Which December Saturday brings lighted boats past Palm Beach Shores? It's December 12, the second one. Most holiday calendars list the long-running Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade first, on December 5. That parade starts in North Palm Beach and heads the other way. The parade that leaves from Sailfish Marina at 98 Lake Drive is a separate event. It's only in its second year, and it exists because the older parade couldn't come this far south.
A Parade Built Because the Route Couldn't Stretch
The Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County has run the north county parade for more than three decades. This year's edition is the 32nd. Its route has stayed north of the Shores. It goes up the Intracoastal from North Palm Beach to a finale at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse.
The Palm Beach Post reported in October 2025 that Sailfish Marina had long supported the north county parade. The marina asked the organizers to consider starting a bit farther south, closer to the marina, and was told that wasn't logistically possible. Alyssa Freeman, the association's executive director, then suggested that Sailfish Marina start its own parade. "So they did," the Post wrote.
The result was the Boat Parade of the Greater Palm Beaches. The Post described its place on the calendar as the stretch of water between the north county parade and the Boynton Beach parade, which runs from Lantana down to Delray Beach. Both parades collect toys for Little Smiles.
Two Saturdays, Two Directions
| Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade | Boat Parade of the Greater Palm Beaches | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026 | Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026 |
| Edition | 32nd annual | 2nd annual |
| Organizer | Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County | Sailfish Marina, Palm Beach Shores |
| Route | North Palm Beach north to Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse | Singer Island to North Palm Beach |
| Start | 6 p.m. | Sailfish Marina's VIP party runs 4 to 8 p.m. |
| Beneficiary | Toys for Tots and Little Smiles | Little Smiles Annual Holiday Toy Drive |
Little Smiles benefits from both parades, so a toy bought in early December can go to either one.
December 5 Means Driving North
To see the 32nd annual parade, you'll need to drive north. The association's estimated bridge-opening times are around 6 p.m. for the Parker Bridge, 6:15 for PGA, 7 for Donald Ross, 7:30 for Indiantown Road and 7:45 for Jupiter Federal. The association says actual opening times will vary with conditions.
Its list of public viewing spots starts with North Palm Beach Country Club and Waterway Cafe. It continues to Bert Winters Park, Juno Park, Sawfish Bay Park and Lighthouse Park. In Jupiter it includes Waterway Park, the Riverwalk, Harbourside Place, Charlie and Joe's at Love Street, Square Grouper and U-Tiki. North Palm Beach Country Club is the nearest listed spot to Palm Beach Shores, and the Parker Bridge has the earliest estimated opening time on the route.
The size of this event explains why its route doesn't bend. The Palm Beach Post's 2026-27 season roundup says a traveling Zambelli fireworks display leads the whole fleet. Boaters compete in size categories for more than $10,000 in cash and prizes. Last year the association collected more than 16,000 toys. A fleet and toy drive that size is tied to its route and its bridge schedule.
How Last Year's Launch Worked at Sailfish Marina
Sailfish Marina's event page describes the 2026 parade as a holiday celebration along the Intracoastal Waterway from Singer Island to North Palm Beach. It promises decorated boats, lights, fireworks and Santa Claus aboard the Grand Marshal Boat.
The inaugural parade on December 13, 2025, set the pattern. The Post's advance coverage put the planned fleet at about 50 vessels with costumed captains and crews. Here is the plan Shannon Carnahan, Sailfish Marina's director of marketing and sales, described to the Post, in order:
- The decorated fleet staged just north of the Blue Heron Bridge.
- A six-minute fireworks display at 6 p.m. signaled the launch.
- The boats worked south along the east side of the Intracoastal, the Palm Beach side, toward West Palm Beach.
- Near Safe Harbor Rybovich, the parade cut across to the west side and turned north.
- From there it passed Osprey Park, Brian H. Chappell Park, Bicentennial Park and Kelsey Park on the way up to North Palm Beach.
That 2025 plan also had free viewing at the marina, with bleachers set up for the public. On-site parking was limited and cost $20. The marina recommended ride sharing and ran trolleys from several parking lots on Singer Island. For anyone who lives within walking distance of Lake Drive, last year's parking warning matters most.
The South Lawn Party Costs More This Year
Alongside the parade, Sailfish Marina hosts a ticketed VIP viewing party on its south lawn. The 2026 party runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on December 12. According to the Post's season roundup, it includes a buffet-style dinner, a cash bar with holiday drinks, a DJ, a photo booth and fireworks. Santa appears aboard the Grand Marshal Boat. Guests are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy, and festive attire is encouraged.
The Post lists 2026 tickets at $100 for adults and $50 for children. For the 2025 party, it listed $75 for adults and $35 for children 10 and younger. That's $25 more per adult and $15 more per child in the event's second year. The 2025 party had 500 tickets available. The ticket page says parking isn't included in the 2026 ticket.
Putting a Boat, or a Toy, in the Parade
Boat owners can sign up for the Shores parade through the marina's boat entry application. The 2026 form says entries will be judged and prizes awarded. When the marina opened entries in 2025, Carnahan told the Post that captains used the fall to choose their themes. A boat already docked in Palm Beach Shores can enter both parades. For the north county parade, the Post says boaters who register by November 18 get special perks and VIP prizes and are entered in two raffles. Entries for that parade go through the Marine Industries Association.
You don't need a boat to donate a toy. Little Smiles posts its public collection sites, including Club Oasis, Miami Pizza, North Palm Beach Recreation, Char Mar School of Dance, Children's Therapies, the Maltz Jupiter Theatre and the Jupiter Police Department. In 2025, Sailfish Marina itself accepted toy drop-offs. On December 5, boats traveling with the north county parade will pick up toys at docks along the route.
A Crowded Second Weekend
December 12 has competition. The Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival runs from December 10 to 13 at locations across the county. Its kickoff party is December 11 at The Belgrove Resort & Spa. The new Luminary Nights at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on December 11, 12, 18 and 19. It features lighted pathways, a light installation at the historic banyan tree, a tunnel of lights and timed lantern-light climbs. That event overlaps the parade on Saturday the 12th. Its Friday and following-weekend dates let a Palm Beach Shores household do both without picking one over the other.
If you're thinking about how a home along the Intracoastal or near the marina fits your own December, John Nugent Group can walk you through the buildings and streets around Sailfish Marina. Contact Us.
