Newport Beach, CA
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This seasonal event is held every December
See It Now: Photo Tour
The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade stated in the early 1900s when Venetian gondolier John Scarpa put lights on eight canoes and his gondola. Scarpa might be surprised at what his simple act has spawned, with some entrants in today's Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade spending over $50,000 to decorate their vessels for the event. It's a popular local tradition, but the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade has also been ranked one of the country's top holiday happenings by the New York Times.
These days, it's largest harbor parade in Southern California, with more than 100 boats, canoes, kayaks cruising the harbor decked out in enough lights to make Las Vegas jealous.
Watching the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade from Land
The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade starts at Collins Island at 6:30 p.m. each evening and finishes at the same spot. It runs for five days in mid-December, Wednesday through Sunday. The boats follow a longer route on the weekend, taking about two and a half hours to make their rounds on Wednesday and Thursday and three hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.The bay front is a great place to watch the show of passing lights reflecting off the water. The parade route goes generally along the inner edges of the bay and circles Balboa Island. These are some of the places where you can watch it:
- On the bay side of Balboa Peninsula from 18th Street to the end of Bay Avenue
- Anywhere along the water on Balboa Island
- Along Pacific Coast Highway between Balboa Bay Club and Riverside Drive
- Along the water on Lido Isle. Boats go into the channel on the west end of the island only on weekends
Watching the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade by Boat
If you own a boat, you can join the parade, but even if you don't, you can book a seat on one of the party boats that park themselves in the middle of the action.Watching the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade from a Local Restaurant
Another enjoyable way to watch the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is from a waterside table at one of Newport Beach's fine restaurants:- Along Pacific Coast Highway:
- Rusty Pelican, 2735 W. Coast Highway
- Billy's at the Beach, 2751 W. Coast Highway
- Chart House, 2801 W. Coast Highway
- Villa Nova Restaurant, 3131 W. Coast Highway
- First Cabin Restaurant at Balboa Bay Club, 1221 West Coast Highway
- On Balboa Island
- Harborside Restaurant, 400 Main Street
- Newport Landing Restaurant, 503 E. Edgewater Ave.
Watching the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade from Your Hotel
Waterside rooms at the Balboa Bay Club offer a front-row seat.Getting to the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade
If you're driving, go early. Traffic gets quite busy starting about two hours before the parade starts.Newport Dunes RV Park offers free shuttle service. If you're staying at a local hotel, ask if they do the same.
