Boat parade viewer space at a premium

Local restaurants offering harbor views have already sold out space for spectator groups.Roughly two months remain before the 97th Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade lights up Newport Harbor, but space to watch the tradition is already getting tight.

The annual parade is organized by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Commodores Club. Chamber officials expect almost 1 million spectators to watch the parade in one way or another.

Restaurants offering harbor views have already sold out space for groups seeking a place to dine and watch the event, said Nancy Shugg of the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau.

Shugg has been coordinating reservations at harborside restaurants for the parade since the beginning of the month. She said waterfront restaurants are still taking reservations for smaller parties, but it’s a bad idea for parade fans to wait until the last minute.

“Everybody calls the last week and wonders why they can’t get space,” Shugg said.

Watching the parade from the water can be tougher than finding a vantage point around a dinner table, Shugg said. Charter companies have already lined up a sizable roster of customers, and a good time to start looking for yacht charters for the parade is June.

Anyone who wants to watch the parade from a yacht on a weekend needs to book reservations even earlier, said Stuart Sitko, president of American Yacht Charters.

“If you want a Saturday night in the parade, you should start in January or February,” Sitko said.

But as late in the year as October, the parade is not yet completely sold out. Sitko would rather bring in an extra yacht than turn away customers.

“It’s never completely booked, because you can get another boat from another harbor,” he said.

The parade is entering its 97th year with a slight change. Formerly the Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade, the illuminated event’s name was changed Wednesday to the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade.

“Newport Beach has worldwide marketing value,” chamber vice president Jeff Parker said.

The theme of the 2005 parade, Centennial Celebration of Lights, reflects Newport Beach’s 100th anniversary. The parade is scheduled for Dec. 14 to 18.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at andrew.edwards@latimes.com.

DOUGLAS ZIMMERMAN / DAILY PILOTA sailboat decorated like a Christmas tree cruises in last year’s Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade. 20051013i8swvkkfDOUGLAS ZIMMERMAN / DAILY PILOT(LA)A sailboat decorated like a Christmas tree cruises in last year’s Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade.