Photos
Well, Jerry Budelman found an answer — although it won’t work for everyone. Budelman owns a 50-foot yacht, and he lights that up instead.
“Somebody sent me a link to a video of some people who put up a lighted animated show on their house, and I was just blown away,” said Budelman, a past commodore of the Olympia Yacht Club. “I thought that would be a really cool thing to do, but my house is on a cul de sac, so there would be no way for people to look at it.
“I decided, ‘Why don’t I combine the love of Christmas with the love of boating?’ ”
The result is the Dancing Lights Marine Christmas show, which begins next Thursday. The 50-foot Kissintel is decorated with more than 15,000 lights that move in sync to music, creating a 45-minute show.
The event, in its fourth year, is the younger sibling to the yacht club’s traditional Parade of Lighted Ships, which is happening next Wednesday and Dec. 10.
“They have been having a lighted-ship parade in Budd Inlet for 80 years, as I understand it,” said Colleen Nelson of the yacht club, who’s organizing this year’s parade.
Budelman participates in the parade as well; for those nights, the Kissintel offers an abbreviated light show without the music.
At least 15 boats typically participate in the parade. Boats that want to compete for a prize need to be present for both parades.
The decorated boats drive around Budd Inlet. Port Plaza, one of the best sites for public viewing, is also the place to grab a free candy cane from Santa on Dec. 10.
“People all along the shore have parties that night,” Budelman said. “It’s a big deal.”
Some even join the parade in the water. “When we get all the way out near Boston Harbor, the folks over at Swantown who are in the rowing club will be out in their boats watching the parade,” Nelson said. “We’ll see people in kayaks and rowboats and all kinds of things.”
Speaking of which, while the event is sponsored by the yacht club, anyone is welcome to join.
“Anybody that has any kind of a watercraft is welcome to join us,” Nelson said. “We just encourage people to decorate as best they can to reflect the theme.”
That shouldn’t be difficult this year. The theme is “Nautical Noel,” which should fit any boat with any kind of Christmas decoration.
