San Diego Bay Parade of Lights

Perfect way to view is on the Ferry boat Berkley. For less than $ 60 in 2015, dinner (roast beef, turkey, dressing, green beans, salad, mashed potatoes, egg nog, hot choc, etc. Buffet. Surprisingly good food. View from anywhere in the museum. Really good value! Plus, a fundraiser for the museum.

Cool show, probably better in a boat than off the shore. Find a free spot on beach and grab a few hot drinks… It cool out there.

I attended this event a few years now. It gets better every year with more family and friends to share it with. We usually watch the tail end of this parade on the Coronado side. My best friend and I started a tradition to visit the Hotel Del to take pictures with their Christmas tree in the lobby and attend the boat parade afterward. We learned this year to visit the Del early, or else we won’t be able to find parking for the parade of lights. We know better for next year! It’s also a great way to celebrate December birthdays with friends who share the same birthday month as I. This parade runs on two consecutive Sundays in December. We have to look it up on their website every year to make sure there are no changes in the venue. We noticed this year that there weren’t as many boats that had the wow factor of lighted decorations as last year. I suppose it varies, since we attended on the last Sunday this year. We were able to get a prime spot when my friends arrived early. It’s best to get there early if you want good parking and also bring lawn chairs and snacks. It ‘s also a great place to enjoy the beauty of the San Diego skyline and sunset before the parade starts.

A festive holiday event. Lots of San Dieagans gather here or by seaport village to enjoy the holiday lights on boats. Fun and does get you in the holiday spirit. Everyone on their boats are having a great time waving and playing Christmas music or popular songs (last year it was gangnam style). Some boats are ever so creative. Be forewarned though that since it’s by the water it’s pretty chilly. Make sure to bundle up and go early to claim a good seating spot!

I realized that the Parade of Lights was to coincide with my short visit to San Diego to visit my alma mater (UCSD) and friends, so I scheduled it into my itinerary. I was really looking forward to seeing fireworks and had my tripod all ready for 5:30 on the dot… but they never showed! I was watching from Seaport Village but I think they should’ve been high enough for viewing. Anyone know what happened with that?
Anyways, the decorated boats came shortly thereafter and I tried to get some good shots but it’s really hard due to the movement of the boats. If any photographers out there for the parade have any tips, I’d love to hear them. I opted for large aperture and faster shutter speed on a tripod but it ended up being easier to hand hold the camera.
Watching from Seaport Village was pretty fun, there was a lot of energy from the kids and lots of cheering going on.

For my 100^th review I choose to review… Myself!
FIVE STARS for being an awesome Unilocaler! YAY!
But alas, Myself as an institution isn’t Unilocal worthy… so I choose to review the Parade of Lights, along San Diego’s beautiful bay.
I took my boo-​boo here last night and here’s how it went down:
Out of all the bay-​utiful hot spots, we got cozy in good ol’ Old Ferry Landing in Coronado. Parking got a little crazy, but we found a nice spot in the neighborhoods by the Landing. We brought some cheese & crackers to go along with a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. We figured that a little wine would do wonders against the cold December Night. We found a great spot on the secret beach of Old Ferry Landing and just sat and enjoyed the boats pass us by. Being on the beach we didn’t have the interference of the bushes or the treachery of falling off the popular ledge most people were sitting on.
Anyway, this was my first time coming to the San Diego Parade of Lights, and I admit, I was a little disappointed. Either someone sabotaged all the fancy boats in San Diego’s marinas, or people just didn’t feel up to decorating their ships and participating in the parade.
As advertised, the Parade was from 5:30 — 9:00PM. I don’t think we saw the first boat till about 6:30 — 7:00PM and the last boat cruised by around 8:00PM. Don’t get me wrong though, from what we saw, it was great. Big ups to all the captains out there that participated, especially the funky ones blasting 70’s & 80’s music. There was also that really trippy boat at the end that had a WORKING LED analog clock positioned on its sail. THAT was cool.
All in all, the parade was A-​OK. I think it would be better if lasted longer or had a radio station people could listen to that went along with the parade…
BTW, does anyone know what happened to that one boat that inexplicably sailed off course and did a water-​doughnut in the middle of the bay? Is the captain OK? lol

