Naples Island Holiday Boat Parade
Long Beach, CA
Decorated boats and watercraft drift through the romantic Naples Island canals on a single magical December night — one of Long Beach’s oldest, most charming holiday traditions, free from the bridges.
Decorated boats and watercraft drift through the romantic Naples Island canals on a single magical December night — one of Long Beach’s oldest, most charming holiday traditions, free from the bridges.
The Naples Island Christmas Boat Parade is one of Long Beach’s most enchanting holiday traditions, going strong for more than 75 years. Held on one evening in mid-December, the parade winds through the narrow, romantic canals of Naples Island, where waterfront homes deck themselves in lights for the season-long Naples Holiday Decor Contest.
In recent years, larger boats have led off the parade in the early evening, followed by smaller craft (paddle boards, kayaks, gondolas) shortly after.
The Naples canals — modeled on Venice, Italy — are themselves a year-round Long Beach treasure; during parade week, the bridges and waterside walkways come alive with families watching the procession glide past inches away. Confirm this season’s parade date and start time at naplesca.com.
Yes — viewing from the canal bridges and waterside walkways is completely free. Only marina parking lots and any food purchases cost extra.
In recent years, larger boats have led off the parade in the early evening, followed by smaller craft (paddle boards, kayaks, gondolas) shortly after. The full procession typically takes about 90 minutes to wind through the canal route. Confirm this season’s start time at naplesca.com.
The 2nd Street Bridge, the Appian Way Bridge, and the viewpoints around Alamitos Bay Marina are the favorites. Any bridge or waterside walkway around Naples Island offers a great view of the boats passing close by.
Absolutely — the Naples Holiday Decor Contest decorates waterfront homes throughout the season, so any December evening rewards a walking tour of the canals. Many families prefer the quiet non-parade nights.
Very — the boats pass close to the bridges so kids get a great view, and the canal walks are a gentle, easy holiday outing. Strollers work on the walkable shoulders; bridges are narrower.
Naples Island is a small residential community in Long Beach laid out around an intricate network of canals modeled on Venice, Italy. Its Rivo Alto and Naples Canals were dug in the early 1900s in the delta of the San Gabriel River — today’s Alamitos Bay — and bridges, gondolas, and waterfront walks have defined the neighborhood ever since. Tucked between Belmont Shore and the bay, Naples remains one of Southern California’s most distinctive planned waterfronts.
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Brian J. Cook
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Brian J. Cook
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Brian J. Cook
Southern California’s holiday lights and festive outings are pure magic — but nothing compares to Santa Claus himself stepping through your own front door. House of Kringle brings a real-bearded, professionally trained Santa to homes and gatherings across SoCal for an intimate live visit your family will treasure for years.
Check Availability
Have a date in mind? Tell us when and where, and we’ll let you know whether Santa is open. House of Kringle brings a real-bearded Santa Claus to Live Visits and Group Experiences across Southern California, and December fills quickly, so the sooner you check, the better your odds of locking in your first choice.
This is a quick availability check, not a booking. Nothing is reserved and nothing is owed until we’ve confirmed your date and you’ve placed your retainer.