History of Night in Venice: A Tradition More Than 70 Years in the Making
DURING the month of February in 1949, people in town were discussing ways to draw more vacationers to Ocean City. A suggestion from Jack G. Jernee, retired beach patrol captain and owner of the Peck’s Beach Life Saving Station, drew the most discussion. He proposed an enormous two-night bay carnival, which would include a boat parade, decorated houses, a carnival queen, boat races and fireworks. He said, “We have the most beautiful coast, and what a display we could make.” He visualized houses along the bayfront adorned with outdoor lights and lines of bleacher seats along the water.
Jernee continued explaining what he called a Night in Venice; “The Yacht Club could induce the owners of yachts, schooners, sloops, cruisers and sailboats from all along the coast to participate. We could have outboard races before sunset. Then, after dark, we would have a parade from Lousy Harbor, proceed across the bay and down along the bayfront to 14th Street.”
Jernee knew it could be done because he did it before. He revived the Night in Venice Bay Carnival in 1923, and it was a great success. He got the idea from retired Ocean City Beach Patrol captain Alfred R. Smith, who in 1907, participated in Ocean City’s first Night in Venice.
Well, Jernee did not receive the support to put on a bay carnival in 1949, but every year he would try again. Finally, in 1954, people were looking for ways to celebrate Ocean City’s 75th anniversary, and Jernee’s suggestion for a Night in Venice got the support it needed.
It was held on Saturday, August 14, 1954. Three-days later the Ocean City Sentinel-Ledger reported, “What was believed to have been the largest crowd ever assembled along the Ocean City bayfront clogged the area Saturday night to witness a colorful and entertaining pageant by 115 craft of the resort’s pleasure boating fleet.”
The article went on to report, “The pageant of boats, arranged by a committee of Yacht Club members in cooperation with Jack G. Jernee, of the Jubilee Committee, was the largest event of its kind ever staged on the local bay, which was the scene of many a boating festival years ago.”
The 71st Night in Venice will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2026, starting at 6:30pm.
By Fred Miller