Holiday lights will be adrift in an impressive watery display along Newport's Yaquina Bay on December 7, as the 30th Annual Lighted Boat Parade spreads the seasonal cheer in a spectacular armada that day. About a dozen boats will meander around the pristine bay, making a large loop for all to see, from the Coast Guard Station to the Embarcadero Resort and back, filling the nighttime coastal air with unique designs and lighting techniques.
The parade starts at dusk on Saturday December 7. The Coast Guard Yaquina Bay Motorboat will lead the parade, and decorated boats will depart from various docks along the Bayfront and South Beach Marina. All boats will leisurely circle the bay, from the Coast Guard Station to the Embarcadero. Many boats in the nearby marinas will be decorated and moored at the docks as well.
This fantastic annual event is held on the first Saturday of December and is a great way to start your holiday season. Started in 1994 by Fran & Don Mathews with Marine Discovery Tours, this event has been a local favorite for many years. Don Mathews died in 2018, but the Marine Discovery crew rallied, and the lighted boat parade went on. And then came COVID and the parade was canceled. The Yaquina Bay Yacht Club has had an "unofficial" parade in the years since then, but 2024 promises to be a resurgence of this beloved event.
There are many ways to enjoy the Lighted Boat Parade - decorating and entering your own boat, viewing from the piers along the shoreline, or from the many restaurants along the Bayfront.
"It's a feel-good event for the boating community, as we help raise funds for our Lincoln County Animal Shelter, along with filling up shops and restaurants along the Bayfront," said Maggie Conrad, Event Director for the Newport Chamber of Commerce. The decorating competition results in a variety of themes, lights, fireworks, and even live music aboard the boats that surprise and delight the audience and judges each year. Prizes are awarded through generous donations from the community, including a decorated wooden model fishing vessel as the grand prize, courtesy of Steve Newton, Town Tinker & Wood Artist.
Yaquina Bay Yacht Club will host pet pictures with Santa. There is a requested donation of an unopened bag of pet food or $5 to have your pet get their picture taken from 2pm – 4pm at 750 SE Bay Blvd. Afterwards there will be a “Watch Party” at the same location from 5pm – 6:30pm with complimentary cookies and hot cocoa. Newport is home to the largest fishing fleet in Oregon and the Lighted Boat Parade always features a variety of watercraft, including Coast Guard Search & Rescue vessels, charter boats, fishing boats, sail boats, and even sea kayaks.
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