The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights announced the theme for the 2021 holiday boat parade as “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” This year marks the 50th Parade of Lights, one of San Diego’s most beloved holiday traditions held on San Diego Bay.
“It’ll be great to get back and celebrate the holidays on the water San Diego-style this year,” said Parade Chairman Larry Baumann. “The 12-days of Christmas is a traditional theme with tons of potential for fun and creativity. The kids should enjoy this year’s theme, in particular.”
The dates for this year’s parade are December 12 and 19, 2020.
The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights brings more than 100,000 San Diego residents and visitors together on the San Diego Bay waterfront each year. The procession of about 80 lavishly decorated boats has become one of our region’s most iconic holiday events.
The parade route starts at Shelter Island and travels west past Harbor Island, then south along the Embarcadero, Seaport Village, and Cesar Chavez Park before turning parallel with the Coronado Bridge to the west side of the bay. The parade then proceeds past the Coronado Ferry Landing to the finish line. It takes about two hours to complete the procession and there are many comfortable waterfront viewpoints along the route.
A variety of prizes and awards are presented to the best decorated boats and those that best capture the parade’s theme.
Viewing areas span across multiple areas of the San Diego Bay. Prepare for traffic and parking ahead of time. Please report any suspicious activity to the Harbor Police. The possession of open alcoholic beverages is prohibited along the parade viewing area. Drones and other unmanned aircraft systems are also prohibited. Spectators and participants are asked to comply with San Diego County health guidelines when attending the event
Those interested in sponsoring the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights, can contact Larry Baumann at 619-222-1181 or [email protected].
The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights is supported by the Port of San Diego
San Diego Bay Parade of Lights
The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights is a time-honored tradition brought to the San Diego Bay by the boating community. Each year, more than 80 lavishly decorated boats proceed around the San Diego Bay on two consecutive Sundays in December. For more information, please visit www.sdparadeoflights.org.
