal from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 11.
With special booths by participating nonprofits, the festival will showcase five Sussex County lighthouses – Fenwick Island, Cape Henlopen, Delaware Breakwater East End, Harbor of Refuge and Mispillion – and Delaware’s Lighthouse Trail of sites to visit statewide.
Former Delaware lighthouse keepers and descendants of keepers of old will be on hand to answer questions and share some of their memories and memorabilia with visitors.
The U.S. Coast Guard will have an exhibit on modern aids to navigation, and the National Park Service will provide information on the federal government’s program for disposing of historic lighthouses that are no longer needed by the USCG.
Lewes Mayor Jim Ford will start the day off reading the City of Lewes Proclamation naming Aug. 11 Delaware Lighthouse Day in Lewes. There will be more than 60 booths of activities plus artists, crafters and local merchants who are on hand to show and sell their wares, much of them with a lighthouse or maritime theme. The Delaware State Police will display a patrol and intelligence vessel from its year-old Maritime Unit, and the tall ship Kalmar Nyckel will be in port on its own regular Lewes visitation.
Throughout the day, live music will be provided by Delaware’s Steel Drum Jimmy, with a bouncy blend of reggae, calypso, soca, smooth jazz, and Jimmy Buffett songs. Coastal Concerts scholarship winner Kourtney Bastianelli and her colleague Douglas Orion Meyers will provide a mix of lighthearted jazz, pop, classic rock and folk music, and Tom Pulano from the state’s Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will wander the crowd singing sea chanties.
Meanwhile, kids can work off that extra energy on a bouncie, get their faces painted, or test their skills at a variety of games, including one to match local lighthouses with their shadows.
Great eats and drinks will be offered by Nage Bistro, Bethany Blues BBQ, Old Bay Steakhouse and Seafood, On the Rocks Bar & Grill, 16-Mile Brewery, 2dips ice cream, and others. Many of the foods offered have been temporarily renamed to capture the festival theme.
Tours to climb the Delaware Breakwater lighthouse will be available, but advance reservations are encouraged as space on the launch used to access the offshore structure is severely limited. Reservations may be made by calling 302-644-7046. More information about the tours, prices and restrictions that apply - as well as general festival information - can be found at www.DelawareLighthouseFestival.com.
Entrance to the festival is free, as is parking. However, since the event is on one of the busiest weekends of the year for the CMLF, festival-goers are urged to drive straight to the designated offsite parking area at Cape Henlopen High School and take the free festival shuttle to the terminal grounds.
