The 99th annual Newport Beach Christmas Parade will set sail beginning Wednesday Dec 12th for five consecutive nights. The New York Times has called it one of the top ten holiday happenings in the nation. This year’s theme is “Twas the night before Christmas”

The parade starts off Collins Island at 6:30 pm and finishes at the same site at approximately 8:30 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and 9:00 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (Two separate routes are run on different evenings.) The boats follow a longer route on the weekend, taking about three hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Parade takes about two and a half hours to make its rounds on Wednesday and Thursday.

You can view the parade from pretty much anywhere along the harbor free of cost. The only problem is finding parking. All city parking lots will be open throughout the parade to accommodate viewers. There are also private lots along the parade route but they can be pricey. The lots I encountered ranged from ten to fourteen dollars.

One of the best places to view the Boat Parade is at the Balboa Island Ferry Landing at the Fun Zone on the Balboa Peninsula. Another great spot is from the bridge to Balboa Island. We decided to watch the parade from Balboa Island and had a fantastic view. We arrived thirty minutes before the start of the parade and it took us about thirty-five minutes to find a spot. I strongly recommend arriving at least one hour before the parade start time. Make sure to bring a jacket as it gets very cold. We brought plenty of blankets, scarves, hats and mittens. I would also suggest to bring something warm to drink. It is chilly on the bay!!

Although parking is a bit of a hassle the extra effort is well worth it. The parade is spectacular and you will thoroughly enjoy it!!

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