Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade

Shared on behalf of the Palm Coast Yacht Club: http://www.palmcoastyachtclub.com/

One hundred boats have officially registered to participate in the 2023 Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade which has held the record as Florida’s largest lit boat parade in the state.  It now appears to have set the record for the largest such boat parade in the entire United States, second only to the Newport Beach Parade in California and the Newport, Rhode Island parade, both of which are tying as the first with as many as 150 boats, although those numbers are not official.   Says Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, “We are thrilled to find ourselves in this historic position and tremendously proud of our boaters who have stepped up to make this parade one of national significance.

With new enhancements for boaters and viewers, this year’s Parade route will be lengthened by more than a mile and shuttle bus service for spectators will be provided.  Registrations continue to growing for the Parade, now in its 40th year, to be held December 9, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.  As always, the Parade is free to all.  To register boats and for more details, visit  www.palmcoastyachtclub.com.  The Yacht Club sponsors the event every year. 

Parking will be available at the Palm Coast Community Center and the Daytona State College campus, both on Palm Coast Parkway. Flagler County buses will shuttle viewers between designated parking and European Village.  Lit parking signs will be posted between along the Parkway.  Parking will also be open at Waterfront Park.  As always, Parade viewers are advised to seek parking early.  All parking and shuttle service is free and will be available continuously between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. on December 9.

This year the Parade will begin at Cochise Waterway and head south.  The parade will pass the Cimarron and Club House Waterways and sail under the Hammock Dunes Toll Bridge past St. Joe Walkway and Waterfront Park.  Boats will turn at the Gazebo in Grand Haven , pass Cimarron Waterway, and return to home port. 

The Parade will be held in honor of the late Al Krier, a long-time Parade champion and major community activist.  Grand Marshalls will be Palm Coast Mayor The Honorable David Alfin and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.  Carrying the Grand Marshalls will be “Sunshine,” a 55-foot Viking owned by Club members Donna Heiss and Ken Mazzie.  Parade escorts include the Marine Unit of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and TowBoatUS.  The Florida Inland Navigation District is endorsing the event.  Once again, the Parade will be broadcast live by Flagler Broadcasting on KOOL-FM, 100.9.  The City is providing worldwide simultaneous live coverage on Youtube.