Ready for boat parade?

Last year’s winning entry from the Hoffman family.

PARADE IS CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER

Hope everyone is busy preparing your award-winning entries for this year’s Fourth of July Big Mantrap Lake Association boat parade. If you’re not competing, plan to hit your docks to cheer on contestants and vote for your favorites.

The boat parade is becoming a Big Mantrap tradition – fun for contestants and lake residents alike. Contestants assemble at the narrows at 11 a.m. and circle counterclockwise around the Big Bay, before parading into East Arm, Steamboat and Hoist bays. Please stay with the parade until it ends. People in East Arm, Steamboat and Hoist are waiting to cheer.

Voting this year will be via BMLA website. Head to bigmantraplake.org to vote by clicking on the Boat Parade Ballot link, which will be live on the front page on July 4 until 3 p.m. Pick your favorites and submit them. We’ll announce the winners after the results are tabulated.

The winning boat earns the coveted Dairy Queen gift certificate with the second and third place boats also winning prizes.

The weather can always spoil our fun and we want to keep everyone safe. If storms threaten, we’ll have to cancel. Linda Zawacki, boat parade chair, will announce any cancelation by 9:30 a.m. on Facebook on the Big Mantrap Lake Community page and Big Mantrap Neighbors.