The Venice Florida Christmas Boat Parade of Lights

If you are looking for a traditional Christmas parade with sleighs and snow, Venice Florida isn't the place for you! Christmas in Southwest Florida is more of a lights, palm trees and warm tropical water thing. Here we celebrate the holiday not by decking the halls, but rather by decking the decks. Locals drape boats with as many lights as possible and create a floating Christmas parade for all to enjoy.

The boat parade is always staged on the first Saturday night in December, starting right around dusk. (Rain date is the next day.) Thousands of local folks, snowbirds and visitors line the banks of the parade route, often setting up chairs, tables and grills early in the day to make this a real celebration. It's Christmas with a tropical twist.

There is always an atmosphere of fun and friendship, even before the boats start passing by. But the real excitement begins when that first entrant floats into view. Holiday music streams across the canal and the waiting crowd cheers them on with applause, whistles and waving lights. In our group, we take our own vote for best entrant and we try to make as much noise as possible to show our appreciation when the winner passes. Often someone on the boat will respond.

Parade participants work at planning and decorating their boats for months before the parade. Cartoon characters, story book figures and, of course, sea creatures in every size and shape are always represented. Santa makes his first area appearance of the season on some of the boats, often wearing shorts and flip flops.

On the boats themselves, parties are generally in full swing. Whether in costumes or just relaxing and having fun, the boat people sing, wave and cheer for the viewers along the shore. It's a real honor to be invited on board a parade boat, and local folks actively vie for the privilege.

The rules for decorating are pretty simple:
1) Both sides of the boat must be the same.
2) You must have a theme, which can be anything that says "Christmas" to you.
3) You must use lots of lights!
4) Make decorations and costumes large enough to be seen from a distance.
5) If you have music, make it loud enough for everyone to hear.

From kayaks and canoes to double-masted sailboats, a great assortment of floating entries are cheered equally. No boat is too small to participate, and sometimes the crowd especially loves the little guys.

Anywhere from 30 to 50 decorated boats start their journey at the Albee Road Bridge in near-by Nokomis, steering south on the Intracoastal Waterway between the North and South jetties. The parade then passes the Venice Yacht Club and winds its way under the Venice bridges. When the boats reach the Circus bridge at the southernmost end of the island, they turn around and head back along the same route, returning to Nokomis.

In past years spectators have thrilled to the sight of moving cartoon characters, wooden soldiers, a huge dragon and, of course, flamingos sporting Santa hats. Boats with music are always more appreciated than the silent ones, and we all love the sight of dazzling light displays. At the end of the evening, judges choose the Best in Parade entrant and award a prize, though the crowd favorites are obvious as they move along the parade route.

Food and hot chocolate is often sold by local civic groups throughout the viewing sites raising money for various charities. Downtown Venice stores stay open and offer specials in tune with the festivities. You can even see the parade from a handful of restaurants if you want real comfort as you celebrate.

The parades began in 1989 with 41 holiday-decorated boats participating. They have continued every year since, and the boat decorations have become more creative each time. Local sponsors have helped the Boat Parade Committee provide money for youth boating activities and even a scholarship for one local person interested in pursuing a career in the marine sciences.

If you live or vacation in the Venice, Florida, area, don't miss this unique and fun family-oriented event. The narrow canals allow for good viewing, and the spirit of Christmas is everywhere throughout the evening. If you are a real parade-lover, you can watch the boats a second time as they make their return trip to the starting point. In Southwest Florida there is no better way to start the holiday season than by watching the Venice Boat Parade of Lights!

References:
http://www.venicechristmasboatparade.com/