WATCH REPLAY: Cocoa Beach Rotary Christmas Boat Parade Dresses Up in Twinkling Lights, Holiday Decorations

beloved tradition in community

WATCH REPLAY: The 54th Annual Cocoa Beach Rotary Christmas Boat Parade features boats dressed up in twinkling lights and holiday decorations and a beloved tradition in our community. Space Coast Daily’s Ron Lighthall and Karina Connor are at Sunset Grill to bring you all the pageantry.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The 54th Annual Cocoa Beach Rotary Christmas Boat Parade featured boats dressed up in twinkling lights and holiday decorations and a beloved tradition in our community. Space Coast Daily’s Ron Lighthall and Karina Connor were at Sunset Grill to bring you all the pageantry.

The bright lights of the boats reflected in the water, the Christmas music, the creative decorations, and the cooler evening air- all were perfect for getting everyone in the spirit of the season.

Many of our residents who live on canals along the parade route schedule their holiday parties for that night, and there are great places for visitors to watch as well.

The Rotary Club of Cocoa Beach sponsors this event, and the club’s website provides details of the parade route and best places for spectators.

This year the club will be awarding three lavish gift baskets worth hundreds of dollars for the best-decorated boats in the categories of “Best-Lit,” “Most Enthusiastic,” and “Best Theme.” Boats must be registered to win.

Part of the registration process will include an acknowledgment that Captains will ensure that no candy or other items are to be tossed from the boat to spectators on the shore and that decorations will not include political themes or profanity- either direct or implied.

Spectators can’t see the candy coming, and a lot of it ends up in the lagoon, so not throwing it helps water quality and avoids any potential for injury.

The restriction on political themes or profanity derives from last year when a few boats had inappropriate displays that upset many of the people watching with their children.

Please note the political and profanity restriction is not an attempt to stifle free speech- it’s just that some forms of speech aren’t appropriate in this setting.

This parade is a much-loved holiday tradition, and we would all benefit from a family event that brings us closer together in a spirit of fellowship and goodwill.

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