Jingle all the waterway: Ultimate 2025 guide to South Florida’s holiday boat parades

Each December in South Florida, Santa prefers to travel around town by sea sleigh.

Of course he calls it a “megayacht,” but we know he’s hiding presents aboard, probably in cahoots with Rudolph.

Don’t believe us? See St. Nick for yourself from Miami to Jupiter, when flotillas of holiday boat parades decked from bow to stern in Christmas lights, elves and tinsel sail our waterways ahead of Christmas Day.

And this year, Santa has added a new route to his “nauti” list: The inaugural Boat Parade of the Greater Palm Beaches, which will fill a geographical gap from North Palm Beach to West Palm Beach when it debuts Dec. 13. The parade route sits smack-dab between the Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade and Lantana’s Lake Osbourne Holiday Boat Parade.

Below, find eight South Florida boat parades that will be keeping our Christmas spirits afloat throughout the month.

North Palm Beach/Palm Beach Gardens/Jupiter

What: The 31st annual Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade, presented as always by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, will kick off its twinkling procession, rain or shine, at 6 p.m. Dec. 6. There will be free entry for viewers and thousands of dollars in prizes up for grabs for best-decorated vessels. The parade will also collect donations for Toys for Tots and Little Smiles — just wave a flashlight when you see passing boats with flashing amber beacons, and uniformed Marines and volunteers aboard will made dockside pickups for visitors bearing gifts. Those watching from afar can stream the parade live on WPBF-Ch. 25’s app and Facebook.com/wpbf25news. Call 561-863-0012 or go to PalmBeachBoatParade.com.

Routes: The parade will begin in North Palm Beach and follow the Intracoastal north to Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse (500 Captain Armours Way), led by a traveling fireworks display. Viewing sites this year include North Palm Beach Country Club, Juno Park, Bert Winters Park, Sawfish Bay Park and Harbourside Place.

Traffic: The Parker Avenue Bridge will open for boats starting at 6 p.m., the PGA Bridge at 6:15 p.m., and the Donald Ross Bridge at 7 p.m. Finally, the Indiantown Road and Jupiter Federal bridges should raise at 7:30 and 7:45 p.m., respectively.

West Palm Beach/Riviera Beach

What: Not to be confused with its older northern neighbor, the inaugural Boat Parade of the Greater Palm Beaches will hit the Intracoastal at 6 p.m. Dec. 13, with 50 festive boats tricked out in tinsel, candy canes, dancing Santas, costumed captains and crews. Sailing from Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, the event was created to fill a parade-route gap between the Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade to the north and the Lake Osbourne Holiday Boat Parade to the south, organizers told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Grand marshals Kevin Rolston, Virginia Sinicki and Jason Pennington from 97.9 WRMF’s “The KVJ Show” will lead the procession. There’ll be a 4-8 p.m. VIP viewing party ($35 for children age 10 and younger, $75 for adults) at Sailfish Marina Resort (98 Lake Drive, Palm Beach Shores) with a DJ, photo booth, a buffet-style dinner and fireworks. On-site toy donations will benefit The Little Smiles Annual Holiday Toy Drive. Call 561-844-1724 or go to SailfishMarina.com.

Routes: Decorated vessels will assemble north of the Blue Heron Bridge. A 6 p.m. fireworks display is set to kick off the parade, which will cruise south along the Palm Beach side of the Intracoastal, then loop back at Safe Harbor Rybovich Marina (4200 N. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach) along the west side before finishing in North Palm Beach.

Traffic: There will be limited Sailfish Marina parking for $20, and bleachers will be set up for free viewing. Trolleys will run back and forth from multiple parking lots on Singer Island.

Wellington

What: Why schlep east to the Intracoastal when Santa is perfectly happy to get rowdy in the suburbs? That’s the appeal of this returning Holiday Boat Parade, in which a flotilla of 30 festooned boats will bob around the waters of Lake Wellington starting at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13. Call 561-753-2484 or go to WellingtonFL.gov.

Routes: Launching from Meadowland Cove around 6:20 p.m., the flotilla is scheduled to pass behind the Wellington Community Center (12150 Forest Hill Blvd.) at 6:30 p.m. then loop around the lake.

Traffic: Parking is abundant in the lots next to the Wellington Community Center and Village Hall, accessible via Town Center Promenade (12300 Forest Hill Blvd.) Visitors should provide their own seating.

Lantana/Lake Worth Beach

What: Parade brass expects 50 to 60 vessels aglow in garlands and bright lights to take part in the 11th annual Lake Osborne Holiday Boat Parade, kicking off at 7 p.m. Dec. 19. The parade is funded by the Osborne Yacht Club and by donations from Lantana-area residents. Go to Facebook.com and search for “1th annual Lake Osborne Holiday Boat Parade.”