If you can’t be there, the next best place to watch is at

Every December I look forward to the days when I come and sit along the dock of the bay watching the tide and colorful boats play, play, play…
Every night of the lights parade, I find a different place to look at the beautiful boats streaming along the waters with their twinkle lights, merry songs, and happy crew member’s.
Do it alone, bring your lover, or have a party with friends. Just get there and see the majesty of the Parade of Lights on San Diego Bay, your life just may depend on it ;-)

This is my first time seeing the Parade of Lights and I didn’t know what to expect. I really liked the atmosphere of everyone and it really had that family-​friendly feeling to it. People would sit on the side with their lawn chairs or on the grass and just oooh and ahhh at the passing by boats. It was very peaceful and fun. –1 star for not having fireworks though. Fireworks are always good, I think. If I was a San Diego local, I would love to make this a part of my holiday tradition.

First time in San Diego to watch the Parade of Lights and I thought it was awesome. The atmosphere was great. The people on the boats were singing Christmas songs along with the crowd. It was definitely a fun experience.

this is my first year in SD, and so it’s my first time to the Parade of Lights. After staying in the house and playing Mafia Wars all day on my ipod, it was good to get out and do something. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was very interesting to see a parade of boats with Christmas lights on them. I suppose a parade of boats must be where the idea of parades originated from, and it must be the reason why the vehicles in a parade are called floats. That never occurred to me until I attended this parade of lights.
The boats were well decorated and the people were very festive. I stood at the pier in front of the administration building, near the Berkeley. That’s the only place where there is an announcer giving you information about the boats as they float by. She told us which boats won awards in previous years, how long the boat is, and the theme of the boat. Boats that didn’t officially register for the parade but joined anyway were dubbed «pirates.» When they went by, the announcer led us in giving them a big «ARRGGHH!!!»

This is such a fun way to get in the holiday spirit! It’s often hard to feel Christmas-​y, Hanakkuh-​y, Kwanzaa-​y, or Festivus-​y in San Diego. I mean, you watch the football game here and there a fans rocking tank tops. You watch the games from back east, and they’re in nearly 2 feet of snow.
But, the Parade of Lights is one way for San Diego to rock it. There aren’t many places where decorated boats can parade down the bay to hundreds of spectators’ delight. My favorite was the Noah’s Ark/​Zoo boat and the one with dolphins jumping up and down the sides. So fun! I laughed and smiled like a little kid. Of course, it was fun to see Santa and see the children around who were beyond excited to see the lights, and Santa! BELIEVE!
Happy Everything to all! And to all some awesome lights!

This is a must see for the holiday season.
In 2008, the parade occurred the two Sunday’s before Christmas. Started at Shelter Island, passed Harbor Island, then made its way around the San Diego Harbor along the Embarcadero, and Seaport Village. Fireworks started at 5:30, but really are probably best viewed from Harbor Island. You can still see them along the Embarcadero, but the effect is a bit lost due to the distance.
The real enjoyment is the parade of boats with their delightful holiday themes and decorations. I went on the first Sunday, and saw the fireworks that went off at 5:30, but decided not to wait for the boats since they wouldn’t be by for at least another hour! (I was between the Midway and the Fish Market) I then went the following Sunday, but decided to miss the fireworks and go later, this time I waited before the Berkeley, and it was a great location.
Lots of folks bring food and chairs and make a night of it. Wasn’t really that crowded this time, but who knows what it will be like next year. If I’m still in SD, I’ll be there to check it out, with a blanket, chairs, and snacks.
I also overheard that it’s better to see the parade the second night, but didn’t hear the rest of the logic. Might have been something about a longer parade the second Sunday?