Monday, December 17, 2007
Smooth sailing for new Winterfest route
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- The 2007 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade sailed smoothly through its new parade route over the weekend.
For the first time in 36 years boaters took their babies through a new route Saturday night. "It was an amazing feeling because it was something we had never done before," said Lisa Scott-Founds, president and CEO of Winterfest, "and we worked so hard all year to change the route and make sure that it was safe for everybody and everybody was having a good time."
Grand Marshall Lorraine Bracco of the "Sopranos," stepped out of character and cheerfully wished spectators "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!" from on top of "The Big Boat."
The theme of this year's parade was "Magical Movie Moments." One of the exhibitors, a 115-foot tourist boat called the Carrie B, was transformed into a wild, wild west saloon. "As you see the boat floating down the Intercoastal, you're going to see not a boat but an old west town floating down the Intercoastal," said Doug Jones, the boat decorator. The sponsor of the barge wants to bring the entire vessel to life with about 40 different scenes set up throughout the boat.
It was estimated that as many as a million people lined up along the parade route to see the festively decorated boats and watch not one but two fireworks shows.
The boat parade's new route began at Fort Lauderdale's New River, headed east through the Intercoastal and ended at lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach.
The boat parade will re-air on Channel 7 on Dec. 22 at 8 p.m., Dec. 25 at noon and Dec. 29 at 9 p.m.
(Copyright 2007 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
