Key West · December
Key West Lighted Boat Parade
One Saturday every December, boat owners in Key West string their vessels with lights, palm trees, inflatable Santas and whatever else will survive a lap of the harbor, then parade past the Historic Seaport after dark. It is free, it is genuinely pretty, and it is about as much Christmas as a town with no winter can produce.
The 2026 parade is Saturday, December 12, keeping the second-Saturday-of-December pattern. Dockside festivities start around 6 p.m. and the boats get moving at 8. Schooner Wharf Bar hosts the judging, hands out awards to the top twelve boats, and generally serves as headquarters.
Quick Facts
- Date
- Saturday, December 12, 2026
- Time
- Festivities from 6 p.m., parade at 8 p.m.
- Where
- Historic Seaport and Harbor Walk
- Cost
- Free to watch
- Host
- Schooner Wharf Bar, with awards for the top 12 boats
- Since
- Early 1990s; the 2025 parade was the 34th
Where to watch
The stretch of Harbor Walk between Schooner Wharf and Turtle Kraals is the prime real estate: the boats pass close, the judging happens there, and the bars behind you stay open the whole time. It fills up. If you want a rail spot, be standing on it by 7 p.m. The docks along the whole seaport work too, and a table at any waterfront bar doubles as a grandstand if you claim it early.
How the parade works
Boats of every size enter, from dinghies to schooners, competing for awards judged from Schooner Wharf. Crews spend weeks on the displays: synced lights, music, full deck scenes. The parade does one to two laps of the harbor, so if you miss a boat the first time, hold your spot.
- · Arrive by 7 p.m. for a front-row spot on the Harbor Walk.
- · December evenings can actually get cool by Keys standards. Bring a layer.
- · Weather postponements happen. If it blows, the parade usually slides to Sunday.
- · Make dinner reservations at the seaport early or eat before you come. Every kitchen is slammed.
Make a night of it
The parade lands in the middle of Key West's holiday season, with the harbor lit, the weather dry and the town in a good mood. Pair it with a stroll through the lights at the historic inns on Duval and Caroline, and you have the island's best free December evening.
Want more on Key West Lighted Boat Parade?
Official details from the organizers, plus Keys Weekly's coverage from the newspaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Key West Lighted Boat Parade in 2026?
Saturday, December 12, 2026. Dockside festivities start around 6 p.m. and the parade itself steps off at 8 p.m. at the Historic Seaport.
Does it cost anything?
No. Watching from the Harbor Walk and the seaport docks is free. Money only enters into it if you want a drink or dinner while you watch, which you will.
Where is the best viewing?
The Harbor Walk between Schooner Wharf Bar and Turtle Kraals. The judging happens at Schooner Wharf and boats slow down through that stretch. Arrive by 7 p.m.
What if the weather is bad?
Strong wind or rain pushes the parade to the next night, usually Sunday. Check Schooner Wharf's site or social feeds the day of if the forecast looks rough.
More Annual Events in the Keys
Key West · January
Key West Food & Wine Festival
Five days of tastings, wine strolls and chef dinners across the island, in the best weather week of the Key West year.
Key West · November
Key West Powerboat Races
Offshore race boats hitting triple digits in the harbor, three race days, and a parade of them down Duval to open the week.
Lower Keys · July
Underwater Music Festival
A radio station broadcasts a playlist underwater at Looe Key Reef while divers in costume play fake instruments. Really.
Key West · July
Hemingway Days
A bar full of white-bearded Papas competing to be the most Hemingway, plus a street fair and a running of wooden bulls.