On Sunday, December 10, enjoy one of Santa Barbara’s favorite holiday events – the 37th Annual Parade of Lights.
Starting at 3 p.m., families can visit the Winter Wonderland out on the City Pier in Santa Barbara Harbor. There will be holiday elves, 12 tons of snow, goodie bags, and a visit by Santa Claus himself.
The iconic boat parade begins at 3:30 p.m. with the human-powered category, with dozens of standup paddlers and kayakers dressed in holiday costumes paddling through the harbor and around Stearns Wharf.
Then at 5 p.m., a Christmas tree lighting ceremony with holiday tunes by Dos Pueblos Jazz Choir will be held on Stearns Wharf next to the Sea Center.
At sunset, around 30 illuminated boats will travel from Leadbetter Beach down the coast to the Cabrillo Arts Pavilion, then back along the coast to Stearns Wharf.
The parade will conclude with a five-minute fireworks show at approximately 7 p.m.
Registration for the boat parade competition is open until the day-of and is free to enter. Participants can enter one of five categories: human-powered, power, sail, commercial fishing, or commercial other. There will be thousands of dollars in prizes. Entry forms are available at the Harbor Market, Harbor Fuel Dock, or Waterfront offices.
An awards party will be held at Anchor Rose Restaurant starting at 7:30 p.m.
This year's parade theme is Holiday Disco Extravaganza.
