Beach Boating goes Festive with Holiday Parades

Last Saturday, several of the beach towns and communities had their boat parades. We enjoyed attending the Clearwater Beach Holiday boat parade under a wonderful full moon over Clearwater Harbor.

Holiday Boat parades are just one of the many ways we celebrate here in our Pinellas County beach towns. Tonight there are two more seaside parades, so there's is still time to catch this coastal Florida tradition. (See details below.)

If you haven't seen one you owe it to yourself to make some time to do so: it's fun, festive and free, it doesn't get much better than that.

Not sure what to expect at a boat parade? Check out this video from Clearwater Beach's Boat parade last weekend:

You still have one more chance to enjoy a Holiday Boat parade this year.

Be sure to check out tonight's 25th Annual City of Indian Rocks Holiday Lighted Boat Parade or the 45th Annual Madeira Beach Festival of Lights Boat Parade.

Here are more details about both:

25th Annual City of Indian Rocks Holiday Lighted Boat Parade

• Start time: 7:00pm
• Cost: Free

The boat parade will starts at the Harbourside Holiday Inn in Indian Rocks Beach at 7:00pm.  Jimmy Guana's is a great place to watch the parade and make an evening of it, however, if that's your plan you better get there early - it's always packed that night.Jimmy Guana's is located at 401 2nd St Indian Rocks Beach.

There will be three categories being judged in the parade based on boat size.

1. 23 ft and under boats,
2. 24 to 30ft vessels
3. over 30ft vessels

I'm always amazed at the creativity and beauty of each one.  The boat parade will start at the Harbourside Inn and run north under the Walsingham Bridge and up the intercoastal waterways of Indian Rocks Beach and end at the city limits near North Harbor Drive before Belleair Beach. 

45th Annual Madeira Beach Festival of Lights Boat Parade

• Start time: 6:30pm
• Cost: Free

The Madeira Beach parade starts just north of the Tom Stuart Causeway and the Madeira Beach Boat Parade Route is quite extensive. This one lasts about 1.5 hours and ends around 8pm at John's Pass. They also will award prizes for best decorated boats under 25ft, over 25 ft and then another Old Salt award. 

One final tip: If you are planning to watch the parades try to get to where ever you're going to watch it from at least a half hour early so you don't miss them since it can be crowded.

I'm curious have you ever seen a boat parade? Tell me below - and if not what's your favorite local holiday thing to do or see?