Flamingos, fire-breathing palm trees and more light up 116th Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade
Flames spat out of a pair of modified space heaters set up on the deck of the Paradise Found as owner Greg Killingsworth continued prepping the 42-foot yacht for the 116th Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, which runs from Dec. 18 through Dec. 22. The pyrotechnic test-run at the Newport Dunes Marina snared the attention of a group of children a few yards away at a nearby park, bringing their soccer practice to a halt Thursday afternoon.
“FI-RE! FI-RE! FI-RE!” they chanted, two syllables at a time, between blasts of heat and light.
That sort of reaction is one of Killingsworth’s favorite things about about taking part in the holiday tradition. The cheers and laughter of families watching on land can be heard from dozens of yards away, over the sounds of music and dancing by crew members and guests aboard brightly lit boats creeping along the parade route, according to Shaun Crossman, the captain of the Last Hurrah.
A pair of great places to take in the event are at the Balboa Bay Club north of Lido Isle on Pacific Coast Highway and the Balboa Fun Zone on the peninsula, said Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade Committee Co-Chair Chris Delfs. Both locations offer scenic views of the festivities on the water and will also be the site of drone shows lighting up the sky each night of the celebration.
Marina Park “is also a prime spot to watch the parade all five nights, as long as you get there early,” Delfs said.
Attendees are invited to a viewing at the park on opening night, Dec. 18. The event features goods from over 35 local artisans, food vendors, live music and activities for children. It runs from 4 to 8 p.m., with a fireworks show scheduled at 6:15.
Parade officials also suggested bringing or renting a boat to watch from a designated vantage point on the water. Revelers can also book a reservation at a restaurant or resort with a view of the harbor.
The holiday celebration helps bring in over $10 million in revenue for local businesses each year, Delfs said.
Roughly 100 boats are signed up to be in the 2024 parade. They range in size from small duffies and skiffs all they way up to 100-foot yachts, Delfs said.
The 86-foot Last Hurrah will be one of the largest vessels on the route and is a returning entry to the event. This year it’s decorated with a tribute to police, firefighters, paramedics and lifeguards accented by strategically placed and synchronized LEDs. Those simulate the reflection of waves, rotating helicopter blades and flashing sirens. The display also includes a tribute to Ben Carlson, a Newport Beach lifeguard who died while rescuing a swimmer caught in 6- to 8-foot waves 10 years ago.
Entries compete for a variety of awards and will be judged on a wide range of criteria. One is how well they convey this year’s theme: “Christmas Across the Decades.”
Killingsworth leaned hard into an ’80s-inspired display aboard Paradise Found, also known locally as the Snoopy Boat because of the inflatable Charles Schulz-drawn beagle that has been incorporated into its decorations since he began participating 14 years ago. A pair of fire-spitting palm trees will be synchronized to “Conga” by Gloria Estefan. A total of 42 plastic flamingos line the hull.
“It’s a nonstop dance machine,” Killingsworth said of the Paradise Found. “And we bring that party all the way around the harbor.”
His boat will also feature several portraits of “Miami Vice” actors Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas hanging in pink frames. Killingsworth was considering loading a Ferrari Daytona Spider from his collection onto a barge and towing it behind his yacht, but he said he thought better of it.
Paradise Found is one of the most decorated entries in the parade’s history, and each year Killingsworth spends months planning for it. He gets a little bit of help from friends to move around heavier items, but managed to set up most of his display by himself in about a month.
Meanwhile Delfs, co-chair Jack Suddarth along with about 100 volunteers have been brainstorming and prepping for the parade since January. They’ve also worked closely with the Newport Beach Harbor, police and Orange County Sheriff’s departments and numerous other community groups to ensure this year’s festivities are both memorable and safe for the thousands of residents and visitors who attend. And numerous vessels will coordinate to make sure wayward sailors don’t stray into the route
“It takes a lot for our marshals to make sure everyone is safe,” Delfs said. “We’re on the water at night, and it’s also five nights as opposed to just one. So it’s the dedication from the entire community ... We have more partners and assets on the water than we’ve ever had before.”
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