Proudly holding its record-breaking status as the largest lighted boat parade in the State of Florida, The Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade, sponsored by the Palm Coast Yacht Club, has announced important enhancements to the event which attracts viewers from all over the country. This year’s Parade route will be expanded by more than a mile and shuttle bus service will be provided. Now in its 40th year, the parade will be held December 9, 2023, at 6 PM. As always, the parade is free to all.
To improve Parade access, parking will be available at the Palm Coast Community Center and the Daytona State College campus, both on Palm Coast Parkway. Flagler County buses will shuttle viewers between designated parking and European Village. Lit parking signs will be posted between along the Parkway. Parking will also be open at Waterfront Park. As always, Parade viewers are advised to seek parking early. All parking and shuttle service is free and will be available between 4 and 9 PM.
This year the Parade will begin at Cochise Waterway, the city’s northern-most cut to the Intracoastal Waterway, and head south. The parade will pass the Cimarron and Club House Waterways and sail under the Hammock Dunes Toll Bridge past St. Joe Walkway and Waterfront Park. Boats will turn at the Gazebo in Grand Haven and return to home port.
The Parade will be held in honor of the late Al Krier, a long-time Parade champion and major community activist. At the head of the parade will be Krier’s 18-foot Herreshoff Pilot which generously has been donated by his family to the Palm Coast Yacht Club. Grand Marshalls will be Palm Coast Mayor The Honorable David Alfin and Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. Carrying the Grand Marshalls will be “Sunshine,” a 55-foot Viking owned by Club members Donna Heiss and Ken Mazzie.
Parade escorts include the Marine Unit of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and TowBoatUS. The Florida Inland Navigation District is endorsing the event. Once again, the Parade will be broadcast live by Flagler Broadcasting on KOOL-FM, 100.9. The City is providing worldwide simultaneous live coverage on YouTube. Boater registration is now open at www.palmcoastyachtclub.com.
Says Parade Chair Sarah Ulis, “These enhancements will greatly enhance the entire experience for boaters and viewers alike. This year’s parade will be the best ever.”