Routes: The two-hour counterclockwise procession will begin at The Hive Waterfront Restaurant and Tiki Bar (2412 Floral Road, Lantana) and motor north, hugging the eastern shoreline before doubling back at Lake Worth Road and returning to The Hive. Top vantage points: anywhere along the Lake Osborne Drive perimeter and the John Prince Park campground (2700 Sixth Ave. S., Lake Worth Beach). Volunteers will collect unwrapped toys at The Hive to benefit Little Smiles.

Traffic: Parking is plentiful at The Hive, John Prince Park and along Lake Osborne Drive.

Lantana/Boynton Beach/Delray Beach

What: One of the oldest SoFlo shows on the waterway, the 53rd annual Boynton Beach Holiday Boat Parade will push off from the Boynton Harbor Marina with its bedazzled flotilla at 6 p.m. Dec. 12. Wave a flashlight and boats with amber-colored beacons will make dockside pickups for Toys for Tots donations, or drop off toys at donation boxes at Banana Boat, Prime Catch and Two Georges Waterfront Grille, all in Boynton Beach. Call 561-600-9097 or go to BoyntonBeachCRA.com.

Routes: The procession will gather around the Ocean Avenue Bridge in Lantana at 6:30 p.m. and drift south to the C-15 Canal in Delray Beach (south of Linton Boulevard). For primo views, stake out the Boynton Harbor Marina (735 Casa Loma Blvd.), featuring a Santa visit and live music from Making Faces.

Traffic: Parking is abundant at many of the viewing parks along the parade route, but most can park at Boynton Harbor Marina. Bridges will be closed at Ocean Avenue (7:15 p.m.), Woolbright Road (7:30 p.m.), George Bush Boulevard (7:45 p.m.), Atlantic Avenue (8 p.m.) and Linton Boulevard (8:15 p.m.).

Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point and Deerfield Beach

What: The 63rd edition of the Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce Holiday Boat Parade will float down the Intracoastal at 7 p.m. Dec. 12. The 50-boat extravaganza will feature appearances from Mr. and Mrs. Claus and be livestreamed at Facebook.com/pompanobeachchamber. Call 954-941-2940 or go to PompanoBeachChamber.com.

Routes: Because the procession stretches from Lake Santa Barbara north to Hillsboro Boulevard, there will be three public viewing stands: Miraggio Italian Grill 3100-3200 E. Atlantic Blvd.), Sands Harbor Resort (125 N. Riverside Drive) and Alsdorf Park (2901 NE 14th St., Pompano Beach). Competing boats will perform a spin for judges at Miraggio.

Traffic: Bridges on Atlantic Boulevard, 14th Street Causeway and Hillsboro Boulevard will be locked upright from 6:15 p.m. until the final vessel passes by.

Fort Lauderdale

What: We’ve gotten Pitbull, Flo Rida, Shaquille O’Neal, Stanley C. Panther and Viktor E. Rat to wear the Grand Marshal crown in recent years, so it only makes sense to pass the reins to the dynamic duo we all had on our bingo cards: Grammy-nominated ’90s R&B singer Montell Jordan (“This Is How We Do It”) and Miami pop artist Romero Britto. Both will helm the 54th annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat parade at 6 p.m. Dec. 13, leading a packed bill of personalities including singer Ryan Cabrera, NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick, TV’s Capt. Lee and Miss Florida Lou Schieffelin, with music by the Yacht Rockettes and Rick and Flo Celender. As always, the best perch to view the procession is the Parade Viewing Area at Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park (80 Las Olas Circle), for a fee of $40 for adults and $35 for children age 12 and younger. Chairs will be provided, and music act Shane Duncan Band is scheduled to perform. The parade will be streamed live via Winterfest’s Facebook and YouTube pages and later broadcast at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 on WSVN-Ch. 7. Call 954-767-0686 or go to WinterfestParade.com.

Routes: Stretching from the Stranahan House in downtown Fort Lauderdale north to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach, the 12-mile route will feature by far South Florida’s biggest fleet of yachts and boats decked out with holiday decorations.

Traffic: Schedules for all bridge closings (and there are many) are listed on the Winterfest Boat Parade website.

Miami

What: Biscayne Bay will once again be blanketed in twinkling Christmas colors when Miami Outboard Club’s 26th annual Holiday Boat Parade returns at 7 p.m. Dec. 20, ending with an 8:45 p.m. fireworks show at Bayfront Park (301 Biscayne Blvd.), organizers say. Before and during the parade, visitors may donate unwrapped toys at Miami Outboard Club (1099 MacArthur Causeway). Call 305-379-3000.

Routes: Roughly 50 to 60 boats will motor along the Bayfront Park shoreline and hang north, pass beneath the MacArthur Causeway, then weave around Star, Palm and Hibiscus Islands before looping back to Bayfront.

Traffic: Of course, parking is as scarce as a snowflake in the Keys, but there are parking garages and metered spaces around downtown, if you’re lucky enough. The best viewing angles are at Bayside Marketplace (401 Biscayne Blvd.), Bayfront Park and the southern tip of Maurice A. Ferré Park (1075 Biscayne Blvd.).