eastport yacht club boat parade

Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade

December 14, 2024, from 6 - 8 p.m, the eastport yacht club's lights parade to celebrate its 42nd year in 2024.

The magical Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade takes place along the Annapolis Harbor and Spa Creek on the second Saturday in December every year. This annual tradition has been delighting holiday revelers for 40 years!

It all began in the 1980s when  Eastport Yacht Club  (EYC) started. Back then, the club was based in a fourth-floor room with a tiny bar in a complex in what is now  Annapolis City Marina . Some of the earliest members lived on boats in that marina and used the club as their living room, especially after the weather got cooler. Feeling the spirit (pun intended) one December night, a few took to their boats and tooled around the harbor, singing Christmas carols.  1

Because it was so much fun, the EYC members decided to build upon the parade by adding lights to decorate their boats, making it an annual tradition. Although several tour operators sell packages during the lights parade, where you can watch the event on the water, the event is free. (Click here for more tours.) Now, it is an officially sanctioned and sponsored event on the Annapolis & Anne Arundel County holiday calendar.

Where to Watch

Book a cruise, join a friend's boat or watch from the Annapolis city front or Spa Creek Bridge. More great viewing spots are at the end of any street in downtown Annapolis that ends at the water. Pocket parks in Eastport and Murray Hill are also great vantage points for sipping some cocoa and watching the boat parade sail by.

To learn more about the parade's history, read this great blog on Annapolis Discovered .

1  Quote taken from the blog:  Behind the Mask: Tom Stalder & the History of the EYC Lights Parade

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Insider's Guide: Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade

December 5, 2023

Ryan Sneddon

Like many things in Annapolis, our best holiday tradition involves the water. It’s the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade and here’s exactly what you need to know to enjoy it.

First Things First: The Basics

The 2023 Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade is December 9 from 6–8 PM. All of the action either happens in the harbor or down Spa Creek & Ego Alley.

Where can I watch?

Any of the pins on the map above are good options. Most of the street end parks are quite small so stake out your spot early.

Best viewing points

Spa creek bridge.

This is the best vantage point but fully exposed to the wind so it can be mighty cold. But you can see both fleets and get a close up when they switch places.

This is as close as you can get to the boats without being on one. Get here early if you want to see every little detail of how the displays are constructed.

Get a great view of all the boats as they circle around the harbor. You can get a higher vantage point if you join the We Care and Friends fundraiser on Watermark’s Harbor Queen. In lieu of tickets, bring a monetary donation, toy, blanket, clothing, or non-perishable food item to get in.

Other viewing options

If you have friends with homes or offices on the water, time to get them an early Christmas present and hope for an invite.

The Choptank is also a great option but space is limited and last year there was a private party on the entire second floor.

Where do I park?

The official parking garage of the parade is the garage at Park Place – 100 Westgate Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401 . The free circulator shuttle will run downtown.

Other options include:

• Hillman Garage . Cost: not free. Likelihood of spot: low
• Gotts Court Garage . Cost: not free. Likelihood of spot: medium
• Calvert Street Garage . Cost: free on weekends. Likelihood of spot: high
• Knighton Garage . Cost: not free. Likelihood of spot: medium
• Street parking . Cost: not free. Likelihood of spot: low

Remember that you get 1 hour free in the Hillman Garage and two hours in meter spots by using the code ParkDTA on the ParkMobile app until New Year’s Day.

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Seasonal & Holidays

Where to view, park for eastport yacht club lights parade, route, parade parking info for the dec. 10 eastport yacht club lights parade, one of the best holiday parades in the u.s..

Deb Belt , Patch Staff

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Annapolis celebrates the arrival of Santa Claus by boat this Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade , a nominee for the title of USA Today's Best Holiday Parade.

Every year on the second Saturday in December, Annapolis Harbor is filled with boats illuminated with thousands of colored lights in the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade. Families and friends gather at their favorite viewing spots along the waterfront to see the yearly spectacle, with themes ranging from "Polar Express" to "Star Wars" and a fishing Santa.

This year's yacht parade will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, at Annapolis Harbor and Spa Creek above the Spa Creek Bridge.

Find out what's happening in Annapolis with free, real-time updates from Patch.

This year marks the 34th annual Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade. Here's what you need to know about viewing:

For information on access points, check out the Parade Map link .

Dress Warmly: Comfort over style. It's amazing how cold it can get when you stand in one spot for a couple of hours. Remember, there will be two fleets changing positions every hour or so. Don't leave just because the boats seem to.

Radio: WNAV Radio 1430 will be providing live coverage of the parade with roving reporters from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and will report on the winners at 10 p.m. Winners also will be announced over marine radio Channel 72 at 10 p.m.

