A Different Sort of Parade

These people sure do love a parade! Wow  And that suits us right down to our toes. We are parade fans.  We had never been to a boat parade before so looked eagerly forward to this one.  Wiser since the past few experiences, we  bought folding chairs, those kinds that fit in bags with straps for easy carrying.  The parade was scheduled to begin one town north in Nokomis and would be coming through Venice via the jetty and the Intercoastal Waterway.  Handily, there is a trail running the length of the Incoastal and we are very nearby an access point so we walked over to the North Bridge, also known as the KMI Bridge and set up camp with a lot of other folks just under the bridge in our comfy new folding chairs. Ahhhh. Much better. 

There was a partyparty happening on the other side of the North Bridge and the music was terrific.  Even though we weren't attending their private festivities, we got the proximity benefit  for sure.   Things got underway a little later than anticipated but it was a beautiful night, cool enough to wear a sweater but not cold at all. The sky was clear and the water was as smooth as glass.  Someone added to the occasion by occasionally showering the sky with fireworks.  Finally we heard the uproar from the other side, the boats were on their way~ 

We knew they would be decorated but I don't think I was prepared for how elaborate some of them were.  The one above was just a crazy chaotic amalgamation of lights but I loved the watercolour effect that followed them.  Others were more themed with a very specific plan that was beautifully carried out.  Two of our favourites were a Christmas Tree and a Sleigh.

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Others were a little less specific but still had a holiday feel.  (take note of the "gator" on Santa's rooftop)  And one was lovely  in it's elegant simplicity.

Cleverly taking a completely different turn on the trail, there was one in particular that had a rather modern look to it.  That one also had some terrific tunes blasting. I really hope the folks on board were wearing ear protection. Can you imagine how loud that would be if you were standing on deck if we could hear it perfectly on shore?  Mercy.

We enjoyed them all and were sorry when it ended.   Part of the tradition, as I understand it, is to notify the local newspaper of your favourite and the winner's entry will be published in the newspaper.  We paid close attention but we just couldn't pick a single favourite.  There was a reason to like each and every one!!

Sadly, I got so carried away enjoying the parade, I didn't get photos of every entry.  But this was a good sampling.  Interestingly, the next day I took a nice long walk in the daytime and as I walked past a pier, saw one of the entrants in the daylight.  It was still cute, but the magic of the lights in the night just wasn't there.  We have a few more days to get our vote for best parade boat in, but I"ll let you be the judge. We just cannot choose!!