Saturday, December 3, 2022
Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights
Sponsored by Amazon
Sponsored by Amazon
Part of Alexandria’s Biggest Holiday Weekend
December 3, 2022
Parade starts at 5:30 p.m.
Festivities start at 2 p.m.
Old Town Alexandria Waterfront
Old Town Alexandria’s historic waterfront will shine for the 22nd Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights sponsored by Amazon as more than 50 boats cruise along one mile of the Potomac River shoreline. Enjoy dockside festivities in Waterfront Park including a pop-up beer garden from Port City Brewing Company, food, activities and more. Plus, check out two new family friendly events in Old Town North featuring artist vendors, music, kids activities and more.
See this year’s list of participating boats and themes.
The parade is produced by Visit Alexandria in collaboration with the City of Alexandria, City Cruises Anchored by Hornblower and the Old Dominion Boat Club. The North Waterfront event is presented by the Old Town North Alliance. Amazon is proud to sponsor the Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights and partner on such a beloved community event.
Programming
This year’s Boat Parade includes annual festivities at Waterfront Park along with new ways to enjoy the parade with the addition of a family friendly event in Old Town North.
Make a day of it—or a weekend! The Boat Parade is part of Alexandria’s Biggest Holiday Weekend and is the same day as the 51st Annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade which starts at 11 a.m. Arrive early to enjoy both parades and enjoy local restaurants and shopping.
- 2-7 p.m.: Two family-friendly events in Old Town North (44 Canal Center Plaza and Oronoco Bay Park at 100 Madison St.)
- 2-8 p.m.: Hands-on activities and food and beverage options at Waterfront Park (1 King Street)
- 2-8 p.m.: Holiday Festival at Torpedo Factory Art Center(105 N. Union St.)
- 5:30 p.m.: Parade begins at the Alexandria City Marina and cruises southward (0 Cameron St.)
Old Town North Waterfront
- Events from 2 to 7 p.m.:
- Holiday Soirée presented by Canal Center (44 Canal Center Plaza)
- Family-friendly event presented by the Old Town North Alliance (Oronoco Bay Park at 100 Madison St.)
- Boats arrive for parade assembly around 4:30 p.m. (Near Canal Center at 44 Canal Center Plaza)
- Boats get into parade formation around 5 p.m. (Near Oronoco Bay Park at 100 Madison St.)
Torpedo Factory Art Center
- Holiday Festival at Torpedo Factory Art Center with music filling the halls and the waterfront, beckoning people to browse three floors of open artists’ studios. (2 to 8 p.m. 105 N. Union St.)
- Santa arrives by fireboat at the Alexandria City Marina and enters the Torpedo Factory. (3:30 p.m., 0 Cameron St.)
Waterfront Park
Activities (2 to 5:30 p.m., 1 King St.)
- Letters to Santa postcard station from Penny Post
- Holiday ornament craft activity from AR Workshop Alexandria
- Leather coaster-making and make-your-own gift wrap from Shop Made in Virginia
- Holiday music and giveaways (from 2 to 4 p.m.) from 97.1 WASH-FM
Pop-up Beer Garden from Port City Brewing Company
From 2 to 8 p.m., enjoy Port City Brewing Company’s award-winning craft beer at Waterfront Park (1A Prince St.)
Local Food and Drink
Enjoy a selection of food and drinks from Alexandria-based small businesses from 2 to 8 p.m. in Waterfront Park (1A Prince St.)
Parade Details
Parade Start Time and Duration: The parade route stretches for one mile along Old Town Alexandria’s waterfront. The Old Town North Waterfront provides the fanfare of boats arriving in Alexandria at approximately 4:30 p.m. and moving into formation at approximately 5 p.m. The parade begins at the Alexandria City Marina/ Waterfront Park at 5:30 p.m. and cruises southward, ending at Ford’s Landing Park near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
*Please note that the above times are subject to change based on cruising speeds, river conditions and total participants. The duration of the parade can vary from 30 minutes to an hour
Parade Viewing Areas: The parade stretches for one mile along Old Town Alexandria’s waterfront. Please note there is limited visibility within the Alexandria City Marina (0 Cameron St.) while the following parks offer a more comfortable, less crowded viewing experience. Visitors can also watch the parade on the water with City Cruises anchored by Hornblower’s Holiday Boat Parade of Lights tour.
- Founders Park, 351 North Union Street
- Alexandria City Marina, 0 Cameron Street
- Waterfront Park, 1 King Street and 1A Prince Street
- Point Lumley Park, 1 Duke Street
- Robinson Landing, 7 Pioneer Way
- Windmill Hill Park, 501 South Union Street
- Shipyard/Harborside Park, 1 Wilkes Street
- Ford’s Landing City Park, 99 Franklin Street
Getting Here & Around
Based on anticipated attendance, the use of public transportation and alternative modes of transportation are highly encouraged. See the list below to consider your options and plan your trip.
Metro: The parade is accessible via Metrorail (blue line) from the King Street station.
King Street Trolley: Throughout Saturday, the free King Street Trolley will run a modified route from the King Street Metro to the Lyceum (201 S. Washington St) and back.
Parking: If driving, please note parking garages closest to the waterfront fill up in advance of the event, and street closures near the waterfront are often in effect based on the high volume of traffic. Find a map of garages on the City of Alexandria’s parking page.
The following garages in Old Town North will offer $5 parking from 2 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3:
- 44 Canal Center, courtesy of Canal Center Plaza
- 1033 N. Fairfax Street, courtesy of TideLock at TransPotomac Plaza
Capital Bikeshare: There are several dock stations within Old Town and in Old Town North near the Mount Vernon Trail and Oronoco Bay Park. Please utilize the Capital Bikeshare corral with additional capacity located at the corner of Prince and Union Streets. For more information, please visit capitalbikeshare.com.
Dockless Mobility: There are various dockless mobility devices throughout Old Town including e-scooters and e-bikes. Please note there is no riding on sidewalks per City code or along the expanded King Street pedestrian zone from the 200 block of King Street to the waterfront. When possible, please park in a scooter corral or bike rack so as not to block the sidewalk.
Water Taxi: Enjoy the Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights from the Potomac River with CityCruises by Hornblower. Find more information here.
DASH Bus: The DASH bus is free. DASH buses run as early as 6 a.m. and as late as midnight on both Friday and Saturday.
Taxi: The following companies currently operate within the City of Alexandria:
- GoGreen Cab: 703.212.2000, gogreentaxicab.com
- King Cab: 703.549.3530, kingcabcompany.com
- Union Cab: 703.683.1200
- VIP Cab: 703.333.5800, viptaxiva.wordpress.com
- White Top Cab: 703.683.4004
- Yellow Cab: 703.549.2500, alexandriayellowcab.com
Partners
Thank you to the following businesses who contributed to prize packages for the winnings boats:
Alexandria Restaurant Partners | Aslin Beer Co. | Colonial Tours | Fish Market | Happy Place | Haute Dogs & Fries | Hotel Indigo Old Town | Hummingbird | Hyatt Centric Alexandria | Ice & Lights at Cameron Run | King & Rye | Little Theatre of Alexandria | Made in ALX | Morrison House | Mount Vernon | Oak Steakhouse | Shop Made in VA | Strictly Ebikes | The Alexandrian | The Old Town Shop | The Study
The Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights sponsored by Amazon is produced by
With special thanks to First Watch Strategies
and our media partner WASH-FM
AMAZON and the AMAZON logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Info for Boaters
Boater registration is closed. Registered boaters may find additional information here.
