Ocean City announces winners of Night in Venice boat parade

The “Christmas Eve in July” boat is named Best in Show for boats 25 feet or longer.

By MADDY VITALE

Honoring heroes with boats highlighting the frontline workers in a year of a pandemic to a yacht decked out in a Christmas in July theme to one featuring French fries and a guy in a chicken costume.

The theme was “Honoring Our Heroes” in Saturday night’s 2021 Night in Venice Boat Parade in Ocean City. Participants showcased many different ways of getting their points across in the themed boats from serious to amusing.

Spectators watched from Bayside Center, the walkway on the Ninth Street bridge and from private parties along the bayfront.

Songs from “I Need a Hero” to “God Bless the USA” played from some of the boats along with other patriotic tunes.

Crowds watched, waved, laughed and called out to participants in the parade.Musical performances pumped up the spectators, including one by members of the Ocean City Theatre Company.

Mayor Jay Gillian and members of City Council had their own boats as well as the Miss Night in Venice winner, Katie Bowman, and her court.

A group comprised of an epidemiologist, doctors and executives from Shore Medical Center in Somers Point, along with local physicians from Ocean City, provided essential facts and guidance to the mayor as he made decisions during the pandemic.

They were part of the Night in Venice parade. The grand marshals were Dr. Jason Chew, Dr. Christopher Lucasti, Dr. Charles Roche, Dr. Gary Raab and Dr. Jeanne Rowe.

The boats, as well as bayfront homes decorated in the year’s theme, and just about anything else a homeowner feels would highlight their residences are judged in a friendly competition.

It was the 66th annual Night in Venice. The first Night in Venice was actually in 1907, with cottages and bungalows along the bay illuminated with lights and torches, city spokesman Doug Bergen said.

“There were a handful of additional Night in Venice parades in the early 1900s and again in the 1920s,” Doug Bergen said in an earlier interview. “But the celebration that we know today began in 1954 as a way to mark the 75th anniversary of Ocean City’s incorporation.”

A grand fireworks display capped off the night.

The winners are:

BOAT RESULTS

Boat Number, Name of the Boat, Family’s Name and Theme 

Best in show 25’ and over: #253, Boat Name: Shanti, Toner Family, Theme: Christmas Eve in July

Best in show 24’ and under: #224, Boat Name: That What Sea Said, Young & Beiswinger Families, Theme: Gulls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Best Lead Boat: #208, Boat Name: Carol B, ACT Engineers, Theme: Martin & Mollie Mollusk

Best Commercial: #251, Boat Name: Salty, Mangos & More, Theme: Tropical Tiki

Best Non-profit: #215, Boat Name: Reel Fun, OCTC Spotlight Performers

Best Decorated 25’ and over 

1^st Place: #253, Boat Name: Shanti, Toner Family, Theme: Christmas Eve in July

2^nd Place: #250, Boat Name: Diablo, DeSallis Family, Theme: USA Surf Team

3^rd Place: #266, Boat Name: Mr. Reel Tour, Baehrle Family, Theme: Jersey Shore Housing Boom

Best Decorated 24’ and under 

1^st Place: #230, Boat Name: Rocinante, Fekete Family, Theme: Pride of Ventnor

2^nd Place: #218, Boat Name: The Shore 7, Rowe Family, Theme: Honor Our Heroes

3^rd Place: #273, Boat Name: Jimbo, Larkin Family, Theme: Olympics in Ocean City

Comic 25’ and over 

1^st Place: #274, Whiteside Family, Theme: 9^th Street Runway

2^nd Place: #260, Boat Name: Ocean City Parasail, Richard Family, Theme: Last Sail Before the Vail

3^rd Place: #257, Boat Name: Quarantine Dream, Quarantine Boat LLC, Theme: Honoring Our Heroes

Comic 24’ and under 

1^st Place: #258, Boat Name: Crazy Q, Quigley Family, Theme: Heroes

2^nd Place: #227, Catinella Family, Theme: Celebrating Our Veterans

Musical 24’ and under 

1^st Place: #262, Boat Name: Casco, Caserta Family, Theme: Celebrating All the Different Types of People

2^nd Place: #249, Boat Name: Can’t Sit Still, Cardano-Casario Family, Theme: Disco Salute to Our Heroes

3^rd Place: #272, Boat Name: The Three “C”, Lawless Family, Theme: Dancing Through Second Shift-Salute to Nurses

Original 25’ and over

1^st Place: #271, Boat Name: Shore Bet, Mancil Family, Theme: Tribute to Essential Workers

2^nd Place: #248, Elliott Family, Theme: Honoring Our Heroes

3^rd Place: #237, Boat Name: Marabella, Marques Family, Theme: Local Heroes Kept Us Going and Afloat!

