It didn't just rain on the Swinomish Yacht Club's Lighted Christmas Boat Parade Saturday night.

It rained hard after a gray day of steady rain.

But that hardly dampened enthusiasm for what has become a beloved La Conner holiday season event.

Downtown restaurants were filled with diners at tables with waterfront views. Folks wearing heavy coats and raingear and carrying umbrellas and glow-in-the-dark balloons on lighted poles made their way to the popular Swinomish Channel boardwalk, eager to see the lighted flotilla.

This year's theme was "Candy Land," and the decorated boats briefly provided...