Lighthouse Challenge takes place Oct. 14-15

This photo of East Point Lighthouse in Cumberland Township was taken by local lighthouse "hunters" Christine and Thomas Cardaci.

Lighthouse enthusiasts look forward to this weekend all year. It's the date of the seventh annual New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge when 11 New Jersey lighthouses will light up the coastline.

This exciting event draws thousands of visitors each year to admire the silent sentinels of the sea.

During the weekend, all 11 lighthouses will be open for visitation to promote New Jersey's beacons, familiarize visitors with the locations and encourage them to return and further explore the various areas.

Participating lighthouses are Sandy Hook, Twin Lights, Sea Girt, Barnegat, Tuckerton, Absecon, Hereford Inlet, Cape May, East Point, Finn's Point and Tinicum.

New Jersey is home to some of the oldest and historically noteworthy lighthouses, according to Nancy Byrne, executive director of the N.J. Office of Travel & Tourism.

Each participating lighthouse will have its own souvenir to commemorate the visit, compliments of the New Jersey Lighthouse Society. Lighthouse enthusiasts who collect the complete set of 11 souvenirs will receive a special completion souvenir. A limited supply of commemorative T-shirts and pins will be available for purchase at several of the lighthouses.

This year, the New Jersey Lighthouse Society has added a new bonus to the challenge - night climbs.

Sandy Hook, Absecon, Cape May and Tinicum will be open from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14. Visitors will see the lights in operation and have the chance to climb the towers for nighttime views of the surrounding skylines. Additionally, a special night climb souvenir will be available at the four sites.

Admission charges and other limitations vary at each lighthouse. Some of the sites will have activities throughout the weekend, which do not happen during the rest of the year.

Local authors Christine and Tom Cardaci, known as The Lighthouse Hunters, will be at the Tucker's Island Lighthouse autographing their book, "Lighthouses and Lightships of America - The Hunters Guide."

The Highlands couple have photographed over 1,000 lighthouses throughout the USA and Canada.

The New Jersey Lighthouse Society has 1,000 members, and meetings are held four times a year at different lighthouse locations around the state. For more information, visit www.NJLHS.org., or www.visitnj.org.