OCEAN CITY — The decorations are up, the food and beverages well stocked and the guests are eagerly arriving — now it’s time to party.
Tens of thousands of people descend on the island each year to celebrate Night in Venice in late July, boarding boats to take part in the parade or attending one or more of hundreds of parties held along the route.
The highlights are the wildly popular decorated boat parade and house decorating contest — in which hundreds go all out with themes ranging from pop culture to sports, politics and world events — and the parties hosted along the route.
This year, while many stuck with the theme “70 Years of Champions,” others charted their own course as Ocean City held the 70th anniversary event July 26.
Bill and Donna Dorney, locally famous for their elaborate displays that have included a giant Godzilla complete with fiery breath and a 1/16th model of the space shuttle, paid tribute this year to Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, which closed last fall after more than 60 years on the boardwalk at Sixth Street.
Their home, which fronts Venetian Bayou, was decked out with a Ferris wheel strung with lights, a carousel, water slide and rooftop roller-coaster, along with a sign reading “Thanks for the memories Roy and Jay,” earning them a ninth first-place prize.
“When we saw that Wonderland was leaving, I took pictures this fall and he started collecting all kinds of things he thought he could use,” Donna Dorney said. “The group really participates and helps with everything.”
Donna Croff, niece of the Dorneys from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has been attending the party since the 1980s.
“It’s something we always look forward to as a family and my uncle always goes all out. It’s always fun and special and really a great time for our family and friends to get together.”
Another niece, Jessica Rayburn, has been attending the party for the past five years and looks forward to it.
“Every year they try to keep it simple but they blow it out of the park,” the St. Petersburg, Fla., resident said. “Every year it gets better and better.”
Weather plays an important part in any outside event, and this year was absolutely perfect. The temperature was in the low 80s, humidity barely noticeable and a stiff breeze kept the green head flies away.
“They say it never rains on Night in Venice,” Bill Dorney said.
It was a carnival atmosphere filled with music and costumes. Many of the men were sporting propeller beanie hats, while the women wore dresses and carried all-day suckers during their turn on the carousel.
The Dorneys, avid dancers, invited past and current students of ballroom dance teacher Edward Fischer from their class at the Ocean City Arts Center. It was a fun house.
“We started inviting our dance group years ago and we’ll be dancing until maybe 2 in the morning,” Bill said.
Fischer, a certified teacher from EHT, has been teaching dance for almost 30 years, nearly 20 in Ocean City.
He really enjoys seeing what the Dorneys do with the decor each year.
“Bill really went all out, it’s awesome,” Fischer said.
Bob Kraus of Egg Harbor Township and Sue Davis of Ocean City were doing the tango, while Pete Abbondanza of Somers Point and Antonette Gullo of EHT the waltz. Nearby, Donna Reed of West Chester, Pa., was taking a break with Joe Iudica of Upper Township.
Despite living in the area her whole life, Gullo was attending her first Night in Venice event.
“I just think it’s incredible. I can’t get over all the people in the water on boats,” Gullo said. “I can’t wait to see the parade.”
Ocean City Beach Patrol Deputy Chief Dan Casey and partner Lexi Santer, a champion athlete in the surf, spent the night on the water slide, cruising from a platform atop the deck down past the dock and into the lagoon. Santer even gave a few rides to Sydney Croff, 6.
Seth Grossman, a former congressional candidate and leader of the group Liberty & Prosperity, called the event “a great way to celebrate the American way of life.”
The level of excitement rose as the sun started to set, signaling that the flotilla would soon arrive. Drinks in hand, people crowded the decks of homes lining both sides of the bayou, getting ready for the vessel viewing.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff