The Boynton Beach Holiday Boat Parade. (File Photo/Boynton Beach CRA)
Bridges along the intracoastal waterway in Boynton Beach and Delray Beach will remain in the open position for portions of the evening Friday as a multi-town holiday boat parade makes its way down the channel.
The parade, which kicks off in Lantana and travels through Hypoluxo before reaching the narrow ICW channel in Boynton and Delray, will proceed starting at 6 p.m. and affect the bridges within about an hour, according to a schedule released by parade organizers.
The event will feature both large and small vessels decked out in Christmas and other seasonal displays, with awards set to be given out in numerous categories. The parade attracts residents from across Palm Beach County and has grown exponentially in popularity in recent years, leading Boca Raton to “sunset” its own parade and encourage boaters to join their northern neighbors in the celebration.
Led by the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, the parade will form at 6:30 p.m. at the Ocean Avenue Bridge in Lantana (near the Old Key Lime House) and travel south to the C-15 Canal in Delray Beach (south of Linton Boulevard).
The Boynton Harbor Marina, located at 735 Casa Loma Boulevard, serves as the official watch location for the Holiday Boat Parade in Boynton Beach, and Veterans Park on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach is the prime watch location there. Activities at the Boynton Harbor Marina include festive music, children’s activities, a special visit from Santa, and food and beverages available for purchase from Two Georges Restaurant.
Guests are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots.
The Boynton Beach Holiday Boat Parade. (File Photo/Boynton Beach CRA)
The boat parade will travel directly underneath several area bridges, which will be held in the upright position while the boat parade passes each area.
“It is very difficult to provide an exact time that the bridges will be unavailable for crossing,” an announcement said. “The times listed … are merely estimates based on data collected in previous years.”
As currently estimated, bridge closing times include:
Boynton Beach
- Ocean Avenue – 7:15 p.m.
- Woolbright Road – 7:30 p.m.
Delray Beach
- George Bush Boulevard – 7:45 p.m.
- Atlantic Avenue – 8 p.m.
- Linton Boulevard – 8:15 p.m.
Some of the best businesses and parks for viewing the parade are noted by organizers as:
Boynton Beach
- Banana Boat – 739 E. Ocean Ave.
- Two Georges Waterfront Grille – 728 Casa Loma Blvd.
- Prime Catch – 700 E. Woolbright Rd.
Delray Beach
- Deck 84 – 840 E. Atlantic Ave.
- Del Fuego – 900 E. Atlantic Ave.
City of Boynton Beach Parks
- Intracoastal Park – 2240 N. Federal Hwy.
- Jaycee Park – 2600 S. Federal Hwy.
- Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park – 2010 N. Federal Hwy.
City of Delray Beach Parks
- Veterans Park – 802 N.E. 1st St.
- Knowles Park – 1001 S. Federal Hwy.
The Toys for Tots collection effort, a product of a partnership between Boynton Beach, Marine Industries and Sea Tow, comes with its own nautical niche. There will be boats traveling with the parade that will stop at individual docks along the parade route to collect toys. Simply waive a flashlight and a boat will come directly to you for pick-up. There will also be Toys for Tots donation boxes at the Boynton Harbor Marina, Banana Boat, Prime Catch, and Two Georges.
Boca Daily News will provide coverage of the parade, with photo galleries and videos published soon after.
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