The 31st Annual Lighted Yacht Parade will take place Saturday, December 1st along the waterfront of the Oakland/Alameda Estuary. The parade is hosted and organized by the Encinal Yacht Club, the Oakland Yacht Club and the Marina Village Yacht Harbor and will begin just after sunset, around 5:30 p.m.
Published: December, 2007
Each year on the first Saturday in December, the Lighted Yacht Parade kicks off the holiday season. Bay Area boat owners share the holiday spirit by decorating their boats and participating in the parade. This year’s theme is A Child’s Christmas.
Hundreds of spectators gather every year to watch the parade from waterside restaurants along the estuary and public viewing areas available at Wind River Park in Alameda and Jack London Square in Oakland. Last year, 35 boats participated in the parade, and this year’s organizers expect even more.
Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place for the Best Decorated Power Boat and the Best Decorated Sail Boat. The first place winners in each category will receive a lunch for four at an Oakland Fire House. A grand prize of an HDTV will also be awarded for the Best Overall Decorated Boat. Judges will evaluate the boats based on representation of this year’s theme, the number of lights, creativity in decorations, costumes and music.
The organizing committee is excited to announce this year that D’Anna Yachts, John Beers Yachts and the Port of Oakland have joined as event sponsors, enabling the committee to expand promotion, increase participation, improve participant prizes and generate more charitable donations.
Similar to past years, the parade partners with the Oakland Firefighters Random Acts of Kindness Toys for Tots program and the Alameda County Food Bank. Participants and spectators are encouraged to donate food, new unwrapped toys or money at the designated drop sites located at each host’s facility. These donations go a long way toward providing food and toys to deserving kids and families during the holiday season.
