Three different waterfront holiday events—in Sausalito, Oakland and San Francisco—will bring seasonal cheer to the Bay Area throughout December.
Sausalito’s 24th Annual Lighted Boat Parade with culminate with a spectacular waterfront fireworks display on December 10 this year. Photo by Gary Ferber
Published: December, 2011
Three different waterfront holiday events—in Sausalito, Oakland and San Francisco—will bring seasonal cheer to the Bay Area throughout December.
The Sausalito-on-the-Waterfront Foundation and the Sausalito Yacht Club will present the 24th Annual Sausalito Lighted Boat Parade and Fireworks on Saturday, December 10 at 6 p.m.
Spectators can get a great view from the walkway along the waterfront, Gabrielson Park, Yee Tok Chee Park and the ferry landing. Restaurants along the waterfront will also offer a fantastic vantage point—not to mention lots of fun and holiday cheer of their own—so make your reservations early at restaurants like Angelino, Horizons, Piccolo, Poggio, Scoma’s or Spinnaker.
No boat? No problem. New this year, non-boat owners can board a charter boat to get a special view of the festivities. Participating charters include SF Bay Adventures, Five Stars Yacht, Call of the Sea and Empress or the grand marshal, Defiance. Go to www.eventbrite.com/org/1640183474 to make your reservations.
In addition to the parade, Santa Claus will make his arrival and then participate in a Santa-in-a-tent event for the kid in all of us. There will also be a Ferris Wheel ride and a Big Tent filled with artists, local businesses, maritime exhibits, non-profits booths plus beverages and food, ice carvers, face painters, and much more.
After the parade, the spectacular fireworks show will be visible from all of Sausalito. The event is free and open to the public and entering a boat in the parade is also free. For more information, visit www.sausalito-on-the-waterfront.org or call (415) 987-8823.
Each year on the first Saturday in December, the Oakland/Alameda Estuary Lighted Yacht Parade kicks off the holiday season in the East Bay. Starting at 5:30 p.m. on December 3, hundreds of spectators will 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. In addition to being a magical evening of lights, last year’s event also generated nearly $2,000 in cash donations and $2,500 in toy and food donations for Oakland Firefighters’ Random Acts and the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
Jack London Square is a perfect viewing spot for the Oakland/Alameda Estuary Lighted Yacht Parade. Find a location along the boardwalk, or inside one of Jack London Square’s waterfront restaurants and see dozens of Bay Area boats dressed up in their holiday finery. For more information, visit www.lightedyachtparade.com.
A San Francisco holiday tradition since 1994, more than 100 boats adorned with lights and holiday decorations will parade along the City’s waterfront at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 16. The parade route will begin just east of PIER 39 proceeding west past Fisherman’s Wharf, Fort Mason and the St. Francis Yacht Club, turning off of Crissy Field and returning along the waterfront.
Spectators can get a great view from the walkway along the Aquatic Park, PIER 39, Marina Green, and Crissy Field Beach. Restaurants along Fisherman’s Wharf will also offer a fantastic vantage point as well as traditional holiday menus. After the parade, viewing of these spectacular lights can be seen most prominently on Jefferson Street (between Jones and Taylor) at the sportfishing boat harbor. For more information, call (415) 673-3530 or visit www.visitfishermanswharf.com.
