 Boat Parades Light Up Arizona Waters
By Margie Anderson
Lake Mead
There is a long tradition in Arizona of decorating boats with
lights to celebrate the holidays. At Lake Mead, boats lit up for
the holidays have been parading past the shore since 1975, with
a few breaks due to bad weather or high winds.
This year the Lake Mead Parade of lights will be held on Dec.
2.
There will be approximately 50 decorated boats from 16 feet
to 75 feet leaving Las Vegas Boat Harbor at 6:30 p.m.
Awards will be presented in each of 10 classes, and there is
no entry fee. Boats must be registered and safety inspected to
be eligible for the parade.
The parade is sponsored by the Lake Mead Boat Owners
Association, and you can contact them at (702) 373-4406 or see
their Web site at www.lmboa.org to get an entry application and
more details.
Good spots for watching the boat parade are along Boulder
Beach and at the Special Events Beach. Both beaches are
accessible by taking US 95 to Boulder City and turning left at
the second stoplight (Buchanan). Head toward the lake on US 93
and take the Lake Mead turnoff.
Lake Mohave
The annual Lake Mohave Holiday Parade of Lights will be held
on Dec. 9 at dusk at Katherine Landing. The boats will be
available for viewing in the harbor area prior to the start of
the parade. Registration forms are available at the motel
office. Call (928) 754-3245.
Tempe Town Lake
The Tempe Town Lake APS Fantasy of Light Boat Parade will be
held Saturday, Dec. 9. Beautiful Tempe Town Lake is the backdrop
for this free holiday event, and there will be entertainment and
fireworks, too. It all starts at 4 p.m. with free hands-on kids’
activities in Tempe Beach Park.
There will also be 50 tons of snow for kids' enjoyment, arts
and crafts, and live entertainment on two stages. At 5 p.m.,
Santa arrives at the park by boat, and at 6 p.m. there is a Tuba
Christmas concert at the main stage.
The Metro Light Rail’s Grand Illumination of the new Tempe
Town Lake Bridge takes place at 6:55, and the Lighted Boat
Parade starts at 7 with as many as 50 decorated boats.
A fireworks display is the grand finale.
Parker Area
Boats from both Arizona and California will light up for the
annual holiday boat parade in the Parker area on Saturday, Nov.
25. The parade, beginning at dusk, will start at River Lodge, go
down the river and end at the Blue Water Resort Casino.
There will be parties all along the route, Santa will be on
board, and the festivities can be viewed from either side of the
river. Anyone wishing to enter a boat in the parade may contact
either Tommy Bonapache or Randy Hartless at (928) 669-2174.
There is no entry fee, and there will be awards and cash
prizes for winning participants.
Lake Havasu City
Lake Havasu City also has a big holiday celebration. The
Festival of Lights runs from Nov. 24 until New Year’s
Day and features over a million lights decorating the structures
under London Bridge. Santa Claus will be there for the kids to
visit with, and caroling will fill the air with holiday sounds.
The 24th Annual Boat Parade of Lights at Lake Havasu will be
Dec. 2-3 at 6 p.m. under the London Bridge. Admission is free.
The boats will parade past and under the bridge.
Up to 50 brightly lit boats usually participate, and the
parade gets more popular every year.
 Canyon Lake
At Canyon Lake on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., the
Dolly steamboat is having their annual Carol Cruise.
Munch on delicious cookies, sip some hot apple cider or hot
chocolate, and visit with Santa.
Then, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. is the Nautical Parade of Lights
with approximately 30 boats decorated with Christmas lights.
Enjoy the parade while you indulge in a prime rib and grilled
chicken dinner aboard the Dolly steamboat as it leads the
parade around Canyon Lake.
You will be entertained with joyful Christmas melodies. Both
departures require pre-paid reservations, and you can call them
at (480) 827-9144. Of course, you can watch the parade for free
from shore or from your own boat.
Light Up Your Own Boat
If you’ve got the urge to enter your boat in one of these
parades, contact information below will help you get started.
Most of the parades have entry forms online.
Lighting your boat is a lot of fun, but remember not to use
lights that resemble navigation lights. Also, don’t drive around
the lake at night all lit up unless you are actually
participating in a sanctioned parade.
You may have a parade of lights at a lake near you. Call your
local marina and find out. If you decide to decorate your boat
and join the fun, you’ll need an inverter to make the Christmas
lights run off your batteries.
You’ll want to make sure you don’t overload the inverter, so
visit your local marine store for advice and equipment. West
Marine has inverters starting at around $80, and they also have
online articles that will help you choose the right stuff.
Remember that if you plan to attend one of these events, be
sure to dress appropriately. It may be mild during the day, but
once the sun goes down, it can get cold in a hurry.
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November
2006