We joined over a million viewers as we watched beautifully decorated yachts, boats, kayaks, and canoes sail along the harbor in the 103rd Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade. The Christmas Boat Parade is a magical holiday tradition for all ages. Many people view the Newport Beach Christmas boat parade from the shores lining Newport Bay. The parade is free, so viewing from the shoreline is both an entertaining and a cheap family holiday activity. Instead of standing along the shore and fighting for a spot, however, we participated in the actual Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade on a beautifully decorated Davey’s Locker cruise. Many people assume, like I did, that the popular Newport Harbor tours would suspend their operation while the large boat procession was in progress, but, that’s not the case. In fact, taking the harbor tour was the best way to see the boat parade. We were able to get up close and personal with the other boats, making it easier to see the details of the floats and snap photos. The unique experience of being on the water viewing what the New York Times stated as “one of the top 10 holiday happenings in the nation” made a unique, lasting Christmas memory for Darren and I.
Newport Landing has 5 ships that offer 2 cruises nightly during the entire month of
December including each night of the parade. Our cruise left at 5:45pm, giving us enough time to tour the harbor and view the gorgeous bayside homes and local businesses that were completely decked out for the holidays. They served as the perfect backdrop for the parade from the water perspective.
Beautiful multi-million dollar yachts and other boats lit up the harbor as a dazzling array of holiday lights and music filled the air. Many of the boats were richly decorated with animated Christmas scenes accompanied by music and costumed carolers. Some boat owners spent over $50,000 to decorate their vessels for the event. We, along with other Christmas floats, wound our way some 14 miles around the harbor to give viewers in restaurants, yacht clubs, on public beaches, and in private homes an incredible sight that has delighted millions of people for a century.
As you can see in the pictures of the beautifully-lit boats, the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is not a holiday attraction you can see just anywhere; it is a holiday tradition in Southern California that dates back 103 years to a time when many residents of the eastern United Sates barely knew that California was on the map. Though it’s a special event each and every year, the 2011 Newport boat parade was extra-grand, as it out-did every other parade before, and we were able to be part of it through Davey’s Locker -Newport Boat Parade.
As Newport Beach’s Christmas Card to the world, the boat parade will set the harbor ablaze for five consecutive nights, beginning Wednesday, December 14 and ending Sunday, December 18, 2011. The parade starts off Bay Island at 6:30 pm and finishes at the same site at approximately 9:00 pm each evening.
Davey’s Locker also offers whale watching and deep sea fishing.
Awesome pictures and I love the picture of you and Darren. You are one of those lucky women who looks beautiful pregnant…you are just glowing. Happy Holidays. 😉
LikeLike
Thank you for the more-than-kind words. I certainly don’t feel beautiful with an extra 40 pounds and a rounding face, but I appreciate your kindness.
Enjoy your holidays; I hope they are filled with happiness and laughter.
Lesley
LikeLike
Hi,
A Xmas Parade of water, Wow they all have done a wonderful job on decorating the boats.
Great Pictures. 😀
LikeLike
Sounds like a brilliant experience that you will want to repeat in a few years time with your little one!
LikeLike
I can’t wait to return with my daughter, and my husband, by my side.
The cruise was filled with families and bubbly, excited children.
Happy Holidays,
Lesley
LikeLike
would love to see these lovely Christmas boats!
LikeLike
This certainly beats my pictures of the Christmas market in Brussels 🙂
LikeLike
These are beautiful, your giving me hope moving back to the USA is going to begin new experiences of travel we just have yet to discover!
LikeLike
Davey’s Locker is certainly a great company to check out! They offer a variety of ocean activities for all ages 🙂
Happy Holidays,
Lesley
LikeLike
Wow! Looks fantastic! I love Christmas x
LikeLike
Me too, and with amazing events like this and The Nutcracker I’m really feeling the holiday spirit.
Enjoy the Holidays,
Lesley
LikeLike
Awwww, looks lovely and festive!
LikeLike
It has renewed my holiday spirit 🙂
LikeLike
How neat…a different view of the Christmas Season…thanks for sharing…somebody looks pretty happy…congrats!
LikeLike
Love the post, pics and especially love the title. I enjoy reading even though I don’t always get around to commenting. Merry Christmas to you and Darren!
LikeLike
Thanks Kim!
I hope your holidays are filled with happiness and joy.
🙂
LikeLike
This must have been a wonderful night watching the parade on water!
LikeLike
Wow – my string of icicle lights on my roof look kinda sad now.
LikeLike
Wow, how cool! And it looks like you guys had so much fun. Great pictures. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
My kids would love to see this!
Thanks for sharing, Les, and Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays!
xoxox
Sharky
LikeLike
Looks so fun! Christmas celebrations in Thailand are a little less…Christmas-y 🙂 Missing the fun of the holiday season in the States!!
