These 3 Philly Sports Icons Will Lead Ocean City’s Night In Venice Parade

One of the most popular events in South Jersey each summer is the Ocean City Night in Venice Parade, which will be the 70th edition of the showcase hosted on the bay annually.

First hosted in 1907, Ocean City's Night in Venice became an annual summer event starting in the 1920s. The parade of boats on the bay starts at the Ocean City-Longport Toll Bridge, and the boats travel along Ocean City's bay south to Tennessee Avenue, where the boats loop back around for spectators.

For the second time in the last few years, the theme for Night in Venice will have a connection to Philadelphia Sports. In 2023, Ocean City had a “It’s a Philly Thing” theme for the boat parade.

On Saturday, July 26th, the Night in Venice Theme will be “70 Years of Champions," celebrating sports teams that have won over the decades. This year's boat parade is scheduled to start at 630pm, and at the conclusion, there will be fireworks around 9pm.

Three Grand Marshalls For This Year's Night in Venice

As a reflection of the rich history of Philadelphia Sports and the area's affinity with their favorite sports teams, Ocean City will have three men serving as Grand Marshalls for this year's boat parade:

-Ruben Amaro Jr. was a bench player on the popular 1993 Phillies team that reached the World Series. After playing in Philadelphia for 5 seasons, Amaro Jr was the Phillies Assistant General Manager when the team won the 2008 World Series and served as General Manager from 2009-2015.

-Bernie Parent was the Flyers Starting Goaltender when Philadelphia won back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships (1974, 1975). Parent is one of the best goaltenders in NHL History and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, playing ten seasons in Flyers Orange and Black.

-Vince Papale was a walk-on with the Philadelphia Eagles whose inspirational story was the centerpiece of the "Invincible" film that was released in theaters in 2006. Papale played three seasons in an Eagles Uniform (1976-1978) during which he served as a key special-teams player.

Joining the three Grand Marshalls to preside over the Ocean City boat parade is 2025 Miss Night in Venice Giuliana Guardascione. This is the 30th year that Miss Night in Venice recognizes a young woman who raises money for charity. This year, Giuliana Guardascione raised the most money for 13 charities.

The Ocean City Night in Venice Parade is free to watch anywhere on the bayside of the island except for the Bayside Center. Free parking and shuttle service will be available starting at 4 pm on Saturday from the following municipal lots:

*Ocean City Community Center located between 17th and 18th streets on Simpson Avenue
*Soccer Field located off Tennessee Avenue on Shelter Road
*Ocean City Municipal Airport on Bay Avenue and adjacent to 25th Street

One of the most popular Jersey Shore Towns, Ocean City has many reasons why this South Jersey Coastal Community is so beloved by locals and vacationers: