Christmas Boat Parade Sails into Dana Point

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

(This post was sponsored by The Ace Agency, but as always all opinions are my own.)

Who doesn’t love a good holiday parade?!? We got to get all bundled up (well, as bundled as we can for Southern California) and headed to Dana Point Harbor for their 43rd annual Boat Parade of Lights. We had the opportunity to have a “sneak peak” boat ride around the harbor before the parade debuted for the first time on Friday evening and it was such a fun family outing.

This year’s theme for the parade is “A Superhero Holiday” and young ones are encouraged to dress as their favorite superheroes for the evening. The event is completely free and is open to the public for one more weekend on December 15th and 16th. Festivities begin at 4:30pm with games, live music, crafts, selfies with Santa and even superhero encounters. The actual boat parade begins at 7:30pm.

There are free trolley rides each night of the parade and run from 3:30-10:30pm and pick up/drop off along Dana Point Harbor Drive, The Visitors Center, Ocean Institute, Baby Beach, Island Way and the retail area. We got there by 4:15 and there was still quite a few options for parking, but by the time we left at 7:00 there were long lines of cars trying to find a spot. So I highly suggest getting there early, having some dinner, walking along the harbor and enjoying all the beautiful lights. I also suggest making a reservation for dinner because getting a table on these nights can be tricky.

The lights along the harbor might be my favorite walkways, especially the “MERRY KISS ME” sign and the whale that make for a perfect photo stops.

For more information about the festivities visit danapointharbor.com