Recap: Christmas in July comes to Put-in-Bay
Spotted Gallery
Have you ever wished the spirit of Christmas and the rules of Mardi Gras ran away for a vacation to Put-in-Bay together? Well, they did, and now we have a whole weekend dedicated to Christmas lights, costumes, decorations and Mardi Gras beads dubbed Christmas in July.
I had never been to Christmas in July before and it was an experience like no other. After a long fiasco of trying to get over to the island, I finally made it and didn't have to take more than five steps off the boat before I saw elf ears, reindeer antlers and a huge inflatable Santa.
All kinds of people were getting into the spirit of the season with their outfits and having a care-free time with some Great Lakes Christmas Ale. There were a lot of naughty Mrs. Claus costumes, as well as at least half a dozen Santas out on Saturday night. I don't mean guys in a fake beard and hat, I mean there were men with real, full-grown white beards walking around. It was a lot of fun to see Santa in kilt, but the "sit on my lap and tell me what you want for Christmas" line got a little old very quickly.
The docks by the Boardwalk were packed with folks having a good time right on their own boats. I loved to see how they all decorated their boats with different variations of Christmas inspired inflatable characters. The Grinch, Frosty the Snowman, Santa and even the Ohio State mascot, Brutus, made it out to the party this past weekend! And if you have ever wondered where Waldo went, I found him and tagged him twice in our photo gallery; see if you can find him!
All the bars on Put in Bay were covered in garland, tinsel, lights and there seemed to be confetti everywhere I went. I don't think I have ever seen that island as busy as it was this past Saturday, but like I said, I have never been before so I was in for a real treat.
Saturday was a very long night for the Funcoast team because we had to wait for the 4 a.m. boat ride back to the mainland. Yes, I said 4 a.m. and I was not aware they even had boats that ran that late! I'm surprised we lasted through the wee hours of the night and didn't fall asleep on a curb or a park bench somewhere waiting, although there were plenty of folks who felt obliged to do just that.
I was so excited to see all the things I love about Christmas, like the colors, decorations, lights and Great Lakes Christmas Ale without the two feet of snow on the ground and a wind chill factor of negative ten. Christmas in July was like no party I have ever been to before and I can't wait to go back next year!
Check out all the photos from Christmas in July on Put-in-Bay!
Check out our other photos from Christmas in July on Put-in-Bay!
