A Venice Winter Wonderland!

Sometimes it's hard to tell what time of the year it is around Venice, with the year-round lovely weather always pretty much the same, but Christmas time is different. You know.

The halls of the houses get decked, Christmas lights show up everywhere, and one day a year there is even snow. This weekend was jam-packed with holiday cheer, although the 25th Annual Venice Surfathon took place on Saturday, making it feel all summery again. It was bright, warm, and sunny as the surfers from all different categories got into the water to ride the decent waves. It's always good to see the surfers out there every year, as it really becomes a reunion of longtime friends. It was very California to sit on the sand watching the competition while seeing snow on the mountains in the distance. I love that.

The snow day was Sunday at The Brig in the parking lot, where they truck in the snow annually to give the Venice kids a little taste of what winter is like in other places. The lines to take a spin down the icy snow were long, and everyone was in a festive mood. There were holiday arts and crafts, food trucks, and the chance to tell Santa Claus just how good they were this year.

The LAPD had a police sleigh (?) parked out front, and kids lined up to be handed up to Santa in the cop sleigh, which is both cute, and kind of funny. There was a different Santa later in the day to sit on the Santa throne, which may have confused some little ones who were there long enough to catch both, but still great. I love this little snow day every year, as it's a gift to the whole community, and people love it. It shows on their faces, and lets you know that our people are still here. Thanks, Brig!

We had a full agenda of holiday revelry on the books for Sunday, and raced downtown after sledding to see the wonderful Hansel And Gretel opera, which was a real treat. Getting our culture on meant that we were late getting back to Venice for the annual Venice Canals boat parade, but I was told that the actual flotilla was very sparse this year ... like five boats strong.

The sidewalks were full of partiers out to see all the brightly lit bridges and homes, but the actual parade participants were few. This tells me that there is either a lack of holiday spirit, which would be sad, or that many of the canal homes are being rented out for Air BNB, and no real members of the community really live in them, so the renters don't know to participate. That is a real bummer, especially for such a wonderful, special part of Venice that this annual parade always is.

The bridges were fantastic this year, maybe making up for the lack of nautical fun. There was the great VeNICE one, and the Eiffel Tower bridge was also very impressive (I like to think it's to show our solidarity with Paris, and also climate change awareness, but they might just like Paris).

Many homes were brightly lit and hosting parties, with both the lights and the sounds reflecting off of the surrounding waters. People seemed to shut it down extra early this year, which was kind of a buzzkill, but it was nice just to walk the sidewalks and see all the bright decorations. If (WHEN!) I live in the canals one day, you better believe this annual event will be made to be beyond memorable. The dark houses on this special day were sad ... and should be lived in by people that get it, and super appreciate the unique and fun place that they live. I'm working on it.

Time is flying and Christmas will be here before we know it, with everyone scattering to places all over the globe. It's great to have these little unique to Venice holiday memories to take with us and share with the world. I love it. I hope everyone got to go, and if you didn't, you should just take a walk through the canals on any night this holiday season. Your own reflections will join those of the lights, and you will feel the holiday spirit rise up inside of you, no matter how you are feeling. It can't help but cheer you up ... and to that, I say CHEERS!

The Wonderfully Charming Venice Canals Holiday Boat Parade!

The annual Venice Canals Boat Holiday Boat Parade was held last night on a balmy Venice evening that everyone looks forward to every year ... especially this year when things are so bleak and weird in the world at large that any chance to be festive and have fun must be jumped at. The Canals parade is always one of the most charming and wonderful times possible, and this year was no different in that sense.

The skies provided a beautiful opening act, as one of the most gorgeous sunsets ever (and that's saying a lot out here) began the holiday revelry in spectacular fashion.

It seemed like there were less decorated boats this year, but the fantastic lights and decor on the bridges and homes more than made up for it. I'm not sure if we were walking down the wrong canals at the wrong time, but we never did see one big linear parade, just more of a sporadic glimpse here and there. I suspect the parade began in one spot, and then everyone just rowed around doing their own thing. There weren't very many lit up ones, making it more difficult to see them once the sun went down. Our vote for our favorite vessel was the canoe filled with big peas ... in a vision for World Peas. I somehow didn't get a photo of them that turned out, but shout out to the Peas!

Our vote for favorite bridge changed with every corner that we turned. There was a lovey dovey "Kiss" one adorned with X's that was very popular with the lovers present.

My little pal Beckett came out with me to the parade this year, and his proclamation was that it was too difficult to pick a favorite because he loved them all. That's the spirit!

Though the tunnel of lights bridge did keep his attention the longest, so I think we'll give it to them.

