Each December, the Sarasota area celebrates the holidays with a tropical twist - colorful boat parades. The communities of Sarasota, Venice and Englewood each host parades, so visitors to the area during December have a choice.

Grand Preparations
Parade participants work on decorating their boats for months, stringing up multi-colored, twinkling lights to create one-of-a-kind, often Christmas-themed, designs. In a recent Venice parade, one boater created a champagne

Courtesy of Venice Christmas Boat Parade

bottle of twinkling lights, complete with a cork that popped out. While spectators watched in amazement, the bottle tipped and filled a glass.

Whole boats have been disguised as blue-light marlins, or have been decorated with single-file dolphins that appear to be jumping into the water. Santa Claus, reindeer, Christmas trees and other holiday symbols are often displayed on board, while sound systems pump out cheery holiday music.

On parade nights, sparkling processions of boats wind their way through canals and bays, often staying close to shore so that spectators can see even the smallest details. Visitors set up beach chairs, blankets, grills and tents and make the parades a complete night out. All the parades are free events.

Visitors can also view the processions from the water. For the best, most up-close views, rent a boat and anchor along the side of a waterway.

Waterside Festivities
The Venice Christmas Boat Parade is traditionally held the first Saturday in December in the Intracoastal Waterway. This year it will begin at 6 p.m. December 1st.

From the Albee Road Bridge in Nokomis, the parade heads south and loops out toward the Gulf between the North and South jetties, where many spectators gather. The boats then pass the

Courtesy of Venice Christmas Boat Parade

Venice Yacht Club and travel under the Venice bridges before turning around for the journey back to Nokomis.

The parade includes some 30 to 50 boats, said parade vice president Taylor MacPherson. Every year, about 40,000 view the parade, which first set sail in 1989.

Participating boats in years past have sported giraffes and elephants, cartoon characters, a whale wearing a Santa hat and, of course, Santa Claus himself. Boaters are encouraged to get creative with lights and to provide musical accompaniment. Judges select the Best in Parade entrant at the end of the night.

Since the waterway is so narrow in places, spectators can see the vessels up close and can even interact with the boaters, MacPherson said. Besides the jetties, spectators also line the downtown Venice waterfront.

"There are more than enough places to watch," MacPherson said.

Food and hot chocolate is often sold from tents staffed by members of local civic groups. The downtown Venice shops and restaurants stay open during the parade, which typically ends around 9 p.m. Proceeds from the event benefit local youth boating education, MacPherson said. They also fund scholarships for students interested in studying marine sciences.

The Sarasota Christmas Boat Parade of Lights in Sarasota Bay is typically held the second Saturday in December. It is scheduled for December 11th this year.

Produced by the Suncoast Offshore Racing Association, the parade of some 40 vessels starts at 6 p.m. The boats travel from the southern tip of Longboat Key south, past City Island. The parade then crosses the bay, towards Centennial Park, and follows the shoreline south, under the Ringling Bridge. It enters the harbor by Marina Jack for judging.

Thousands of spectators, both on land and in boats of their own, show up to watch the parade. The best viewing spots are City Island, Centennial Park or locations on the Sarasota Bayfront. This parade is also broadcast live on SNN-Ch. 6.

This December, come join the thousands who've already discovered that one of the best ways to get in the holiday spirit is by checking out the area's spectacular boat parades.

If you go:
For more information, contact the event coordinators below - and get ready to watch the night sky twinkle!

Venice Christmas Boat Parade: 941-809-8100 or visit www.venicechristmasboatparade.com.

Sarasota Christmas Boat Parade of Lights: 941-371-8820 x1800.

Originally posted 10/11/04