A traditional event beloved by the whole community, the Annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights truly is an event like no other. Running for 42 years, this spectacle lights up the bay and is an unmissable part of the winter calendar. For two consecutive weekends, the boating community comes together each year and decorates their various vessels and crafts in lights and colored creations to meet the theme. They then sail, row or power their way around the bay along the route to try and win the grand prize, celebrating the holiday spirit all the way and delighting the crowds who assemble on the harbor wall to watch. If you’re planning to watch this festive event while staying at a hotel in San Diego then make sure to invite friends and family.
This year, the parade is being held on the 8th and the 15th of December, with the procession of boats starting on both nights at 5:30pm. This year’s theme is ‘Big Bay Toy Parade’ so the boats will perhaps be decorated to imitate some childhood favorites, new must have gifts or those inimitable scenes from traditional festive stories, like the nutcracker soldiers and other holiday greats. Each year, more than eighty boats of all kinds are involved, decorated to the absolute hilt and looking nothing like their usual selves. The crowds gather to take photographs and to choose their own favorites, making it an ideal night out for the family to enjoy and an opportunity to create perfect winter memories. The route will start from Shelter Island before moving past Harbor Island, heading up Embarcadero, on through Seaport Village and finishing at the Coronado Ferry Landing at 7.30pm. Any local boat owners are eligible to register their craft into the parade, with entries coming from people of all walks of life. It’s the community spirit and friendly competition which makes this event so popular with everybody.
This year’s Grand Prize package is worth more than $4000, featuring a cruise on the famous Star Clippers. Randomly drawn from lots of all entries to the parade, other prizes are issued based on points scored in numerous categories.
Photo courtesy of sdparadeoflights.org