The appropriately named Saturday before Christmas Eve Lighted Boat Parade will assemble at Albatross and Bal Harbor in PGI and set sail at around 6 p.m. in the 12th annual event. Spectators will gather along the canal fronts while others party in their Punta Gorda Isles' homes to gaze, shout, ring bells, and blow horns at the illuminated boats playing Christmas music as they float by. Check out the parade route here.
The first year I lived in Punta Gorda, I rode on one of those boat along with lighted nodding reindeer, Santa and Punta Gorda Islanders dressed up as elks. It was great fun singing and yelling out to those along the shore. In the last few years, we've watched land side at various parties or vacant lots along the rim. Either way, the lighted floating spectacle is a Punta Gorda not-to-miss Christmas event.
One of the easiest-to-access viewing areaa is the vacant lots between the Bal Harbor Place condos and the Harbor Landing condos. They are located right past Albatross Drive on Bal Harbor Blvd. The parade should start passing by this location at about 6:10 p.m.. Because the parade is so large, however, it stretches beyond this viewing area so only part of it can be seen here.
The vacant lots on Casey Key are easy to get to and are a good spot for viewing. You can get to them by driving out BalHarbor past the condos and turning left on Casey Key Drive. The lots are on the left. According to the parade organizers, the lighted boats should start arriving here at about 6:15 p.m.
The vacant lots on LaCosta Island Lagoon provide an excellent place to watch the floating Christmas spectacale. The parade passes the length of the lagoon both ways providing two views of each boat. You can get to this location by continuing out Bal Harbor Drive past the golf course and turning right on Suzi Street which comes to a “T” intersection at LaCosta Island Court and turning right. Watch for the boats to arrive about 6:30 p.m.
The vacant lots on Casey Key are easy to get to and are a good spot for viewing. You can get to them by driving out BalHarbor past the condos and turning left on Casey Key Drive. The lots are on the left. According to the parade organizers, the lighted boats should start arriving here at about 6:15 p.m.
The vacant lots on LaCosta Island Lagoon provide an excellent place to watch the floating Christmas spectacale. The parade passes the length of the lagoon both ways providing two views of each boat. You can get to this location by continuing out Bal Harbor Drive past the golf course and turning right on Suzi Street which comes to a “T” intersection at LaCosta Island Court and turning right. Watch for the boats to arrive about 6:30 p.m.
There are vacant lots at the north end of Antigua Drive at Ponce Inlet. This is a terrific area from which to see all of of the parade as it comes down the rim canal. From Aqui Esta, turn left on Socorro, then right on Via Veneto, right on San Mateo, left on St Thomas, and then right on Antigua to the end. The first lights from the boats of the parade should appear about 6:50 p.m.
If you want to watch the parade from your boat, anchor on the wide western end of the rim canal. From Ponce Inlet, turn right on the broad canal on the right, the RimCanal. The parade website suggests anchoring anywhere close along the mangroves that works.
If you want to watch the parade from your boat, anchor on the wide western end of the rim canal. From Ponce Inlet, turn right on the broad canal on the right, the RimCanal. The parade website suggests anchoring anywhere close along the mangroves that works.
(updated for 2012, originally published November, 2011)
wrong map
ReplyDeletecorrect map is at www.puntagordaboatparade.com