Looking for something festive to do this holiday season? Look no further than the 2016 Marina del Rey Boat Parade on December 10th. A holiday tradition that began in 1963, the Boat Parade is an event that people from near and far gathers around to see.
This year, begin the day at the family-friendly Snow Wonder Festival from 6-12 pm at the waterfront at Burton Chace Park. Kids can enjoy arts and crafts, play snow and sledding, and chomp on local snacks. While adults can ring in the holiday season while eating from their favorite food trucks and listening to the DJ play holiday music!
At 5:55 PM the real show begins with a brief fireworks show that kicks off the boat parade. The parade runs till 8 PM. Spectators can gather at the park, at Fisherman’s Village, and other local venues to watch dozens of festively lighted boats troll through the harbor channels.
Parking at Burton Chace Park is available for $8 in County Lots #77 and #4. Pay stations take credit cards and cash. Cash only parking is also available at Fisherman’s Village. Admission to the event is free.
But how did this unique holiday event come to be?
Well it was 1963, a time when less than 100 boats called Marina del Rey their homes, and only a few buildings lined the water. The newly formed “Pioneer Skippers Boat Owners Association,” decided to do something fun that could bring some positive attention to the small Marina. At the time, just 20 boats entered the parade, and there was just a $2 entry fee.
That first parade cost less than $60 to produce, and everyone who attended could fit inside of the small Pieces O’ Eight restaurant at the end of the night.
In the years since the very first Boat Parade, the marina has grown from just 100 boats to nearly 6,000. The first restaurant, Pieces O’ Eight is now Shanghai Red’s. The Christmas Boat Parade is now a Holiday Boat Parade. Though many things have changed, many of the original boat owners and their families still have boats in the parade. And it is still the family oriented holiday event it was 53 years ago.