Lake Zurich boat parade draws 7,000
Submitted by Jen Gustafson
More than 7,000 people enjoyed the 18th Annual Boat Parade before the Lake Zurich Fireworks this Fourth of July.
The fight for the traveling trophy has ended for 2013: by a very narrow margin, the winner of the boat parade was the Mongue/Gustafson family with their over-the-top version of a “Wizard of Oz — Kansas” themed boat. With spot-on costumes of all the characters, the float featured an 8-foot swirling tornado and a flying monkey.
A close second was the Griffith family who transformed their boat into a lifelike 40-foot “Noah’s Ark” with whimsical, oversized cartoon animals and a 5-foot flying dove.
Third place went back to the Mongue/Gustafson family with their “Wizard of Oz — Emerald City” which featured a 12-foot hot air balloon and Dorothy, the Lion, the Tinman, the Scarecrow and a Munchkin.
Fourth Place went to “Ms. Pac-Man,” created by the Dettlaff Family, with lots of fun, colorful ghosts being chased by a huge Ms. Pac-Man in a canoe.
Fifth place went to the Miller Family with “Rocketman USA,” which featured a 12-foot rocket and astronauts.
Also joining the parade was the Thorp family with their “All American Lemonade Stand,” which was a ray of sunshine; they even passed out lemonade to the crowd. The Sennott Family’s “Margaritaville” left attendees feeling like they were at a great party in paradise. The Hessel Family excited the crowd with their “Stanley Cup Blackhawks” float, while the Gannon Family and their “Jimmy Buffet” float was a real crowd pleaser.
The event was hosted by the Lake Property Owner’s Association, who would like to thank the following businesses for donating prizes to the participants: Beelow’s Steakhouse, Casper True Value Hardware, Chasers Sports Bar & Grill, D&J Bistro, Egg Shells, Giordano’s, JJ Twig’s, Koffee Kup Restaurant, Lake Zurich Park and Rec. Dept., Lake Zurich Goodyear, MC Sports, Orchard Prime Meats, Diamond Fresh Seafood Market and Café, Tacos El Norte, Julios Latin Cantina. They would also like to thank Trustees Dan Stanovich and Jim Beaudoin and their wives, Tina and Deb, for judging the parade and Scott Kuba for serving as master of ceremonies.
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