LikeLike
I really enjoyed reading this post and looking at the pics. Makes me envious: it would be great to be able to go there and löook at all this. Alas, it’s too far from southern TX.
Best regards, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year,
Pit
LikeLike
Love the photos! Merry Christmas!
LikeLike
I went out on a harbor tour when I visited Newport for the opening of the Pelican Hill Resort. It’s such a beautiful spot as it is, but I’d love to see this!
LikeLike
merry christmas Lesely!
LikeLike
Wow! Those are really brilliant Christmas decorations….beats anything we have here!
LikeLike
I’ve heard of touring neighborhoods to see Christmas lights, but never thought of the boat version! Looks like you had a great time!
LikeLike
My favorite holiday lights are always the ones on boats. It’s great to live at the shore 🙂
LikeLike
Love the pictures!
LikeLike
It was impossible to capture the beauty of the lights; that’s why so many people view them in person 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for visiting littleblacksweats.com this morning! And coincidentally, I grew up in the Newport Beach area and miss so much the holiday boat parade, now that I and the rest of my family have moved from there. Thanks for a little taste of nostalgia. I look forward to reading more about your adventures… in parenthood too!
LikeLike
What a wonderful idea! The boats are absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing this….
LikeLike
Thanks for the great reminder of Christmas in SoCal! You should drive up to San Marino, to a neighborhood called Hastings Ranch, with the kids. They do great thematic displays on each street; you’ll see gingerbread men on one street, peppermint sticks on the next, Santa’s elves on the next . . . you get it. Great fun with some hot cocoa in closed containers (non-spill sippys)!
LikeLike
That sounded so wonderful! Wow! The boat is amazing! I enjoyed reading your blog and will be back to hear more…Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
Wow! That’s a lot of lights in that one photo!
LikeLike
The top picture, I mean. And in lots of other pictures too.
LikeLike
Great pics.
LikeLike
Absolutely love the pictures. I did a blog post a few weeks ago about the Newport Christmas Boat parade. I found a You Tube video which captured some of the boats but glad you were able to go. The ships looks beautiful!
LikeLike
What a wonderful place – how could anyone not feel Christmassy there?!
LikeLike
That looks awesome Les! Brody especially enjoyed the SpongeBob boat. Take care and have a great Christmas!
LikeLike
Thanks Sheri! You are always welcome to come and check it out for yourself; we have an extra bedroom. 🙂
Enjoy your Christmas and tell your family I said hello.
Lesley
LikeLike
Pingback: Davey’s Locker Excursion – More than a Whale of a Time | Indulge – Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences
I love the lights!
LikeLike
This certainly looks different as Christmas in Holland or even in a city like New York, but somehow I love it as well. It shows certain holiday’s are beautiful in multiple ways.
LikeLike
I so enjoy photos with a blog! This is the first time I’ve seen such a parade and enjoyed the post on it. Here in Hawaii we have Santa come in on a Canoe and little Hula girls to greet him so that is unique but I enjoy seeing other traditions too.
I’d also like to thank you for dropping in on my blog. Though not anywhere as adventurous as yours I love blogging about things Hawaii.
May your days be filled with merriment and may your years be filled with joy as your family increases. Mele Kalikimaka and a Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau’oli Makahiki Hou
LikeLike
My husband and I have yet to visit Hawaii but it is at the top of our list. What a beautiful place filled with culture and friendly people.
Happy Holidays; I hope they are filled with happiness and joy.
Lesley
LikeLike
The house pictured in the top photo looks just like a gingerbread house!
LikeLike
Now I can get used to going some place like this every Christmas. Nice post! I love the pictures.
LikeLike
What a beautiful view. I would love to witness that 🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: Tis the Season to Celebrate, Rejoice, and Reflect with Pacific Symphony | Indulge – Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences
Would love to see this one day. We have the “Tacky Lights Tour” here in Richmond….you can even rent a limo to take you around to all the different locations around the city.
LikeLike
These are absolutely beautiful shot, I’m sure you had a fabulous time! Thanks for adding them.
LikeLike
Wow, what photos. I just published my Christmas post, but my photos are nothing compared with Yours.
Merry Christmas!
LikeLike
It reminds me of my chirstmass holidays at London in 2008!!!
LikeLike
WOW!
I thought the giant Father Christmas head at St Nikolaos roundabout in Limassol was fab, but these are brilliant!
Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
Pingback: Christmas Lights Show – Laguna Hills Style | Indulge – Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences
I can’t stop looking at these beautiful pictures.
Great post
LikeLike
Thanks! I loved taking them 🙂
LikeLike
Like dream Christmas, thank for the pic and article 🙂
LikeLike
Jealous!
It is -15 celsius here in Canada (5 F..).
LikeLike
Where in Canada do you live? I’m from the east.
🙂
LikeLike
Hayya Just checking out your blog and Woww that’s soo COOL !!!
LikeLike