Counting Calories in the Twinkie Lighthouse: What's Your Guess?

Written by Leslie Yager
The "Festival of Lighthouses Contest" exhibit, which opened Saturday at the Maritime Aquarium and runs through Jan. 20, features seven entries from right here in Norwalk.

But this year, there's an added twist. One lighthouse entered in the vote-your-favorite contest is fabricated entirely of Twinkies, Ho Hos and cupcakes.

The staff at the Aquarium had a sense of humor and are taking guesses through Thursday (11/21) on the Aquarium Facebook page as to how many calories are in this enormous, beaming stack of sugar-shock.  

There were almost 700 entries as of Friday night, including a guess from Frank Vera who borrowed some logic from Dr Evil with a guess of 100 billion calories.

There was also a guess from Ana Fabrizio of "69,140 calories not counting the fake cupcakes in the bottom  calories," which, according to the Aquarium's reply is adorned with Hostess cupcakes wrapping paper. 

Apparently, one of the Aquarium volunteers did an actual calorie count and even consulted the builder, Hostess web site and snack cake boxes, and the person whose guess as to the lighthouse’s calorie count without going over wins a family four-pack of tickets to the Aquarium. Now that's sweet!

The Twinkie-themed lighthouse is brainchild of Donna Kern Ball of Newtown. Two years ago she entered a Sheffield Lighthouse replica done entirely out of sugar cookies, which won the People's Choice favorite vote. Last year  Kern Ball's entry was a classic red and white lighthouse, instructed by crochet (There are instructions on how to do it on Kern Ball's website. Click on "Fun Art Projects.").

According to Michelle, the Aquarium volunteer who organized the lighthouse contest planned her entry for a year.

"Two months ahead, Kern Ball set out two plates of Twinkies, one untreated and one "treated" with a spray of polyurethane," Michelle said. "After two months the Twinkies that were treated became pocked, so she realized it wasn't necessary to anything to the Twinkies."

In fact, according to Aquarium volunteer Michelle, the Hostess snacks didn't even require glue. The stickiness of each Twinkie was enough to fasten it the foam core base.

Check out the Aquarium's Facebook page and wager your guess at the Twinkie lighthouse's calorie count. Then find a time to check out all the lighthouses. The smell of this sugar laden lighthouse alone is worth a visit.

The "Festival of Lighthouses" are on display until Jan. 20, 2014 at the Maritime Aquarium, 10 North Water Street, Norwalk, (203) 852-0700.