Sea Isle's Lagoons to Feature "Rio Flotilla" Boat Parade

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Brian and Meg Gallagher’s son, Joseph, is getting married next week. Their daughter, Casey, just got engaged two weeks ago. To celebrate, they have decided to decorate their boat in a wedding theme for a quaint flotilla that will travel along some of Sea Isle City’s picturesque lagoons Saturday night. The Gallaghers and their family members will be in the lead boat for the “Rio Flotilla,” an annual privately run event in Sea Isle inspired by the iconic Night in Venice boat parade in Ocean City, but on a much smaller scale. “My son, Joe, takes credit for saying, ‘Why don’t we do something like Night in Venice here in Sea Isle?’” Brian Gallagher said. The Gallaghers started the Rio Flotilla in 2017 and have held it every year since then except for the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, they said. “We did it and it was fun. I remember sitting out on the deck on Saturday morning and telling Brian, ‘They are decorating,’” Meg Gallagher recalled of their neighbors during the flotilla’s first year. As is the custom, the Gallaghers, their family members and their neighbors decorate their boats with lights for a nighttime show along Sea Isle’s “Rio” lagoons between 43rd Place and 47th Place. The approximately hour-long flotilla is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Saturday in front of the Yacht Club of Sea Isle City at the bay end of Venicean Road. It will head down to 43rd Place and then hit each lagoon up to 47th Place. The flotilla is held at night to showcase the boats decorated in lights. Altogether, eight boats are expected in the parade this year. Brian and Meg Gallagher will be joined by their children, Joe and Casey, and Brian’s sister and her husband and their two children, on the lead boat. Brian’s brother, Ron, and his wife, Denise, will be on the second boat. The last boat will include the Gallaghers’ neighbors, Larry and Lisa Robinson. Other neighbors will be on the remaining boats in the flotilla. Brian and Meg Gallagher live in Lansdale, Pa., and have a summer vacation home in Sea Isle on 47th Place. The flotilla usually consists of their family members and neighbors. Although Ocean City’s lavish Night in Venice boat parade served as an inspiration, the Gallaghers have always wanted to keep the Rio Flotilla a small, low-key affair usually consisting of eight to 12 boats. “We’ve been under the radar in some respects,” Brian Gallagher said. “We’re not out seeking to make this real big.” They hold it at night to showcase the boats adorned in lights. Each owner chooses an individual theme for their boat decorations. Unlike the Night in Venice parade, there is no universal theme for the entire flotilla. Also, unlike the Night in Venice celebration, there are no prizes awarded to the Rio Flotilla's boat owners or to Sea Isle's bayfront homes for any decorations. While many annual events aspire to get bigger and bigger with each succeeding year, the Gallaghers have no such desire for the Rio Flotilla. They like it just the way it is – quaint and easygoing. “If it gets too big, I’ll stop it. It’s laid-back,” Brian Gallagher said.