Original 24’ and under 

1^st Place: #224, Boat Name: That What Sea Said, Young & Beiswinger Families, Theme: Gulls Just Wanna Have Fun!

2^nd Place: #270, Boat Name: Brown Eyed Girls, Terry Family, Theme: Raise Your Glass to Frontline Heroes

3^rd Place: #259, Boat Name: The Grateful Fred, Bornhardt Family, Theme: Olympic Line Dancing Team USA

HOUSE RESULTS

#, Last Name, Theme

Zone 1: 

1^st Place: #65, Hornyak, Love You to the Moon and Back!

2^nd Place: #60, Dolaway, A Night in Greece

3^rd Place: #23, Desrosiers, Take Two: Summer Olympics 2021

Zone 2: 

1^st Place: #155, Gabriel, Disco Made Me Do It!

2^nd Place: #103, Haydinger, A Scarlet Begonia Salute to Our Heroes

3^rd Place: #125, Eni, OC Vice

Zone 3: 

1^st Place: #16, Kelly/Fitzpatrick, Summer of Love

2^nd Place: #128, Tamburri/Wolf, Super Heroes

3^rd Place: #63, Barnes, Sea D. Sea

Zone 4: 

1^st Place: #53, Hernandez, COVID B’ Gone

2^nd Place: #91, Thornton, We Struck Gold on Pleasure Avenue

3^rd Place:  #66, Bellwoar, Come Out of Your Bubble and Celebrate!

Zone 5: 

1^st Place: #47, Thornton, Firefighters Save The Bay!

2^nd Place: #101, O’Connell/Rearden, Streaming Thru COVID

3^rd Place: #133, Lawver-Weber, OC…One in a “Melon”

Zone 6: 

1^st Place: #109, Myers, Thank You Ocean City Fire Company!

2^nd Place: #39, Chiumento, OC Salutes Pandemic Heroes

3^rd Place: #117, Gifford, Moby Dick

Zone 7: 

1^st Place: #77, Davidson, First Responders Rocked While we Rolled!

2^nd Place: #81, Kyle, Blue & Gold Heroes

3^rd Place: #17, Monczewski, Celebrating 50 Years of Marriage

Zone 8: 

1^st Place: #136, Kolea, Jungle

2^nd Place: #64, Mathern, Olympics Around the World

3^rd Place: #106, Boyle, Welcome to Our Luau

Zone 9: 

1^st Place: #118, Maxwell/Mallon, Roaring 20’s

2^nd Place: #140, Hoffman, Night on “WEST”ern 17^th Street

Zone 10: 

1^st Place: #141, Sutera, Celebrating the Greatest Generation

2^nd Place: #11, Heenan, Go For the Gold!

3^rd Place: #32, Larkin, Gillian’s Island

Zone 11: 

1^st Place: #142, Ruh, OC Toes in the Sand-Country Beach Concert for Heroes

2^nd Place: #95, O’Flynn, Space Jam

3^rd Place TIE: #110, Huber, OHANA-Means Family in Hawaiian & #107, Tolbert, Super Heroes Honoring Healthcare Heroes

Zone 12: 

1^st Place: #146, Votta, Don’t Worry, Beach Happy!

2^nd Place: #55, Cassidy, Team USA

3^rd Place: #144, Hill, Olympics

Zone 13: 

1^st Place: 111, Coluzzi, Parade of Heroes

2^nd Place: #120 Van Stone, God Bless Our Heroes

3^rd Place: #145, Rafetto, Under Construction

Zone 14 (Best Condo/Commercial): 

1^st Place: #148, Harbor House Condos, Go For the Gold…Harbor House Strong!

2^nd Place: #36, Bay Club Condos, Olympics…Let the Games Begin!

3^rd Place: #68, Bay Village Condos, It’s a Happy New year in Ocean City!