Where to Watch the Parade:

Eastport Bridge: If it's a warm or still night, this is the best vantage point. You can see the fleets both above and below the bridge and get a close-up look as they pass through the bridge. Note: The bridge will be closed to vehicles but open before the parade, at 6:45 and again at 7:45 p.m. Naval Academy: The length of seawall bordering Spa Creek offers a long, unobstructed viewing area. Check ahead for Naval Academy security regulations that will be in effect. City Dock: This is a perennial favorite spot for viewers where there is the choice of watching the boats collectively as they parade in the harbor or individually as they negotiate Ego Alley. The Alley spot offers the closest possible look at the decorations as well as the chicken wire and PVC pipe that support them. Harbor Queen: One fine vantage point at City Dock will be Watermark's Harbor Queen , moored at the end of the dock and conducting the "Queen of All Food Drives" during the parade. Bring a bag of non-perishable food, pet food items, or a cash donation ($10 recommended) and you'll be welcomed aboard. Beverages and snacks available for purchase and proceeds benefit the Anne Arundel County Food Bank. (Last year, even with the canceled show, over 300 pounds of food was donated, along with more than $1700.) EYC Lights Parade Dinner & Cruise aboard Catherine Marie : Start with dinner at the Severn Inn, then board Catherine Marie for dessert and champagne to view the parade. Price includes dinner and cruise plus dessert on board. $145/person (this event usually sells out). For more information on public boat events EYC Lights Parade viewing, visit CruisesOnTheBay.com . Other Spots: If you have friends with offices, homes, or boats along the harbor, this might be a nice time to renew acquaintances. Otherwise, the walkway in front of Annapolis City Marina in Eastport, or any of the streets that dead-end at the harbor or Spa Creek are good spots to view the parade. 1. Market, Shipwright & Revel Streets 2. Acton Cove 3. Southgate, Taney & Cheston Avenues 4. Lafayette Park 5. Monticello Avenue 6. Primrose Rd. (Truxton Park) 7. Burnside Street 8. Fourth Street 9. Third Street 10. Second Street 11. First Street

A Note on Parking

The parking site for this year’s parade will be the garage at Park Place, 100 Westgate Circle. There will be signs on Rowe Boulevard and Taylor Avenue directing visitors to the garage. The Free City Shuttle will circulate every ten minutes from Park Place to downtown and from there back to Park Place until 2:30 AM. The Shuttle can be hailed anywhere along the route. The EYC Clubhouse will be open only to EYC members, their families, and invited/accompanied guests. You can watch the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade anywhere around the world on any mobile device or HD TV set. We'll post instructions soon on how to see this great Annapolis event! »Photo courtesy of Eastport Yacht Club, used with permission

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Annapolis Christmas Lights Boat Parade

Everything You Need to Know About the Eastport Yacht Club's Parade of Lights

Eastport Yacht Club Parade of Lights

Maryland's capital city celebrates Christmas in style with the Eastport Yacht Club Parade of Lights , a 30-years-and-running holiday tradition in which boat owners flaunt their best light decorations in an Annapolis Harbor procession. This is one of the most popular events of the season and a quirky, sometimes comical way to celebrate with family and friends. The event takes place every year on the second Saturday of December, but in 2020, it's been canceled. Still, many boats in the harbor will carry on the tradition of decorating their decks.

Where to Watch the Parade of Lights

The boats parade along the Annapolis Harbor and Spa Creek Waterfront, extending from Primrose Road to the south and the USNA Seawall to the north. Be sure to arrive early to stake out a good viewing spot (and dress warmly—temperatures are likely to be in the 40s at best).

WNAV Radio 1430 provides live coverage of the parade via roving reporters from 6 to 8 p.m. It announces the winners of the decorating contest at 10 p.m. They're also announced over marine radio Channel 72. A live feed is broadcast during the parade at the  Annapolis Smokehouse . Many other downtown bars and restaurants offer specials to entice visitors to stay after watching the Parade of Lights at one of these locations.

• Eastport Bridge
• Fawcett Boat Supplies Parking Lot at 110 Compromise Street
• Naval Academy
• Annapolis City Dock
• The walkway in front of Annapolis City Marina in Eastport
• Aboard the  Catherine Marie , which usually serves dessert and champagne during the parade
• Aboard the Harbor Queen , moored at the end of the City Dock and usually conducting a food drive during the parade
• Other spots include Market, Shipwright & Revel Streets, Acton Cove, Southgate, Taney and Cheston Avenues, Lafayette Park, Monticello Avenue, Truxton Park, Burnside Street, Fourth Street, Third Street, Second Street, and First Street. 

David Clow / Flickr CC 2.0 

Transportation and Parking

Parking is restricted and limited in many places near the Annapolis Harbor. The main parking site for the parade is usually the garage at Park Place, 100 Westgate Circle (across from the Annapolis National Cemetery). Signs on Rowe Boulevard and Taylor Avenue will direct visitors, then a free city shuttle will take them from Park Place to downtown every 10 minutes, running until 2:30 a.m. Additional garages are available, including Knighton Garage (Colonial Avenue), Gott's Court Garage (25 Northwest Street), South Street Lot (South Street off of Church Circle), and Hillman Garage (150 Gorman Street).

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