Night in Venice Set for Saturday

The annual Night in Venice Parade is rapidly approaching.

The gala Boat Parade and decorated home celebration is set for Saturday, July 26, 7:30 p.m. 

The decorated boats will travel along the Bayfront and through lagoons from the Longport Bridge to Tennessee Avenue.

Boat and Home entries will be competing for prizes. As of Tuesday morning, boats were still registering for the event.

Over 150 homes are expected to be decorated. Entries for boats and homes will be taken online at www.ocnj.us/NIV until 4 p.m. on Wednesday. After that, call 609-525-9300 to register.

The boat parade can be viewed from grandstands set up at the following locations along street ends:  Battersea Road, North Street, 1st Street, 2nd Street, Marina, 4th, 6th, 11th, 13th, 5th, 16th streets and the Tennessee Avenue Boat Ramp.  

These areas are free. It’s a good idea to get there early. Viewing is also available at the Bayside Center, 520 Bay Avenue, which will offer entertainment featuring the Good Tymes Band, refreshments for sale and prime bay side seating starting 5 p.m.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children. Tickets may be purchased by cash, check or charge at City Hall, 9th and Asbury Avenue, Room 214, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at the Music Pier Box Office, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace, 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Free parking is available at the Airport Parking Lot, 25th and Bay Avenue, and the Soccer Field at Tennessee Avenue and Shelter Road from 5 p.m. until midnight.

A free jitney will transport visitors to grandstand locations along the Bay and to the Bayside Center and return them to where they parked after the Parade. There will also be a pick up at the Community Center, 1735 Simpson Avenue.

Parking Restrictions are in effect from midnight on Friday through midnight Saturday for the following locations: both sides of Bay Avenue between 16th and 24th streets, and the East side of Bay Avenue, between 14th and 16th streets.

The Alcoholic Ordinance will be strictly enforced. Both car drivers and boat captains must refrain from drinking. Residents are asked to make sure that guests stay on your property. 

There will be large amounts of pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the bay front areas. Residents are reminded to obey the rules of the road and yield to pedestrians at crosswalks.