Back for the first time since 2019, the St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade is ready to light up the Christiansted Harbor once again with holiday cheer! This holiday tradition started back in 1994 as the local boating community’s gesture thanking the St. Croix people for the use of the beautiful waters surrounding the island. Nearly two decades later, what began with four to twelve boats decorated with lights has grown into one of the largest attended events on St. Croix and the largest boat parade in the Caribbean. Additionally, St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade, Inc. was established in 2011 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Their goal with the parade is to bring the people of St. Croix together to celebrate the start of the Christmas season and to support charitable children’s organizations to help with educational needs and more.
Starting around 6pm after sundown, Christmas themed boats light up the Christiansted Harbor for the crowds gathered along the boardwalk to see. Over 25 boats and vessels of varying sizes join in on the festivities competing in categories such as “Best Lighting,” “Best Music” and “Best Animation.” The fun starts long before the parade begins with a flurry of holiday merriment. From 1pm, attendees are enticed to come into downtown Christiansted for holiday shopping and live music. Mocko Jumbies parade through the streets greeting holiday shoppers, Santa Clause comes in on a dinghy to greet the crowd and share candy canes, street vendors are cooking up local Crucian flavors to tantalize your tastebuds and live music from local artists, bands and steel pan orchestras keep the energy at an all-time high.
The St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade will take place on Saturday, December 10th. The parade begins at 6pm after sundown and will culminate with a grand finale that lights up the sky with spectacular fireworks. For more information, visit the St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade Facebook page at www.facebook.com/STXBoatParade.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com)
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