As the seasonal celebrations near, the Parade of Lights gets the party started

By Rachel Verbits, Staff Writer

There’s no better way to welcome the holidays than decorating with families and friends. Windows, trees and rooftops are typically laden in blinking, colorful LEDs, but San Diego uses its coastal location to its advantage and takes decorating and celebrating to the sea.

In what has become one of San Diego’s quintessential holiday events, the city will host the annual Parade of Lights. This year marks the 39th Parade of Lights on San Diego Bay in which boat owners deck out their yachts, speedboats and even canoes to show their holiday spirit. Committee Chairman Larry Baumann is excited for the projected turnout of the event.

“We are expecting about 100 boats to be participating,” Baumann said. “They’re all ranging in size from 8 to 80 feet long.”

As presenting sponsor of the parade, the Unified Port of San Diego maps out a viewer-friendly route for this bright and beautiful spectacle on the water. Occurring on two nights, Dec. 12 and 19, between 80,000 and 100,000 people are expected to attend despite the cold oceanfront temperatures, so spectators would do well to heed the chairman’s advice.

“They need to bundle up, and chairs are good to have,” Baumann said. “People that are coming to watch need to be conscious of parking; it’s a big deal. We encourage taking the trolley, especially if they are coming from SDSU.”

Located right in the middle of the parade route, the Maritime Museum of San Diego wouldn’t think of missing out on the fun. San Diego Harbor’s pilot boat has been participating in the parade for roughly 10 years. The museum’s director of public relations and events, Robyn Gallant, revealed it only takes a few days to get the boat ready, though other people invest much more time in preparing their vessels.

The museum also offers a solution for people who want to avoid the cold and still enjoy the parade. The museum hosts a holiday party on both nights of the parade at 5 p.m. The $50 ticket ($25 for kids 12 and younger) offers guests guaranteed seating inside with a great view and a full holiday buffet.

“The ships line up around (5 p.m.) and people just kind of get in line,” Gallant said. “The music starts playing, and the fun starts …  It’s just kind of a big party.”

This year’s theme is “The Sounds of Christmas,” so each boat will not only sparkle but will also be a floating holiday party complete with music. For information on how to enter a boat in the parade, visit sdparadeoflights.org.