LAKE WORTH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — The Lake Osborne Holiday Boat Parade is set to light up the lake on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, with organizers expecting 50 to 60 decorated boats, fireworks and a shoreline full of spectators.
The free event is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., kicking off with fireworks over the water near The Hive Waterfront Restaurant and Tiki Bar by Lake Osborne Drive. The parade is tied to the Osborne Yacht Club, with the event listing giving the main address as 5212 Lake Osborne Dr., in the Lake Worth – Lantana area.
Organizers are again stressing that the parade is funded entirely by community donations. They warn of online scams and say no one should send money to anyone other than Osborne Yacht Club’s Capt. Scott, who is running the parade and its funding through the official event page and Venmo link. Donations help cover fireworks and parade prizes, and sponsors are asked to list their contribution amount in the Venmo comments so it can be added to the donor list.
Boats and vendors can register through online forms shared by the organizers. Registration is free for participants, but donations are welcomed. There is also a separate link for fireworks and prize donations, routed through Venmo. More information can be found at the event's Facebook page.
Spectators will have several options to watch. The best public viewing, according to organizers, is along Lake Osborne Drive from Lantana Road to Lake Worth Road, as well as throughout John Prince Park and the adjacent campground. The parade is expected to follow the entire perimeter of the lake, with a map showing the route in red and public viewing areas in green.
Food trucks and other vendors will set up along Lake Osborne Drive on the outside of the wooden John Prince Park fence, from Lantana Road to Lake Worth Road. Some vendors may move up and down the route to reach different crowds, so people along the shoreline are asked to be patient as they shift locations.
This year’s parade again doubles as a toy drive for Little Smiles. Toy donation boxes will be set up at The Hive Waterfront Restaurant and Tiki Bar and at 5540 Lake Osborne Dr. Volunteer “toy donation helper elves” will also be stationed along Lake Osborne Drive to collect new, unwrapped gifts for children up to age 18. Organizers say they can use more volunteers willing to host collection boxes or help gather toys along the parade route.
Boat participants are told to meet in a flotilla outside The Hive at or before 6 p.m. to socialize and hear final announcements. Personal watercraft, kayaks and paddleboards are not allowed in the parade because of safety concerns at night; anyone trying to join on those craft will be asked to leave the route by water patrol officers. Captains are also reminded to watch for weeds and shallow areas near the shoreline.
The parade route is planned as a roughly two-hour loop at about 5 mph. After the 7 p.m. fireworks start, boats will fall into a single-file line along the east shoreline, heading around Paul Mar Drive and past the judging area just north of The Hive. From there, the route continues to Tradewind Way, where boats will round a lighted buoy and loop back north before running south again along the west shoreline by John Prince Campground. The parade ends back at The Hive for an after-party with prizes and raffles.
Organizers say the biggest spectator complaint each year is the large gaps between boats, especially for people waiting near Lake Worth Road, and some boats dropping out before the finish. To keep the parade moving, captains are asked to stay in a single line, no more than two boat lengths apart, and keep up the pace all the way back to The Hive.
There are new parade judges this year, provided by Dream Vacations. Judging will take place at the beginning and the end of the parade along the east side of the lake, just north of The Hive on Paul Mar Drive near “Bee Hive Island,” where a string of lights will mark the seawall fence. Captains are instructed to make sure their boat numbers are clearly visible on the starboard side — ideally light-up numbers or bold dark numbers on white poster board, with a spotlight on them — so judges can read them. Boats are encouraged to cruise past the judges’ area before the parade begins to show off their decorations and confirm their numbers are visible.
Because the route runs under the Lantana bridge, which organizers say has about 7 feet or less of clearance, decorations must be easy to lower and raise to avoid long delays and new gaps in the line. Another caution zone is marked on the map in yellow for buoys, congested areas and shallow water.
Capt. Scott closes the event information with a reminder that participation is at each boater’s own risk. Staff, volunteers, sponsors, vendors and any affiliated city, state or county officials will not be held responsible, and everyone on the water is urged to be safe and courteous throughout the night.
Source: Lake Osborne Holiday Boat Parade event information shared by Osborne Yacht Club and Capt. Scott. Event Facebook page.
More boat parades in our area: Holiday Boat Parades Continue This Week — Boca Remains on Shore
