JACK LONDON SQUARE

Each year on the first Saturday in December, the Lighted Yacht Parade kicks off the holiday season. Bay Area boat owners share in the holiday spirit by decorating their boats and participating in the parade. Hundreds of spectators gather along the waterfront at specified viewing areas or at restaurants that afford them a view of the estuary. Last year 35 boats participated in the parade, and this year’s organizers expect even more.

The parade will begin just after sunset (around 5:30 p.m.), and this year’s theme is An Old Fashioned Christmas. Similar to past years, the parade partners with The Oakland Firefighters Random Acts and the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Participants and spectators are encouraged to donate food, new unwrapped toys, or money at the designated drop sites located at each organizer’s facility. These donations go a long way toward providing food and toys to deserving kids and families during the holiday season.

The Lighted Yacht Parade is sponsored and organized by the Encinal Yacht Club, the Oakland Yacht Club, and the Marina Village Yacht Harbor. The organizing committee is excited to announce that this year John Beery Yachts, Fast Imaging, KTVU, and Port of Oakland have joined as event sponsors. The additional sponsorship will enable the committee to expand promotion, increase participation, improve participant prizes, and generated more charitable donations.

Spectators can watch the parade from any waterside restaurant along the estuary. Public viewing areas will also be available at Wind River Park in Alameda and Jack London Square in Oakland. Interested parade participants can find enrollment information and entry forms at the parade website: www.lightedyachtparade.com.