Saturday December 12th at the Boca Ciega Yacht Club in Gulfport, FL with Skipper’s meeting at 5:00 pm and the parade starts at 6:00 pm. Non-members are invited to participate – sail or power. The more the merrier!
Not only does 2015 mark the 50th anniversary of the Boca Ciega Yacht Club, it also marks the 30th anniversary of our celebrated Lighted Christmas Boat Parade. Each year, BCYC members and members of the general public come together to spread holiday joy by decking the hulls and heading out on Boca Ciega Bay to parade the BCYC way!
We start at the Gulfport Municipal Marina and pass by the BCYC clubhouse on our way out into the bay. Next we head to Gulfport’s Williams Pier and the beach, passing by the Gulfport Casino; to the delight of the cheering crowds of children and adults. We make our way through the communities of Town Shores, Pelican Bay, Kipps Colony and the Pasadena Yacht & Country Club, where holiday parties wait for us to pass by. Lastly we visit Isla del Sol, then head back to the BCYC clubhouse for the Post Parade party.
But it’s about more than fun and merriment. Participants need only a simple fee to enter – two (or more!) unwrapped toys for Operation Santa. Operation Santa, coordinated by the Gulfport police department, collects toys for the children of Gulfport whose holidays would be sadder without the generosity of the community. Boca Ciega Yacht Club is proud to have been part of Operation Santa for 15 years.
In turn BCYC depends on the generosity of our wonderful parade sponsors, who allow us to shower our participants with fun and useful prizes at the end of the parade. Everyone is a winner at this event and no boat crew goes home empty handed — so you can imagine it takes many generous sponsors to spread the joy around. Please see a list of our 2015 sponsors below — and check back often to see who has joined in. We would love it if you could support these sponsors when doing your holiday shopping! If you would like to become a parade sponsor, contact parade chairs Don & Jen Rogers at 727-345-7544 or jrrogers@tampabay.rr.com.
We want to make our 30th Anniversary parade memorable – so come on out and join us for some holiday fun!
For information regarding participation or to sponsor this parade, please contact the Christmas Boat Parade Chairs, Don and Jen Rogers at 727-345-7544 or jrrogers@tampabay.rr.com.
Entry Fee: Two (or more) unwrapped children’s presents OR a check made out to “Operation Santa”, the City of Gulfport’s annual toy drive.
Parade Route: Click to see or download the parade route
Prizes: Prizes will be awarded during the Post Parade Party for participating boats.
Parade Party: Our Post Parade Party is a potluck party for participating boats and their crew (so bring a dish to share) with holiday drinks, music, singing and BCYC’s legendary rendition of the 12 Days of Christmas (hopefully, not too off-key!)