Pro-Trump boat parades on Georgia lake expected to draw over 1,000
Over 1,000 boaters are expected to turn out on Georgia lakes this weekend for a “patriotic” watercraft parade celebrating President Donald Trump.
A Facebook event page for the pro-Trump boat parade on Allatoona Lake in Acworth on Saturday encourages attendees to fly their Trump flags high in support of the president, who’s seeking re-election this year.
As of Thursday, nearly 1,000 people said they were “interested” in attending the boat parade with 466 confirming they’d be there.
“Let’s end the summer with a salute to America and to President Trump,” the event page reads. “We will gather at the south end of the lake in front of the dam/spillway that leads to Lake Acworth. Be patient and enjoy the ride.”
A much larger turnout is expected at Clarks Hill Lake near Augusta, where an estimated 1,200 boaters are expected to gather for a similar parade on the water. More than 2,600 said they were interested in the Saturday event, according to a Facebook page for the event.
Local resident Donna Ligon told the Augusta Chronicle she and her family look forward to riding their houseboat in the parade this weekend.
“I would hope this can be a safe, fun family day where we can all just come together for a chance for our boating community to show the love for this country and our president,” Ligon told the newspaper.
For the Clarks Hill Lake event, parade participants are asked to meet at the power lines in Wildwood Park.
“A horn will sound 3 time to let you know the front boats are moving,” according to the event page. “Please use caution when we start moving and do not swamp the boats around you. We will head towards the Corp Of Engineers parking lot to be photographed and we will disburse.”
A public affairs officer with the Law Enforcement Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources told the Augusta Chronicle they are aware of the boating event and will “have patrol boats on the water to assist with disabled or distressed boats.”
“And we will be enforcing all boating laws as we always do,” the officer added.
The Lake Allatoona and Clarks Hill Lake events are the latest boat parades planned in support of the president. Similar events have been held across the U.S. this summer.
A Trump boat parade on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon earlier this month created such large waves that it overtook a family’s smaller boat and caused it to sink, McClatchy News reported. The family had to be rescued by fellow boaters.
On Aug. 15, a group of Trump supporters in Clearwater Beach, Florida attempted to shatter the world record for the largest boat parade. The event is still being reviewed by the Guinness World Records.