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Norwalk Residents Enter Annual Lighthouse Contest At Aquarium

NORWALK, Conn. – Three model lighthouse builders from Norwalk are vying for the $1,500 grand prize in Norwalk’s 13th annual Festival of Lighthouses Contest, which opens Saturday at The Maritime Aquarium.

The 2014 Festival of Lighthouses opens today at The Maritime Aquarium.

The 2014 Festival of Lighthouses opens today at The Maritime Aquarium.

Photo Credit: File Photo

Creations by Courtenay Austin, Suzanne Bosco and Jo Stecker are among the 24 handmade entries in the display, which will be open daily through Jan. 19 at the aquarium.

Access to the holiday display is free with general admission tickets. The lighthouses are made from a variety of material ranging from wood and stone to ginger bread and gum balls. Visitors will be able to cast votes on their favorite lighthouses to determine the winners. Cash prizes will also be awarded to five runner-ups.

Austin’s “Twinkle Tinkle Little Stars,” sits on a large foil cube and multiple strings of gold and silver stars surround a central tube that rises to the beacon.

Bosco’s “Haunted Hideaway” features a black lighthouse leading up to a light that is boxed with skulls embossed on glass. At the base, zombies emerge from graves. And just offshore, skeletons litter the scene of a shipwreck.

Stecker finished third last year and second in 2012 with intricate dollhouse-themed lighthouses. She will return this year with “Seaside Bakery,” which offers a cut-away view into a three-story restaurant with additional roof-top seating. It also displays figures baking, buying and dining.

“Each year we are amazed by the time and effort that our contestants put into their lighthouses,” said Judith Bacal, the aquarium’s exhibits director.

Besides the grand prize, other awards are $750 for second place, $375 for third; $300 for fourth; $225 for fifth; and $150 for sixth. Winners will be announced during an evening reception on Jan. 22.

For more information about the Maritime Aquarium, click here. The aquarium is located at 10 N. Water St. 

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