{"id":45304,"date":"2025-11-13T16:27:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T16:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/45304\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T16:27:23","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T16:27:23","slug":"37th-annual-fort-myers-beach-christmas-boat-parade-underway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/45304\/","title":{"rendered":"37th Annual Fort Myers Beach Christmas Boat Parade underway"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t Open Audio Article Player<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n Special to Florida Weekly<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

Christmas parade boat. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n

Join the community for the 37th Annual Fort Myers Beach Christmas Boat Parade\u2014a beloved island tradition filled with twinkling lights, festive music and community cheer.\n<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s parade sets sail from Salty Sam\u2019s Marina and cruises through the sparkling waters of Estero Bay, spreading holiday spirit across Fort Myers Beach. Grab your family, your friends and your holiday spirit for an unforgettable evening on the island.\n<\/p>\n

Parade route<\/p>\n

Boats will gather in front of Salty Sam\u2019s Marina at 5:30 p.m., with the parade kicking off promptly at 6 p.m. The route travels northwest under the Matanzas Pass Bridge, past the Coast Guard station, through Estero Pass and along Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina before looping back toward Matanzas Harbor.\n<\/p>\n

This year, vessels will make a\u00a0second loop\u00a0through the back bay, giving everyone another chance to enjoy the glowing procession.\n<\/p>\n

Parade highlights<\/p>\n

Santa & Mrs. Claus lead the way aboard the first boat, spreading cheer across the waves.
\u2022 Boats will travel twice around the back bay area for more festive viewing opportunities.
\u2022 Live music at Bayside Veterans Park \u2013 Enjoy festive tunes and holiday fun at the base of Old San Carlos Boulevard as you watch the parade glide by.<\/p>\n

Best viewing spots<\/p>\n

Catch the parade from some of the best waterfront spots along the back bay! Many local restaurants offer fantastic views, delicious food and festive vibes\u2014so make your reservations early and enjoy dinner with a view of the holiday lights.\n<\/p>\n

Watch live online<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t make it to the island? Beach Talk Radio will stream the entire event live on YouTube! Tune in from anywhere to experience the magic as the boats light up Estero Bay.\n<\/p>\n

People\u2019s Choice Award<\/p>\n

Vote for your favorite boat and help crown this year\u2019s People\u2019s Choice Winner! Voting details and entry information are available at\u00a0www.fmbboatparade.com<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

Join the parade<\/p>\n

Want to take part in the fun? Decorate your boat, gather your crew and join the parade! It\u2019s a fantastic way to celebrate the season and show your holiday spirit on the water. Register your vessel today at\u00a0www.fmbboatparade.com<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

Support local businesses<\/p>\n

Make a day of it! Arrive early to enjoy lunch, drinks or shopping at one of Fort Myers Beach\u2019s local businesses. Many are rebuilding and thriving\u2014your support makes a difference. Find open businesses at\u00a0www.fortmyersbeach.org\/whos-open-for-business<\/a>.
For more information, contact the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce at 239-454-7500 or visit\u00a0www.fortmyersbeach.com<\/a>.\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open Audio Article Player Special to Florida Weekly Christmas parade boat. -COURTESY PHOTO Join the community for the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":45305,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-45304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45304\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}