We love this time of year when holiday festivals and celebrations are in full swing, from holiday parties to tree lighting and boat parades. Our most memorable holiday celebration is hands down Fort Lauderdale's Winterfest Boat Parade. We happened upon this fabulous event on our first year of cruising. We had picked up the boat in Fort Lauderdale and cruised north, spending the summer in the Chesapeake Bay. What amazing experiences! By Halloween, it was getting cold. We turned around and headed back south.
Our destination was Fort Lauderdale. We rented a slip at Isle of Venice for the month of December. It was an excellent location, within walking distance to the beach and Las Olas Boulevard shops and restaurants. The boat parade was icing on the cake. The theme was "On a River of Dreams," but because of the horror of Sept 11, "the parade had a special tribute to our nation and its citizens and continued commitment to patriotism."
Since that year, we have discovered many other holiday festivals. Here are some of our favorites:
Nov 24, 2017 - Dec 31, 2018 Holiday Lights in the Garden, Largo, Fl
Dec 9 Fort Lauderdale's Winterfest Boat Parade, Fl
Dec 16 Christmas Boat Parade in Cape Coral, Fl
Nov 10, 2017 - Jan 1, 2018 Gaylord Opryland's A Country Christmas, Nashville, TN
Dec 9 Dickens Festival in Franklin, TN
This post is shared on Our World Tuesday and Through My Lens.
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Vancouver, in my home province of British Columbia, has Carol Ships and Christmas Dinner Cruises, etc., and I just realized I've never taken advantage of opportunities to witness the beautifully-lit boats, either aboard or onshore. Reading about your boat parade brought to mind all I've missed visiting my family 'at home' in Vancouver. Perhaps another year... Meanwhile, thank you!
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An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
You're welcome!
DeleteWe were in Vancouver one August, and this famous fireworks competition was going on. I wish I had known in advance so I could've plan to go see it.
We used to have a boat parade, but some years it had to be called off at the last minute due to bad weather and wind/waves outside of the breakwater. For the last two years the Yacht Club has decorated their boats and taken them to the transient docks to be on display. Hot dogs and hot cocoa greet visitors who venture down to take a look. - Margy
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