Have a lit-tle fun

Get amped up at Newport’s Lighted Boat Parade

Light up your holiday season as the Lighted Boat Parade once again brings a festive glow to Newport’s Yaquina Bay this Saturday, Dec. 6.

This beloved tradition fills the bay with brilliantly decorated boats, cheerful crowds and the unmistakable sparkle of the season.

The parade begins at dusk with the Yaquina Bay Coast Guard motorboat leading the way. Decorated vessels will follow from docks along the Bayfront and South Beach Marina, circling the bay from the Coast Guard Station to the Embarcadero. A second Coast Guard vessel will complete the parade.

Many shops along the Bayfront will extend their hours for the event, and the parade will end just before the lighting of the holiday tree in front of Ripley's Believe it or Not!

“It’s a chance for people to walk around and enjoy the shops being open late,” said Wayne Patterson, executive director of the Newport Chamber of Commerce. “This is the first year we have coordinated it to work with the tree lighting, which we think people will really enjoy.”

Many boats moored in nearby marinas will also be decked out for the occasion, adding to the shimmering shoreline display.

First launched in 1994 by Fran and Don Mathews of Marine Discovery Tours, the parade quickly became a favorite coastal holiday tradition. After Don’s death in 2018 and the pandemic years that paused many community events, the Yaquina Bay Yacht Club sponsored an unofficial parade in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and the Newport Chamber resurrected the event in 2024 to continue the community tradition.

“We are very happy here at the chamber to keep this going,” Patterson said. “Last year was incredibly successful.”

Newport is home to Oregon’s largest fishing fleet, and the parade traditionally showcases an eclectic mix of working vessels, sailboats and even sea kayaks. Guests can enjoy the show from their own boats, from piers along the shoreline or from restaurants lining the Bayfront.

“The location to see the boats is going to be best on the west side of the bay because it will be during a low tide,” Patterson said. “This has always been held the first weekend of December, so we just had to accept what the tide would be doing.”

Decorations range from classic lights to themed displays, music and the occasional burst of fireworks. Prizes are awarded to registered boats.

The weekend includes a public watch party with cocoa and cookies on Abbey Street Pier and a post-event celebration for participating boaters.

Saturday’s Lighted Boat Parade begins at 5 pm on Yaquina Bay, with additional festivities along the Bayfront. For more information, go to newportchamber.org.

Schedule

5 to 6:30 pm - Boat parade

5 to 6:30 pm - Watch party at the Abbey Street Pier with hot cocoa and cookies.

7 pm - City of Newport Tree Lighting in front of Ripley's Believe it or Not!