After pandemic year off, boat parade is a summer highlight
By ELIZABETH LITTLE/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY – For well over 60 years, Ocean City has been celebrating its roots in boating with its annual Night in Venice celebration.
Saturday night, thousands of people took to the city to watch the boat parade, look at the decorated houses and have a night of fun.
This year’s theme for the boat and house decorating was “honoring essential workers.” Last year, before Night in Venice was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the theme was the Olympics, so participants were encouraged to feel inspired by that theme as well. Of course the themes are optional, but numerous boats in Saturday’s parade embraced the themes.
Spectators lined up at the Bayside Center at 520 Bay Ave. to watch the 6 p.m. boat parade. Many either sat in the provided bleachers or brought their own beach chairs.
Concessions were provided by parents of the Red Raiders football and cheerleading teams. The parents were selling hot dogs, hamburgers, candy and drinks to raise funds for the program.
“We like how our community takes care of each other,” said Debbie Mosan, a Red Raider parent who was working at the concession stand. Mosan also explained that ACME markets was donating $1 to the teams for every water bottle it gave out.
The boat parade itself started at about 6:30 p.m., and featured a variety of different boats, including yachts, sailboats and speedsters. The Ocean City Police Department was on a boat with a siren and the officers were dressed in uniform, obviously showcasing this year’s essential worker theme.
The Longport Fire Department also put a siren in their boat, Marine 3.
Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian was on the boat Metamorphosis with wife Michele. Metamorphosis had a sign reading “Ocean City thanks our heroes.”
A boat dedicated to the Miss Night in Venice contestants featured the contestants, Ella Osbeck, Gianna DiFelice, Kirsten Zoellner, Tricia Nicoletti, Marissa Green, and 2021 Miss Night in Venice Katie Bowman, wo were dressed to the nines in evening gowns and waved at spectators.
More pageant queens were featured in the parade, and one boat carried Miss Ocean City Mary Grace Jamison, Junior Miss Ocean City Natalie Argento and Little Miss Ocean City Antonella DiAntonio. The young women received a big round of applause.
Newly-crowned 2021 Miss New Jersey Alyssa Sullivan also rode on a boat. Sullivan is also local, being a Cape May Court House native.
The Greater Ocean City Theatre Company actors were decked out dressed as essential workers. The boat did consecutive 360 degree turns as the actors performed full choreography to Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero.” Would you expect any less from a yacht full of theater kids?
Ocean City mascots Martin Z. and Mollie Mollusk made an appearance on a small research boat.
Frenchy’s of Ocean City also had an amusing boat in the parade with employees dressed as sea gulls with a poster that said “Gulls just wanna have fun.” They sang and danced to Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.”
South Jersey meteorologist Nor’easter Nick had his boat out on the water appropriately equipped with weather-themed decorations.
Some participants wanted to make political statements with their boats. State Sen. Michael Testa had his boat out and there were “back the blue” themed boats out as well as a pride themed boat.
Numerous homes around the bay and in the lagoons were decorated as people hosted large Night in Venice parties to coincide with watching the parade.
