Boat parade theme keeps kids in mind

Christmas in April?

It’s just so Santa’s little helpers have more time to prepare, the organizers of this year’s Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade explained after announcing the 2006 theme.

This year’s theme is “Holiday Magic Through the Eyes of a Child,” submitted by Balboa Island resident Trudy Hayes, one of more than 100 entrants in a contest to pick a new theme for the event.

“When children think about the holidays, it’s kind of magical,” Hayes said. “There is so much going on with all the lights and color ? everything to do with the holidays is magical, especially when you still believe a little bit.”

Hayes, an office manager at Village Inn, said she still remembers what it was like visiting the area as a child before moving here and marrying a local man. As the contest winner, she’ll receive a ride on the VIP boat, tickets to the awards dinner, and a one-night stay at the Balboa Bay Club.

The Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce decided to announce this year’s theme much earlier than the typical October date, Ralph Rodheim said.

“We’re doing it early so we can let the boat owners know and they can start planning,” Rodheim said.

This year, the Commodores also invited area cities such as Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Laguna Beach to submit floats for the parade. Costa Mesa has already signed on, Rodheim said, teaming its own chamber with the Coast Community College District, the South Coast Metro Alliance and the city.

“It’s a way that each city can develop community pride and come down and view the parade,” he said.

Rodheim said he is also inviting private companies and corporations to enter the parade in hopes of boosting the caliber of boat design in this year’s event.

Parade organizers are hoping the “eyes of a child” theme will inspire holiday decorating magic in the boat owners.

“It’s really up to the boat owner to decide on how they’re going to decorate the boat,” Cara Stephens of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce said.dpt.27-boat-parade-CPhotoInfo9S1QC4VR20060427irixz7knKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Spectators watch decorated boats cruise past the Balboa Pavilion during the Christmas boat parade last year.