40th Annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights to
Dazzle Bay Front December 11 and 18
SAN DIEGO —The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights celebrates its 40th anniversary with processions scheduled for the evenings of December 11 and 18.
The Parade of Lights will kick off with an elaborate fireworks display at 5:30, followed by more than 100 vessels lavishly decorated according to this year’s theme, “Back to the Future,” commemorating 40 years of the boating community bringing joy to the City of San Diego.
“We are thrilled to bring the Parade of Lights to San Diego for the 40th year,” said Larry Baumann, parade chairman and owner of Bali Hai Restaurant. “It is amazing to see how this cherished tradition has grown over the years into a major holiday event, drawing more than 100,000 viewers each night.”
Spectators will line the shore as the parade proceeds from Shelter Island past Harbor Island, the Embarcadero, Seaport Village, and the Ferry Landing in Coronado. The parade will last approximately two hours.
A wide variety of prizes and awards are given out to the boats that are most spectacularly decorated and that best display the parade’s theme. As a special treat for this year’s participants and viewers, the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights is welcoming back the judges who evaluated the very first parade in 1971.
All participants will receive a participant plaque and are invited to the awards presentation which will be held January 10.
Boat owners interested in participating can download the entry form from the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights website: www.sdparadeoflights.org. There is a $40 entry fee that must be submitted with the registration form at Bali Hai Restaurant at 2230 Shelter Island Drive to confirm entry and receive a registration packet. The fee covers both evenings. For more information, call 619-224-2240or email questions@sdparadeoflights.org.
Please view the full route map to find your perfect viewing spot! Observers are encouraged to plan ahead due to high parking demands or take the trolley to the event.
If interested in sponsoring the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights, please contact Anne Sinclair-Larson at 619-206-6057.
For more information and parade details, visit www.sdparadeoflights.org. | 
