2012 VENETIAN BOAT PARADE WINNERS:
Best of Fleet:  Miss Money Penny- "Who Made America Beautiful"
Best Powerboat:  Katnap- "Proud to Be An American"
Best Sailboat:  Still Messin- "Lots of Lights"
Best Illuminated:  Yacht'sa Bugs- "God Bless America"
Best Creativity:  5oh!8- "Up with America & God Bless America"

Best Dockside Decorated Boat: Johnny's Quest
 

2013 BOAT PARADE 
Saturday, July 27, 2013

2013 Boat Parade Rules
83rd  Annual Venetian Boat Parade Application

Like to have fun?  Like to be creative?  Want free dockage for Friday and Saturday of Venetian?  Then consider becoming a participant in the 83rd annual Venetian Boat Parade.  The Venetian Boat Parade is the longest running tradition of the Charlevoix Venetian Festival.  This event attracts thousands of spectators every year as boats of all shapes and sizes adorned with hundreds of lights, music, and animation parade around Round Lake starting at 10:00 pm.  This year’s theme is     to be announced.  You can decorate for our theme or come up with one of your own.  The objective is to have fun and represent the spirit of the Venetian Festival.  This is a family event, and along with the fireworks extravaganza that follows, is the crescendo of Charlevoix’s Venetian Festival. 

Applications are available online and we are limiting the number of boats this year to 20, so get your application in early!  Previous participants will be given seniority consideration based on previous quality of entry.  Boat length is limited to 75’.  Lights are available from the Harbor Master’s office with a $10 per strand deposit, are on a first come first serve basis and will initially be limited to 15 strands per vessel.  We will be circling Round Lake in a clockwise direction, so decorate the port side of your boat. 

Boats will be judged on the following categories: Best of Fleet, Best Power Boat, Best Sailboat, Best Illuminated and Best Creativity.  There are various prizes for the winners.  We are also encouraging all boats in the marina, even if not in the parade, to get in the Venetian spirit and decorate your boat dockside.  There will be a People’s Choice Award for the best dockside decorated boat.  The Best of Fleet will be awarded a $1,000 donation to Charlevoix Area Hospital in their name, a Domino’s Pizza party for 20 people and a photo of their boat.

Parade participants will enjoy a social hour Friday evening, TGIV – Thank God It’s Venetian, at 6:00 p.m., on the patio outside the Harbor Master’s office.  BYOB and an hors’doeuvre.  There will be a mandatory Skippers meeting, Saturday, 7/27, at 2:00 p.m. in the boaters lounge of the Harbor Master’s office.  Any vessel that is not represented at the Skipper’s meeting will not participate in the parade.  No exceptions.

It’s our boaters that make this event, so please join us for this exciting Venetian tradition.  It’s a great way to be a part of the Venetian Festival and have fun in the process. Just be careful not to go “overboard” with enthusiasm. For more information please contact the Harbor Master’s office: 231-547-3272 or the Festival office: 231-547-3872 or cvf@barronengstrom.com.