Newport Landing Boat Parade - December 14, 2007

[Sea Hag]

By invitation from Steffanie, at Newport Landing, we attended the Newport Landing Christmas Boat Parade this year.The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is the premier Christmas event not only for Orange County and Los Angeles but Southern California. With almost 100 years of history the Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade is viewed by over a million people each year.

Newport Harbor comes alive with decorations. Homes, yachts, docks, whole landscapes are transformed into a magical holiday experience. Newport Bay begins its holiday decorations after Thanksgiving and by the first of December Newport Harbor is richly illuminated with thousands of lights and hundreds of themed estates.The Christmas Boat Parade takes place over five nights starting the second Wednesday in December and concluding the second Sunday in December. Hundreds of yachts, cruise ships, and water craft of all kinds participate in the parade. The parade will travel miles of waterfront estates during each evening viewing both estates and yachts in full décor.Newport Landing has 5 ships that offer cruises during the entire month of December and participate in 2 cruises nightly during the parade. Christmas and holiday company parties, and after party cruises are their most popular clientele. The unique experience of being on the water viewing what the New York Times stated as “one of the top 10 holiday happenings in the nation” will make a lasting memory for any holiday event. Newport Landing offers cruises open to the general public both during the boat parade in Newport Beach and throughout the month of December.

Unfortunately, with hundreds of people to coordinate getting off the first trip, and on board for the second trip, Steffanie was not able to join us on our trip, but we sincerely thank her for the opportunity to get on one of these trips! We were riding on the Fury (from Dana). The crew served up drinks in the galley, hot and cold, and were very friendly and helpful...!
Here's a few photos.... Enjoy!

And Happy Holidays to everyone!!


I hope he heard what I whispered in his ear...!



On the back of one of the boats...



One of the houses in the harbor, the tree of lights was out on the end of their small pier...



One of the private yatchs in the parade.



And another one.

[Granny Fish]

SeaHag - Great report on one of our Christmas traditions here in So. Cal.

This year we were in Reno the weekend of the parade. We did get to help our kids chop down their first Christmas tree out at Virginia City on the forestry land That was fun. Not having any young'ns home at Christmas made things a little different for us. Christmas we took the boat out of Alimitos Bay, had dinner at Khoris and then cruised thru Naples looking at Christmas lights. Our youngest daughter and her husband went with us. It was a lot of fun!