Ocean City announces winners of Night in Venice boat parade

By MADDY VITALE

This was one memorable Night in Venice display Saturday.

There were floating tiki boats packed with Mummers strumming away. A yacht-themed “Shark Week,” complete with dancing great whites. And a “truck,” gliding along the water with a man singing in the back.

It doesn’t get any better than that. The theme for this year’s Night in Venice boat parade was “Mummers: Struttin’ on the Bay.” But there were also so many other boats with different themes to give spectators a lot of variety.

In all, 131 boats made up the parade, and it was certainly one of the biggest in the parade’s 67-year history.

Jay Wright, recently retired Villanova University men’s basketball coach, and his wife, Patty, were the grand marshals. Jackie Evancho, who performed a Sunday concert with the Ocean City Pops, danced with others in her boat for the parade.

Miss Night in Venice Gracie Anderson and her court, Nora Bridgeford, Andi Helphenstine, Ava Tarone and Julia Keich, waved from their boat. Miss Ocean City Maddyn Randazzo, Junior Miss Makenna Fleming and Little Miss Arianna Diantonio also made a special appearance as did Miss New Jersey Volunteer Natalie Ragazzo.

City dignitaries including Mayor Jay Gillian and his wife, Michele Gillian, executive director of Ocean City’s Chamber of Commerce, along with City Council also had boats in the parade.

The Ocean City Theatre Company gave a lively performance from a yacht with dance routines.

For the families who viewed the event from Bayside Center, they literally had front row seats to the action and entertainment, which also included lots of music on the boats and even from neighboring homes.

Amy and Devin Araujo, of Chicopee, Mass., brought their children, Charlotte, 9, Wyatt, 7, 13-year-old Mackenzie and 18-year-old Kaleigh, for a family night.

They sat back and waited for the boat show to begin. But first, the youngest kids had their faces painted.

For the families who viewed the event from Bayside Center, they literally had front row seats to the action and entertainment, which also included lots of music on the boats and even from neighboring homes.

Amy and Devin Araujo, of Chicopee, Mass., brought their children, Charlotte, 9, Wyatt, 7, 13-year-old Mackenzie and 18-year-old Kaleigh, for a family night.

They sat back and waited for the boat show to begin. But first, the youngest kids had their faces painted.

The Night in Venice boat parade takes the same route each year. It begins near the Ocean City-Longport toll bridge and travels along the bayside to Tennessee Avenue, looping in and out of lagoons along the way.

Madison Spizarny, 10, of Mullica Hill, and her 6-year-old sister, Morgan, along with their friend, Sami Dunn, of Pitman, N.J., proudly displayed their colorful designs courtesy of a face-painting company at the event.

For some, Night in Venice festivities were part of a longtime family tradition.

For others, like Mary Daley, of Berlin, N.J., who brought her 3-month-old beagle, Charlie, and her friend, Theresa Vente, of Chicago, it was their first time at the major show on the water.

“We’re just excited to see what it is all about,” Daley said.

The parade was only half of the entertainment.

In addition to the bayfront parade viewed from myriad areas of the island, including the Ninth Street Bridge, was a house decorating contest.

Judges pick winners among the boats and homes. The city typically announces the winners in the following couple of days.

The winning entries are announced in Saturday’s 67th annual Night in Venice celebration.

