Atlantic City Weekly

Time to Get Your Venice on

Here are some things you should know about Night in Venice, Ocean City’s annual festival of boatmanship, boat and home decorating and extreme silliness.

• The Night In Venice celebration begins with the Merchants of Venice Seafood Festival set for Friday, July 23, from 5-9pm extending from 6th to 9th streets on Asbury Avenue. Admission is free and there will be an array of seafood for sale from over 40 vendors, plus entertainment for children and crafters.

• The boat parade and bay-front home celebration is one of the longest running in the world and marks its 56th celebration Saturday, July 24. It is not the longest running, as boat parades have been a tradition in Venice, Italy for, like, a really long time.

• The optional decorating theme for homes and boats is “Some Enchanted Evening,” which is a show tune from the musical South Pacific. It is also the title of a 1978 Blue Oyster Cult live album. Or whatever else you think it means.

• The parade has never been called off because of weather. Officials remember one parade, about 15 years ago, when Philadelphia TV anchor Larry Kane was the grand marshal. A storm hit the day before and more bad weather and flooding was predicted. Despite Kane arriving with a van full of foul-weather gear, the sun was shining as the parade began. It usually does.

• The parade begins at 7:30pm at the Longport Bridge, the north point of the Island. Boats will sail along the bay and in and out of lagoons to 23rd St. and South Harbor. There will be grandstands set up along street ends for spectators. Seating is free. Bleacher seating is available at the following street-end locations: Battersea, North Street, 1st, 4th, 6th, 7th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 16th, and Tennessee Avenue/Boat Ramp.

• The Bayside Center, 520 Bay Ave., offers grandstand viewing of the parade. Activities start there at 5:30pm with music by the Good Tymes Band and games for children. A taffy sculpting contest will be held with product supplied courtesy of Shrivers.

• Philadelphia Flyers’ Bob Kelly, a member of the famous Broad Street Bullies in the ’70s, will be at the Bayside Center signing autographs and giving away souvenirs at 5:30pm prior to the parade. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for children. Tickets are available at City Hall Annex, 901 Asbury Ave., call 525-9300.

• Free parking and shuttle service will be available from the Airport Parking Lot (25th and Bay Avenue) and soccer field at Tennessee Avenue, starting at 5pm and ending a midnight. Shuttles will also pick up persons parked at the Aquatic and Fitness Center Complex, 17th and Simpson Avenue.

• A total of $5,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to the best decorated lagoon homes and boats. Cash prizes of $1,000 each will be given to the Best Decorated Boat and Home. Three $500 prizes will be awarded to runners-up in both categories.

• All boat owners who enter the parade will be given a $50 cash card to enhance their decorations, a photo of their boat sailing in the parade and commemorative captain’s hats. Both boaters and homeowners will receive a commemorative mug for entering the event.

• The boat parade is led by Miss Night in Venice and her court. Twelve young ladies vie for the title by raising money for local public service organizations. The individual who collects the most funds is awarded the title. Monies help to support the Ocean City After Prom, scholarships for Shore Memorial Hospital nursing students and the Exchange Club Family Center for the prevention of child abuse.

• The 9th Street Bridge will be closed at approximately 7:45pm until all boats pass through. The Longport and 34th St. bridges remain open to car traffic. Hundreds of drivers will fail to realize this.

• Both the drivers of the boats in the parade and cars coming out to see the parade should refrain from drinking. The OCPD is pretty serious about that. — Mike Pritchard

Cultural Calendar

Friday July 23

Merchants in Venice Seafood Festival

Asbury Ave. between 6th and 9th sts. (See story)