SAN DIEGO Continuing a long-standing San Diego tradition, the 43rd annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights promises to dazzle bayfront crowds the evenings of December 14 and 21, 2014. Participants in this year’s cherished holiday event will decorate their boats following the theme “Children’s Stories on the Big Bay.”
Presented by the San Diego Unified Port District, the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights brings more than 100,000 San Diego residents and visitors to the shores of San Diego Bay each December. The procession of about 80 lavishly decorated boats has become one of the most iconic holiday events of the region.
A wide variety of awards are presented to the best dressed boats and those that best capture the event’s theme. All participants receive a participant plaque and are invited to the awards dinner on January 8, 2014 where a wide variety of prizes will be raffled off. This year, the grand prize is a luxury cruise package for two with Star Clippers, whose fleet includes three of the largest full-rigged sailing ships in the world, each with all of the activities and amenities of a private mega-yacht. Everyone who participates in both nights of the parade and passes both sets of judges will be eligible to win the Star Clippers cruise.
Beginning at 5:30 p.m. each night, the parade slowly navigates west from Shelter Island past Harbor Island, then south along the Embarcadero and Seaport Village before turning back north to pass the Ferry Landing in Coronado. The parade takes about two hours to pass any given point and there are many comfortable waterfront viewpoints along the route. A map of the route is available on our website to make it easy to find your preferred viewing spot. Due to increased traffic and parking demand, observers are encouraged to plan ahead or take the trolley to the event.
For added insight into the participating boats, viewers can watch the parade from near the announcers’ areas. Like years past, announcers will be located just north of the Maritime Museum on the Embarcadero, but new to this year’s parade, announcers will also be stationed at Coronado Landing. As each boat passes these viewing points, the announcers offer a brief history and description of the participating vessels.
This year there will be judges at two points along the parade route, the Martime Museum and the docks at Poehe’s restaurant in Coronado. Participating boats must pass both sets of judges to be eligible for prizes.
Boat owners interested in participating in this year’s San Diego Bay Parade of Lights are strongly urged to submit the registration form and the $50 entry fee online with the ease of using PayPal at www.sdparadeoflights.org. If participants cannot submit the entry form and payment online, registration forms can be downloaded and submitted to the Bali Hai Restaurant at 2230 Shelter Island Drive. The fee covers both evenings, and watercraft of all sizes are encouraged to participate. For more information, call 619-224-2240 or email [email protected].
