No ceremony for Lighting of the Nubble (ME), but plenty to keep York holidays bright in 2021
For the second year in a row, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there won’t be a formal ceremony to kick off the Lighting of the Nubble. The iconic lighthouse will be illuminated nightly over the holidays again this year, but organizers decided it would be best to avoid large social gatherings, according to York Parks and Recreation Department special events coordinator Liz Cooper. In years past, when it was warm, the event had attracted up to 10,000 people, and attendees complained of long lines, Cooper said.
The holiday lights will be on every night from Saturday, Nov. 27, through New Year’s Day.
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Southport Lighthouse (WI), museum open for holiday talk, tours
Typically only open May through October, the Southport Light Station Museum will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, “to help Santa navigate his way to Simmons Island,” officials said. Santa Claus will also be visiting the neighboring Kenosha History Center, 220 51st Place. The maritime museum, inside the keeper’s house, documents Kenosha’s lighthouse keepers, shipping and fishing history, and local shipwrecks.
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Temporary light installed at Mukilteo Lighthouse, Washington
The U.S. Coast Guard has installed a temporary LED fixture at the Mukilteo Lighthouse. The lighthouse’s flashing light had not been functioning recently. The lighthouse still has an active fourth-order Fresnel lens.
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‘Tis the season at Montauk Lighthouse (NY)
Christmas is coming to the Montauk Lighthouse! Festivities begin at dusk on Saturday, when the iconic structure will be lit up to the tune of carols sung by Sarah Conway & the Playful Souls. The next day, families will gather, eat festive cookies and the kids can tell Santa what they’re wishing for.
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Work planned at Inner Farne Islands Lighthouse (England)
Trinity House has submitted a planning application seeking listed building consent for the works on the Inner Farne Lighthouse. Its proposals include alterations to the light pedestal to a more efficient and reliable LED source, the removal and replacement of existing antenna and the addition of an electrical point next to the main door.
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Lighthouse Illuminations in St. Augustine, FL
Visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse Museum during Nights of Lights for Tides, Tidings, and Trees. Daytime general admission tickets get you in the door to enjoy seasonally decorated grounds and buildings. As the sun goes down, purchase after-hours Lighthouse Illumination tickets for an extraordinary experience. Explore the Keepers’ house and grounds illuminated by lights and garlands, and enjoy a sensational view of the Lighthouse’s night mark.
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Holiday lighting at Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, Florida, on December 11
Share the magic of the season at the Barrier Island Parks Society’s Annual Lighting of the Lighthouse! On one exciting night each year, the lighthouse beacon shines into the night sky, surrounded with thousands of beautiful holiday lights, live music and merry cheer.
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Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines gets land lease on Paradise Island (Bahamas)
The Bahamian government has effectively given Royal Caribbean a minimum 150-year lease over seven Crown Land acres on Paradise Island for its multi-million dollar Beach Club project. Meanwhile, Toby Smith, a Bahamian entrepreneur, has filed a court action alleging that he was granted a valid Crown Land lease over some of the same land. The property includes Paradise Island Lighthouse, which Smith intends to restore.
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U.S. Lighthouse Society News is produced by the U.S. Lighthouse Society to support lighthouse preservation, history, education and research.
If you have items of interest to the lighthouse community and its supporters, please email them to Jeremy D’Entremont at Jeremy@uslhs.org
Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is the president and historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org