Holiday boat parades in the Southland

When Santa comes to Southern California, more often than not he’s on a boat. We don’t have white Christmases, but what we do have can be even better: sandy beaches, comfortable temperatures and the backdrop of spirited holiday boat parades.

On Saturday, the 49th annual Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade circling the channel will comprise sailboats, yachts and charters decked out in holiday lights and decorations, blasting music and sporting spirited sailors. The event will kick off with a fireworks show, promptly followed by the two-hour parade and concluding with judging in categories such as best sail, music and spirit. This year’s theme is “Christmas Carnivale.”

“Each year the theme is different; you never know what the boaters will do with that theme. It’s always new and exciting for everyone,” explains Cindy Williams, president of the Holiday Boat Parade.

The Marina del Rey parade is the first of the year, but it’s certainly not the only holiday parade on the water. The Newport parade is the granddaddy of them all, and takes place Dec. 14-18. The 30th annual Venice Canals Holiday Boat Parade takes place on Dec. 11, with prizes given to the best decorated boat, best lit boat and best dressed homes and bridges. The 49th annual Huntington Harbour Holiday Boat Parade also takes place on Dec. 10-11 with the theme “Island Serenade.”

This year, the Marina parade’s Williams is expecting about 50 boats to participate, and while the theme varies every year, boaters go all-out to show what can be done to liven up watercraft. Last year’s winner in the best overall category was a boat displaying an Elvis figure and the words “Elvis Rocks” in bright lights; off to the side of the boat was a lighted-up elf that would pull down a lever, replacing the words with “Elves Rock.” It is this element of innocent fun, imagination and holiday spirit that keeps drawing crowds.

“I love it because it’s a real family event,” Williams adds. “You talk to some people and they’ve been coming to this event for years. Then you’ve got people who live in the marina or work at the hotels and they’re all having parties all night. The marina truly becomes alive.”

To view the parade, attendees can take a seat at Marina del Rey’s Burton Chace Park, where music will be played during the parade and live commentary will be provided by radio newscaster Lisa Osborn and cartoon voice-over actor Mickey Laszlo.

Christmas boating rises to a whole new level at the 103rd annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, starting Dec. 14. For five nights, about 100 boats, canoes, kayaks and multimillion-dollar yachts will start at Bay Island and make a tour lighting up the entire harbor for over two hours.

The theme for this year’s parade is “Feelin’ Christmas — Sea in Newport Beach!” and some boat owners have spent more than $50,000 dollars on decorations. Many of the boats will be decorated in animated Christmas scenes, accompanied by music and costumed carolers.

Richard Luehrs, president and chief executive of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, says, “The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is the oldest running Christmas boat parade in the nation.”

The first Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade began at the turn of the century and consisted of one gondola and eight canoes following, all bearing lights. As the years went on, the size and scope of the parade grew, with the exception of a few years during World War I and World War II. During WWII, Luehrs explains, the last thing they wanted to do was light up the harbor and subject it to enemy attack.

Luehrs continues, “There are very few other harbors in the country that offer the opportunity for such a parade — the geographic asset that we have, along with the restaurants, yacht clubs or charters makes this a very accessible parade.”

In addition to the boat competition is the “Ring of Lights” contest: bay-side homes and businesses surrounding the harbor bear decorations ranging from animated rooftop scenes to dancing Christmas trees. This allows other area residents to participate and win prizes. The Newport parade will close with a special fireworks display visible from around the harbor.

David McIntyre, who has participated in the parade for more than two decades, explains what lures him back year after year: “The same crew and the same five electricians have been doing this with me for about 20 years now — we always do our own decorations. It’s nice to get together and actually spend some time together, arguing about what should go where and finally coming up with something wonderful in the end.”

49th annual Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade

When: 6-8 p.m. Saturday

Where: Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey

Info: mdrboatparade.org

103rd annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade

When: 6:30-9 p.m. Dec. 14-18

Where: Newport Harbor

Info: christmasboatparade.com

jasmine.elist@latimes.com