POMPANO BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — The 63rd Annual Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce Holiday Boat Parade comes back Friday night, running the Intracoastal the way it always has, lights bouncing off the water and crowds stacking up along the railings. More than 50 boats are expected. Some small, some loud, all dressed for the season.
Start time is 7 p.m., though folks usually show up long before that. The run goes until about 9:30. You’ll see the first cluster building near Atlantic Boulevard as people angle for any patch of seawall that gives them a view.
Boats make their way to Miraggio Italian Grill, the parade headquarters, where the judges sit. Each vessel does a slow spin, showing off the lights. Reservations there are required — same deal at Sands Harbor Resort — but that’s normal for parade night.
If you don’t want to deal with that, Alsdorf Park on NE 14th Street usually fills early but stays first-come. It’s where a lot of Lighthouse Point families park themselves with folding chairs.
One note: the bridges. Hillsboro, Atlantic, and 14th Street Causeway all go up around 6:15 p.m. and stay that way until the procession clears. Traffic piles up fast east of U.S. 1, sometimes back toward Federal, so drivers might want to rethink the shortcut.
A quiet aside: every year somebody forgets and gets stuck on the wrong side.
If you can’t get out there, the chamber will stream the parade on Facebook, which is easier than circling for parking half the night.
The chamber says boats will be judged on size, lighting, theme, “holiday spirit,” the usual. Awards come later at their yearly post-parade party.
Anyone with a boat can still enter — it’s free — and sponsors are still being taken. More details available at the official website.
Crowds are expected again along the water from Pompano up to the Hillsboro Bridge, so plan around it. The weather should be decent, and the lights always look better once the sky drops out.
More boat parades in our area: Holiday Boat Parades Continue This Week — Boca Remains on Shore
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