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Night in Venice 2014 in Ocean City Draws Big Crowds (See Contest Winners)

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(See complete Night in Venice results below.) "Angry Birds in Paradise" won "Best of Show" for small boats and took second in the "Comic Division." "Angry Birds in Paradise" won "Best of Show" for small boats and took second in the "Comic Division." Tens of thousands of spectators and partygoers lined the bayfront on Saturday night for Ocean City's Night in Venice. Clear skies and relatively cool weather helped draw big crowds to the annual boat parade and house decorating contest. Ocean City Public Relations Director Mark Soifer said about 70 boats participated — with 65 registering in advance and another five arriving in time for the pre-event captains' meeting. Last year's lineup included 72 entries. The 2012 parade had 50 entries, and the 2011 parade saw 58 boats. The boat named Moover took top prize in the "Classic" Division with "Jaws." The boat named Moover took top prize in the "Classic" Division with "Jaws." This year's theme was "A Night at the Oscars," with owners decorating their boats to fit the theme. One highlight was a "Jaws"-themed entry — with Robert Shaw's shark-hunting Quint narrating and a shark fin in tow (see video). __________

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The parade set out from the Ocean City-Longport Bridge at 7:30 p.m. and made the trip along Ocean City's bayfront, in and out of lagoons along the way, to the end of the parade route at Tennessee Avenue. The home-decorating contest and private parties along the entire parade route make Night in Venice one of the highlights of the summer season in Ocean City.

 Boats

Under 25' Over 25'
Category Boat# Boat Name Theme Boat# Boat Name Theme
Comic 1st Place 39 Kiki And the Oscar Goes To... 43 Noname Bridgegate
Comic 2ndPlace 62 False Alarm Angry Birds in Paradise 26 Keeper Forrest Gump
Most Original 1st Place 42 Lil Gunner Griswold Christmas in OCNJ 56 The Playpen Go Nuts in OC
Most Original 2nd Place 41 Rocking & Reeling Night at the Oscars 38 Jessie O Fish N Fun Night at the Movies
Most Original 3rd Place 67 Fabricator Game of Thrones
Musical 1st Place 20 Noname Oscars 54 Full Moon Too Woodstock Takes Ocean City
Musical 2nd Place 28 The Little Mermaid The Little Mermaid Best Oscar Musical 1990
Best Decorated 1st Place 48 Sponge Bob Square Pants OC How Sweet it Is 53 Shanti Red Carpet Paparazzi
Best Decorated 2nd Place 22 Fish N Chix Christmas in July
Best Decorated 3rd Place 47 Duke O'Fluke Oscar Night
Childrens Division 1st Place 60 Buckley's Yacht Rocky Rocks the Oscars
Best of Show 62 False Alarm Angry Birds in Paradise 43 Noname Bridgegate
Category Boat# Boat Name Theme
Classic 1st Place 50 Moover Jaws
Classic 2nd Place 57 Casco D-Day 70th Anniversay Celebration
Happy Dance 56 The Playpen Go Nuts in OC
Happy Dance 48 Sponge Bob Square Boat OC How Sweet it Is

Houses and Condos

First Place First Place 2nd Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 3rd Place
Zone Number Last Name Theme Last Name Theme Last Name Theme
1 DuBois Monster Mash Fainelli Midnight in Venice Walton Happy 95th Birthday Adelle!
2 Hornyak Party on the Nile Shacklett Patriotic Americans Gabriel "Talk Derby to Me"
3 Morris Country Western Kelly Prime Night at the Oscars Baumann We Found our Treasure on Pleasure Avenue
4 Kull Remembering Richard Sulock The Wonderful Land of Oz Bellwoar A Night at the Oscars
5 Thornton Candyland in the Sun & Sand Interrante Oscar Comes Alive in OC Schwarz/DelGuercio Studio 54
6 Pawley Woodsdock Chiumento And the Oscar goes to Sharknato Gifford Night at the Oscars
7 Miller Secretariat Davidson Octopuss Garden on the Island in the Sun Boudart Celebrities Behaving Badly
8 Reiner World Cup Kolea The Kolea Luau 2014 Grasso It's Going Down...Yelling Timber!
9 Maxwell Superheroes & Villains Patterson Party at the Ocean Lounge
10 Church Night at the Oscar Mayer Weiner Sutera Cirque de Sutera Fitzpatrick Summer ICONS are Happy in OC
11 Weigel Proud to be an American Averona Let it Go O'Flynn Superheroes on the Red Carpet
12 Votta Candy Crush Donohue Candy Crush
13 VanStone College Night in Venice Coluzzi Red Carpet Gala
13 McKenna Noah's Ark Docks in OC
14 Harbor House Super Hero's Go Hollywood