I think Beckett's favorite house was the one with all the lit-up cartoon characters that he knows, and a Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was especially exciting. Kids make Christmas even more fun, and it was a joy to see his little face light up brighter than any of the houses every time we saw something new.

The same house featured a polar bear, that I loved because if you saw that video last week of a starving polar bear up in the Arctic, you know how much these guys need love right now. A lot.

One decorated bridge declared that "Winter is here!" though that bridge was about the only way anyone could know that, as this was an evening when not even a sweater was required. It almost felt like we should be singing "Mele Kalikimaka"!

There was a house that we called the "When Doves Cry" house, all lit up in purple with doves flying around the front ...

... which was a great lead-in to our friends' house, the Revelins, who fired up their Purple Rain machine to the delight of all the passersby. Thanks also to them for a lovely break for little legs, and the much needed refreshments. Love!

Canal parties were going off, and what we call the "Fish House" made our list for best-lit house, which concurred with the vote of the Venice Canals Association.

The second place house was good too, and also featured a jam-packed house of festive party-goers. 'Tis the Season!

The Venice Canals are always an excellent place to bring out of towners, to know the history of Venice, and to feel how beautiful it is here. The area really shows off at Christmastime though, and is well worth the time to stroll through and feel the joy and peace of the season, as well as the love and hope you can't help but feel when you see "Kiss" and "Imagine" as the themes. It's the perfect place to go caroling (and stay warm while doing it)! With all the reflections on the water, it's also the perfect place to reflect on what YOU can do to make the world a nicer, kinder, more peaceful place.

Thanks so much to all the fun makers and havers for sharing another beautiful holiday event with everyone, truly making it the most wonderful time of the year (after Summer, sorry!)!


Holiday Cheers!

The Annual Venice Canals Holiday Boat Parade - Where The Palm Trees Glisten

One of my very favorite annual events in Venice is the Holiday Boat Parade in the Canals. Each year locals rig up floating vessels to traverse the canal streets and bring holiday cheer to all the people lining the lining the sidewalks and bridges.

Many canal homes are hosting parties on this day, and it always seems to be a fairly open door policy, with people opening their doors to friends and strangers alike. The boats line up just before sundown, and this year seemed to be particularly packed with revelers. I think we were all ready to blow off some steam and have some holiday fun to remember this year by, instead of all the mad/sadness. It worked.

The bridges were decorated in addition to the boats, and one was more adorable than the next. My choice for best bridge this year went to the charming little house facade that went up over one bridge, reiterating that this is our HOME.

One house had a live band playing mainly classic rock covers and The Doors (appropriately), and the jams echoed all throughout the waterways. As most of the boats were caroling along with Christmas tunes, the absolute metal was kind of great in its juxtaposition.

My runner up bridge was the Venice sign bridge on Linnie Canal, that as the sun set revealed lights and icicles dazzling up the colorful letters of the sign. This one was a popular photo backdrop all evening long.

The parade entries were all great this year, with a palm tree chill pad and a floating stage with a lounge singer trio competing alongside a floating manger scene and a dove offering world peace (my favorite), among many others.

Battery life on lights and iffy floatability made some entrants more precarious than others, and soon a friend of the manger scene had to jump in to tow the floating creche back to its dock. That is some serious community support.

My dear friends, the Revelins, were again our gracious hosts for the parade, which was even more generous of them this year as they had lost their beloved little dog, Lola, just the day before. 2016, Man. But, as in the general atmosphere of the country, the show must go on. We have to make the best of it all. We have to remember the good within the bad. We have to come together to create joyful moments that radiate so much light that the darkness is obscured, especially during the holidays where the important things are meant to be more illuminated.

The holiday spirit was tangibly felt, as people walked by with their roadies and shouted greetings to the boats and the house partiers. One group shared their 3D glasses with us, and it definitely made all the Christmas lights look even more enchanting. As did the wine.

As the skies darkened, the lights came on, and the entire Canal district was twinkling. The little house facade on the bridge lit up, and the moonlight shone down on it, bringing this year's theme "Where The Palm Trees Glisten" beautifully into reality.

It was all so pretty and enchanting that it was difficult to tear ourselves away, but a whole bunch of friends (Blue Eyed Son, Lacey Cowden, Matt Ellis, DJ Bright Moments, National Anthem) were all playing at The Cinema Bar, and we had to get there for more holiday cheer (and to celebrate this dang year being almost over).

I'm now all the way in the Christmas vibe, and I have the Venice Canals Holiday Boat Parade to thank. There's no way you could be standing there, watching all the fun and wholesome holiday hijinks, without feeling your heart swell with the happiness that the holidays - and Venice itself - brings to your soul at this event each year. Thanks so much to everyone involved for making it such a special and beloved holiday tradition for Venice and our friends.

CHEERS to all!