Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade 2022 at the Yachting Capital of the World

With over 100 boats on display, the annual Winterfest Parade was a colorful and bright kick-off to the holiday season in South Florida.

South Florida locals gather in Fort Lauderdale every December for probably the most Floridian holiday tradition–a holiday boat parade. Located at the same location as the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, the annual Winterfest Boat Parade took place this past weekend, on Saturday, December 10, 2022. The parade features over 100 boats and watercraft (kayaks included!) decked out (quite literally–decks and all) in all the holiday decorations you could possibly dream of. Only in Florida can you spot hundreds of people in the middle of December in shorts, T-shirts, and Santa hats…standing waterfront as yachts and boats of all sizes cruise by with Christmas (and Chanukah) lights in full glow.

The yearly event has been taking place since 1971 (that’s over half a century!), to the merriment of Florida locals and visitors alike. Winterfest has an annual economic impact of over $50 million a year in Broward County, according to the organization’s website.

Better yet: “The International Festival and Events Association has named Winterfest to its top 20 Parades in the World. With more than 50,000 parades in the United States alone, this is a huge international honor that places Winterfest in the prestigious company of the Macy’s, Mardi Gras, Rose Bowl, and Disney Parades.” The event is a real pride and joy to us locals–talk about holiday cheer!

While the live event at the Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park in Fort Lauderdale already happened, you still have the opportunity to tune in to some of the holiday fun. The Winterfest Boat Parade will be broadcast on WSVN 7 this Saturday, December 17 at 9:00 pm, as well as on YouTube and Facebook. You can get more information on viewing the parade here.

Happy Holidays from the Denison team!