The Winterfest Boat Parade is Saturday, Dec. 12. Tree lightings: the Galt Nov. 12, Sistrunk Dec. 4, Carter Park Dec. 11. Light Up Lauderdale starts Nov. 5.
Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. This page is updated each year. Dates and times are from the City of Fort Lauderdale’s event calendar; check each event’s page before you go. City events line: 954-828-8000.
Fort Lauderdale’s big Christmas parade happens on the water. The 55th Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade is on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, with roughly 100 lit and decorated boats moving along about 12 miles of the New River and Intracoastal Waterway. Instead of one downtown tree lighting, the city lights trees and holiday lights in several neighborhoods from early November to mid-December.
What this means for you
- Boat parade: Saturday evening, Dec. 12. Watching from shore is free; the official viewing park is ticketed.
- Tree lightings: the Galt Nov. 12, Sistrunk Dec. 4 and Carter Park Dec. 11.
- Santa visits: Light Up Lauderdale on Nov. 5, Light Up the Beach on Nov. 19, Winterfest Family Fun Day on Nov. 22 and Light Up Sistrunk on Dec. 4.
The holiday calendar
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Nov. 5 | Light Up Lauderdale “Get Lit” | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Esplanade Park, 400 SW 2nd St. |
| Thursday, Nov. 12 | Light Up the Galt, tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. | North Beach Restaurants and Shoppes, NE 33rd Avenue and NE 33rd Street |
| Thursday, Nov. 19 | Light Up the Beach | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Las Olas Oceanside Park, 3000 E. Las Olas Blvd. |
| Sunday, Nov. 22 | Winterfest Family Fun Day | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Esplanade Park |
| Friday, Dec. 4 | Light Up Sistrunk, giant tree lighting | 5 to 8 p.m. | Sistrunk Boulevard, NW 9th to 11th avenues |
| Sunday, Dec. 6 | Menorah Lighting Celebration | 6 p.m. | Las Olas Oceanside Park |
| Friday, Dec. 11 | Light Up Carter Park, tree lighting | 5 to 8 p.m. | Carter Park, 1450 W. Sunrise Blvd. |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | Winterfest Boat Parade | From 5:30 p.m. | New River and Intracoastal Waterway |
All of these are free except the ticketed boat parade viewing area.
The Winterfest Boat Parade
The parade, known as the “World’s Most Decorated Parade,” the city’s listing says, winds about 12 miles along the New River and the Intracoastal. Viewers watch from shore along the route. The route, free viewing spots, TV times and the ticketed viewing area are on our Winterfest Boat Parade page.
The official public viewing area is Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park, 80 Las Olas Circle, open 4 to 11 p.m. A ticket covers an afternoon and evening of stage entertainment, games, vendors and photos with Santa before the boats arrive. For tickets, start from the city’s viewing area listing. Expect heavy traffic near Las Olas and the beach that evening, and remember the Las Olas bridge over the Intracoastal is down to one lane each way (see road construction).
Tree lightings and holiday lights
- Light Up Lauderdale is a 10-week display of holiday lights along the New River. It opens with Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale’s “Get Lit” night: holiday music, kids’ crafts and Santa.
- Light Up the Galt lights a tree at 6:30 p.m. at the North Beach Restaurants and Shoppes on Galt Ocean Mile, with music, food and a kids zone.
- Light Up the Beach turns on more than 50,000 holiday lights along the beachfront and brings back “Olas,” the 20-foot beach snowman at A1A and Las Olas Boulevard, with the Fort Lauderdale Symphonic Winds and Santa.
- Light Up Sistrunk lights a giant tree on Sistrunk Boulevard with live bands, a free toy giveaway, a health fair, food trucks, a kids zone with Santa and a teen area.
- Light Up Carter Park ends with the lighting of the Carter Park Holiday Tree, after performances, train rides and holiday crafts.
What this page will add
When the 2026 boat parade route, road closures and parking details are published, we will add them here.
Related: holiday lights and Christmas events, things to do this month and parks and trails.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Winterfest Boat Parade in 2026?
The 55th Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade is Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, starting in the evening along about 12 miles of the New River and Intracoastal Waterway. Watching from shore is free.
Where is the official viewing area for the Fort Lauderdale boat parade?
The ticketed public viewing area is Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park, 80 Las Olas Circle, open 4 to 11 p.m. on Dec. 12 with entertainment before the parade.
When are the Christmas tree lightings in Fort Lauderdale?
Light Up the Galt has a tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12; Light Up Sistrunk lights a giant tree on Friday, Dec. 4; and Light Up Carter Park ends with its tree lighting on Friday, Dec. 11. All are free.
When does Light Up Lauderdale start?
Light Up Lauderdale, 10 weeks of holiday lights along the New River, opens with the Get Lit event at Esplanade Park from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.
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