Mike SciaccaThe look of wide-eyed wonderment that...

Mike Sciacca

The look of wide-eyed wonderment that overcame the face of Remy

Gilboe on Monday suggested that the toddler had not seen anything

like it before.

Remy, who turns 3 on Monday, was on the top deck of a boat, the

Monte Carlo, in the arms of his father, Gregg. The two were among the

first passengers to take the Cruise of Lights through the channels of

Huntington Harbour.

Remy continually pointed to various sights as he and his father

took in the endless parade of lights and decorations that dressed

many of the homes, boats, docks, decks and bridges in the harbor.

“It’s his first time to see all this,” said Gregg Gilboe, who is

the music director at Huntington Beach High School.

Gilboe held his son tightly as the two took in the ride and sang

“Jingle Bells.”

“He’s just having a great time, and so am I,” Gilboe said, as the

two looked out out toward some of the decorated homes.

Decorations and themes -- as well as tastes -- varied throughout

the harbor.

There was the menacing “Grinch” teasing a group of cardboard

cut-out children on the exterior of one home. At another home, an

inflated American bald eagle that stood more than 25 feet tall

dominated patriotic decor.

The eagle’s chest bore the phrase “Let Freedom Ring.”

Red, white and blue lights were wrapped around palm tree trunks at

a few homes, and at one residence, Santa Claus could be seen

genuflecting in front of the baby Jesus.

The 45-minute, narrated boat tour, which attracts more than 20,000

guests each year, is presented by the Huntington Harbour Philharmonic

Committee, whose members volunteer their time.

Four boats will go out nightly through Dec. 23.

Proceeds from the cruise support the Philharmonic Society of

Orange County music and education programs for more than 200,000

school children from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The cruise goes on “rain or shine,” said Barbara Snegg, past

Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee chairman and 15-year

member.

The harbor patrol, though, has the final say on whether the

waterway conditions are safe to cruise, she said.

The first night of the Cruise of Lights came two days after the

philharmonic committee presented the 41st annual Huntington Harbour

Boat Parade.

That Saturday night, the water was bright from the lights on the

passing boats, many outlined in strings of white, others flashy with

multiple colors. One electric Duffy boat had a false sail created

with its lights. Another boat stood out in pink and blue. Many of the

larger boats carried live bands to entertain passengers.

And on nearly every deck overlooking the harbor, and many of the

boats docked along the sides, were parties packed with people. All

seemed plenty patient as they waited for the boats to pass.

The very first boat parade was put on by the original philharmonic

members and a few residents of Huntington Harbour on Dec. 15, 1963.

There were 12 boats in the parade that night, and proceeds of $6

went to the philharmonic committee.

This year’s boat parade’s theme, “Let Freedom Ring,” even carried

over to some of the homes that were decked out in patriotic Christmas

decorations.

“I think this has probably been the best year for decorating,”

said Teresa Nichols, a 10-year member of the Huntington Harbour

Philharmonic Committee. “I went out and scoped the harbor the night

before the boat parade and was amazed at all the homes and boats that

were decorated.

“Guests who came out for the boat parade said they saw bigger

boats and brighter lights than ever before. This cruise will give

passengers a feeling for the flavor of what the harbor’s about.”

The Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee used the opening

night of the Cruise of Lights to present grant awards to 12 schools

in support of their music programs.

Attending the ceremony were staff members from the schools.

The 12 local schools to receive a portion of the $12,800 the

philharmonic distributed in grant money were Marina, Huntington Beach

and Ocean View high schools, Mesa View Middle School and Harbour

View, Hope View, Village View, Huntington Seacliff, Agnes Smith and

Saint Bonaventure schools, and Grace School and the Hebrew Academy.

Loretta Patterson, musical reinvestment committee chairwoman for

the Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee, said it was

appropriate to do a special, on-the-water event this year to

commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Philharmonic Society’s

Musical Reinvestment Program.

“The Huntington Harbour Committee decided to administer a program

of grants in support of the music department of local schools,”

Patterson said. “We are very proud to report that we have contributed

approximately $250,000 to our kids’ schools during the past 20

years.”

Gregg Gilboe said the money Huntington Beach High School received

will go toward CDs for the school’s new listening library.

Marina High School band director Victor Rodriguez will use the

money his school received to purchase microphones and a CD recorder.

“This grant money allows our music department the chance to become

as state-of-the-art as possible,” Rodriguez said. “It’s difficult to

get this kind of funding from the Huntington Beach Union High School

District, so we’re very grateful to the philharmonic society.”

Once the grant award ceremony was complete, the Monte Carlo began

its course through the harbor.

It eventually passed a second Cruise of Lights boat, the Karin

Lynn, during the cruise.

Two other boats, the Kristina and the Toronado, will also be used

during the Cruise of Lights.

All four boats are basically used as whale boats, Teresa Nichols

said.

Remy Gilboe wasn’t the only one who went on the Cruise of Lights

Monday with childlike enthusiasm.

Etta and Harold Craig had gathered with up nine of their friends,

all between 60 and 85 years old, at their home, then traveled by van

and car to Huntington Harbour, to join the passengers on the initial

cruise.

The group watched the festivities from the warmth of the boat’s

cabin on the first floor.

Etta Craig said this was her first time in the Huntington Harbour

Cruise of Lights.

“I think it’s just wonderful,” said Craig, 73. “It really gets you

in the holiday spirit, and that’s what we wanted to get out of this.

“The homes are just lovely, and I think that more homes here have

lights on them than what I saw in Newport. This is a great little

cruise. We love to decorate our home at Christmas time, and seeing

all the homes here in the harbor really gave us some great ideas.”