Venetian Night: Fire on the Lake Mich. water

A glistening lakefront, flickering lights from boats and a sky full of fireworks. It's way too late to celebrate the Fourth of July, so it must be time once again for the city of Chicago to celebrate Venetian Night.

Since 1957, boats from all around Chicago and the suburbs take an annual trip up the lakefront between the Shedd Aquarium and the Chicago Yacht Club to show off their owners' decorating skills and make viewers "ooh" and "ahh" at the nighttime spectacle. About 35 owners this year will decorate their boats with lights, props and costumed people to make the beautiful trip down Lake Michigan.

In fact, Venetian Night is the longest running event that the City of Chicago produces. According to the Chicago Mayor's Office of Special Events, it was once a multiday event that featured a beauty pageant and parade down State Street in addition to the lighted-boats-and-fireworks fare. The pageant and parade are gone, but Venetian Night's overwhelming popularity still stands.

It's all thanks to the captains and boat owners, who spend half a year planning their displays and as much as $5,000 to $10,000 paying for them, says yacht owner Lynne Denemark of Bloomingdale, who with her husband, Phil, won numerous awards for their elaborate decorations in the past eight years.

You don't have to have a 60-foot yacht like the Denemarks' to follow King Neptune along the watery parade route. Venetian Night is open to anyone with a boat moored in Chicago's harbors, but you'll have to plan for 2009. This year's entries were due a month ago.

If you do think of entering, here's a tip, courtesy of Denemark: The judges "love loud music, lots of people and lots of lights." On a boat the size of hers, that means 25 costumed people and "thousands and thousands and thousands" of lights, run by generators and - yes - plugged in and tested strand by strand at home before making the trip to the harbor. Think of that next December when you're swearing at the Christmas tree.

Because of the tremendous work and expense, the Denemarks won't compete this year, but they won't really be sitting this one out.

"The Chicago Yachting Association asked us to carry the color guard, which consists of the Chicago Police, the Coast Guard, and the National Guard," Denemark said. "I'm very honored and my family and I are all really excited."

Not competing, she says, will give her a whole new appreciation for the event.

"I've been stressed for nine years," said Denemark. "I'm really looking forward to just relaxing a little more this year because we will get an opportunity to enjoy what the other boats have to offer."

That doesn't mean she'll get off scott free. Denemark's boat "Floating Interest" will be covered with bunting with lights around the bow, a sound system playing patriotic songs, and other decorations to make the boat shine for this special evening.

As the years go on, Venetian Night seems to just keep growing in size and extravagance.

"With one boat being sponsored by Lollapalooza and another by WXRT, there is no saying how much bigger these boats will get with their decorations," Denemark said.

"It's so exciting. You love to be part of it."

Venetian Night

When: Saturday, with a mock air/sea rescue at 7:45 p.m.; a flyover by Naperville's Lima Lima aerobatic flight team at 8:25 p.m.; boat parade at 8:30 p.m. and fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

Where: Lake Michigan between the Shedd Aquarium at Roosevelt Road and the Chicago Yacht Club at Monroe Street

Watch from: Near the yacht club, where judges sit and acts are most elaborate; Queen's Landing in front of Buckingham Fountain to hear narration about each boat; the water - check out spiritofchicago.com, odysseycruises.com or mysticbluecruises.com.

Admission: Free

Early start: Take a picnic and stake out a front-row spot.

Info: cityofchicago.org/specialevents

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