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Crowds, Lights, Boats
Whitey's Light Parade 2007
by rick grant    rickgrant01@comcast.net

      Over the years, Whitey's Fish Camp's annual light parade has burgeoned into a major Fleming Island Event. This year, Whitey's was teeming with people viewing the light parade. I've judged the event for many years and this year there were more people jamming the outside deck and dock than I can remember from years prior.
      22 boats entered the event, decorated with Christmas lights and various themes. The winning boat captain received two round-trip airline tickets to anywhere in the United States. Runner up received a round-trip airline ticket to Newark, New Jersey for the annual Sopranos' Gumba Festival (only kidding).
      My favorite boats were the Row Boat Guy who had strung lights around his boat, on his oars, and around his body. It was original and I admired his stamina rowing around the creek. The Pirate boat was also cool. They were decked out in pirate costumes and fired a real cannon. Man, it was loud. The captain of the "Jolly Roger" was a pirate Santa. Hey, there were no pirate Santas in the real pirate world. But anything goes during the silly season.
      As usual, there were way too many plastic Santas on the boats. And yes, the singing Santa on his electronic keyboard was back with his Santa-ettes singing Christmas songs. Clearly, though, the families who came out to see the Whitey's light parade enjoyed the event. I was concerned for the kids running around the narrow dock, which has no guard rails. Someone should have cleared the overflow throng off the dock as a safety measure.
      The judges included me, David A. Brown from the Neighbor to Neighbor, David T. Brown from The Fleming Island Herald, and Eve Szymaniki of the Clay County Chamber of Commerce. Everyone liked the Row Boat Guy-a creative departure from the endless plastic Santas.
      Since Fleming Island has grown exponentially in recent years, Whitey's Light Parade has become a big community happening. It's Whitey's biggest night for the restaurant and the bar. The parking lot fills up quickly, so Whitey's provides parking across the bridge with a van shuttle bringing people to and from the site.

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