Annual Lake Lanier boat parade celebrates Independence Day, lake’s centennial

Published 1:07 pm Thursday, July 10, 2025

LAKE LANIER—The annual Lake Lanier boat parade was held on July 4. It was a hot and sunny day with an occasional cloud and a bit of breeze. A total of 15 festively themed boats participated this year, celebrating Independence Day and the centennial of Lake Lanier’s existence. 

The parade began with boats lining up at the Joyce family dock to receive their numbered paddle. As they passed by the next dock along the shoreline, Captain Grant Burns and family faithfully judged the decorated entrants, picking the five winning watercraft. 

The parade continued around all three basins of Lake Lanier, with many of the docks decorated in celebration of Independence Day, as the flotilla was cheered on. 

The winners are listed below:

• 1st place: Hassold Family – “Washington Crossing the Delaware theme”
• 2nd place: Meeuwsen Family – “Gilligan’s Island theme”
• 3rd place: Jeff Carter Family – “100 Year Fitzgerald theme”
• 4th place: Osbon Family – “Natty Light Dancers theme”
• 5th place: Rinehart Family – “Christmas in July theme”

Organizers thank the restaurants and merchants in the area who generously provided gift certificates for the winners: Side Street Pizza, Hare & Hound Restaurant, Iron Key Brewing Company, The Tryon Bottle, and Buck’s Pizza. A special thanks goes to the Joyce family, who shared their beautiful boathouse and dock, and the various photographers at the event, including Grant Burns, Richmond Joyce, and Rene Waldman, who shared photos of the parade.

The heat of the day was temporarily forgotten as soon as the sun went down behind the mountains that surround Lake Lanier. The celebration continued with many dock owners sending off spectacular fireworks to bring Independence Day to an end.

Submitted by Carol Foreman Whaley