BOAT RESULTS

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

Best in show 25’ and over #258, Lusea Rose, Badagliacco, Elvis in Venice

Best in show 24’ and under #265, Heading West, Gillespie, Hungry Dogs Gotta Eat

Best Lead Boat 202, On A Roll, Eni, Jay & Patty Wright

Best Commercial #215, Beachy Tiki, OCNJ Watersports, Tiki Party

Best Non-profit #217, Reel Fun, Reel Fun Fishing, OCTC

Best Decorated 25’ and over

1^st Place: #268, Rafetto, Standing Up For Ukraine

2^nd Place: #298, Shanti, Toner, A Roaring 20’s New Year’s Eve

3^rd Place: #294, Shore Bet, Mancill, Pirates of the Caribbean

Best Decorated 24’ and under

1^st Place: #256, That’s What Sea Said, Young, A Tribute to Coach Jay Wright

2^nd Place: #309, Water Wheels, Wheeler, Fly Eagles Fly

3^rd Place: #273, The Crazy Q2, Quigley, Mummers 

Comic 25’ and over

1^st Place: #251, Whiteside, World’s Most Fuel Efficient Cars

Comic 24’ and under

1^st Place: #237, At Last, Marshall, Angry Birds

2^nd Place: #249, Lady Grady, Foge, Thanksgiving Turkey

Musical 25’ and over

1^st Place: #231, Barracuda, Del Monte, Duffy String Band

2^nd Place: #209, Wrecking Crew Fishing, Duffy String Band

3^rd Place: #200, Only Fins, LaBove, Uptown String Band 

Musical 24’ and under

1^st Place: #250, Foxy Lady, McManus, Patriotic

2^nd Place: #225, Little Whaler, Bergen, The Summer Mummers

3^rd Place: #206, Jersey Boy Charters, Avena, South Philly String Band

Original 25’ and over

1^st Place: #307, Eliza-Gail, Higgins, Chips Ahoy

2^nd Place: #214, Mamma Mia, Angstadt, Top Gun Movie

3^rd Place: #293, Marabella, Marques, Disco Nights

Original 24’ and under

1^st Place: #299, Scott Built, MacMillian, Truck on Water Supply Boat

2^nd Place: #292, The Everglades, Rizxo, PACman in Venice

3^rd Place: #312, Brown Eyed Girls, Terry, Livin’ On A Prayer

HOUSE RESULTS

House Number, Last Name, Theme:

Zone 1:

1^st Place: #65, Hornyak, Boot Scootin’ Boogie

2^nd Place: #82, Desrosiers, Irish Mummer Summer

3^rd Place: #78, Delibertis, Depp’s Mad Hatter

Zone 2:

1^st Place: #132, Gabriel, This Ain’t My First Rodeo

2^nd Place: #120, Eni, Coach Wright Struttin’ Through The Bay

3^rd Place: #81, Haydinger, Dancing in The Street!

Zone 3:

1^st Place: #143, Tamburri/Wolfe, Mummers in Venice

2^nd Place: #157, Colsher, Mama Mia

3^rd Place: #109, Kelly, Kelly’s Summer Mummers

Zone 4:

1^st Place: #28, Hernandez, Pleasure Struttin’

2^nd Place: #42, Bellwoar, Par-Tee on the Bay Fore Night In Venice

3^rd Place: #52, Thornton, Mummers & Nova

Zone 5:

1^st Place: #99, Thornton, Broad Street on The Bay!

2^nd Place: #88, Weber, Ballin’ in Ocean City

3^rd Place: #159, Forte, Summer Mummers-City Hall to OC

Zone 6:

1^st Place: #39, Chiumento, NIV of the Mummering Dead

2^nd Place: #131, Myers, Flying High in Ocean City

3^rd Place: #117, Gifford, West Chester University

Zone 7:

1^st Place: #69, Miller, Top Gun

2^nd Place: #64, Juliana, Struttin’ Into “30”

3^rd Place: #156, Scanlons/Brandenberges, Jay Wright’s Retirement

Zone 8:

1^st Place: #118, Dorney/Hicke, Wonderland By Knight

2^nd Place: #151, Kolea, Aloha Jay Wright

3^rd Place: #84, Michaelis, Ukranian Mummers on The Bay

Zone 9:

1^st Place: #92, Maxwell, OC is Out of This World

2^nd Place: #91, Hoffman, OC Hits it Out of the Park!

3^rd Place: #71, LaValla, Flags on the Venetian Bayou

Zone 10:

1^st Place: #131, Vaules, Kelce is Our Favorite Mummer

2^nd Place: #32, Church, Struttin’ On The Bay

3^rd Place: #13, Gregory, Mardi Gras!

Zone 11:

1^st Place: #20, Huber, St. Patty’s In July

2^nd Place: #101, Ruh, Pirates of Sunny Harbor!

3^rd Place: #31, O’Flynn, Pirates Parading The Mummers

Zone 12:

1^st Place: #72, Seeburger, Life in OC is Flamazing

2^nd Place: #154, Votta, Dino Dock

3^rd Place: #19, Cassidy, Mummer Summer

Zone 13:

1^st Place: #80, VanStone, Celebrating Philly

2^nd Place: #60, Rafetto, Great Gatsby

3^rd Place: #140, Barnett, Oktoberfest on Bay

Zone 14 (Best Condo/Commercial):

1^st Place: #79, Harbor House, Peace, Love and Harbor Happiness!

2^nd Place: #77, Bay Club Condos, Mardi Gras at the Bay(ou) Club

3^rd Place: #17, Marina Mews, Struttin’ With Marina Mews