Holidays in Alexandria, VA
Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights Sponsored by Amazon
- Best of Alexandria Show sponsored by Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster BBQ: Santé, Captain Daniel Ricks, “COEXIST”
- Best Powerboat:Â Kairos, Captain Tipper Williams Bradford, “Santa & His Cast of Characters”
- Best Sailboat:Â Dark Star, Captain Doug Savage, “The Island of Misfit Toys”
- Thinking Outside the Christmas Box:Â Tuesday, Captain Joseph Landa, “Oompa Lumpa”
- Most Holiday Cheer:Â Party of Five, Captain Alan Trombley, “Spooky Christmas”
- Best Spirit of America:Â Aggie, Captain Tamara Collum, “NEW YEAR’S EVE COUNTDOWN PARTY”
- Most Spirited Crew: D’Entanglement, Captain Dayon Harrison, “D’Entangled Christmas Wonderland”
- Best Theme:Â Surprise, Captain Sarah Ollila, “X-mas Files”
- Hardiest Soul:Â Miss Behavin, Captain Kirt Barbee, “Gillian Island”
- Best Try:Â Knot Tide Down Captains Peter Furness & Rita Martin, “Jurassic Christmas”
Annual Christmas Event in Alexandria, VA December 4, 2021 Parade 5:30 p.m. Dockside Festivities 2 to 8 p.m. Old Town Alexandria Waterfront
Old Town Alexandria’s historic waterfront will shine for the 21st annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights sponsored by Amazon at 5:30 p.m. as dozens of brightly lit boats cruise along one mile of the Potomac River shoreline. Enjoy dockside festivities from 2 to 8 p.m. in Waterfront Park including a pop-up beer garden from Port City Brewing Company and holiday music and giveaways from 97.1 WASH-FM. Take part in hands-on activities including a Letters to Santa postcard station from paper goods boutique Penny Post and a holiday ornament activity from AR Workshop Alexandria. Enjoy savory bites from Mae’s Market and Café, gourmet popcorn from America’s Favorite Gourmet Popcorn and a hot chocolate bar from Dolci Gelati. At 3:30 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive by fireboat at the Alexandria City Marina to attend the annual Torpedo Factory Art Center Holiday Festival. The boat parade is led by Alexandria’s fireboat Relief and DC’s fireboat John H. Glenn. This year’s parade will close with the Ever Vigilant Fire Boat 57 from the Prince George’s County Volunteer Marine Fire and Rescue Station 57.
The Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights is one of two parades on the Potomac River with The District’s Holiday Boat Parade taking place at The Wharf in Washington, D.C. the same evening at 7 p.m.
Event Schedule
Activities 2 to 8 p.m.
- Holiday music and giveaways from 97.1 WASH-FM
- Letters to Santa postcard station from Penny Post
- Holiday ornament activity from AR Workshop Alexandria (2 to 5:30 p.m.)
- Torpedo Factory Art Center Holiday Festival
- Santa arrives by fireboat at the Alexandria City Marina (3:30 p.m.)
Food and beverage offerings 2 to 8 p.m.
- Pop-up beer garden from Port City Brewing Company
- Savory bites from Mae’s Market and Café
- Gourmet popcorn from America’s Favorite Gourmet Popcorn
- Hot chocolate bar from Dolci Gelati
Parade 5:30 p.m.
- Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights begins*
Parade Details
Parade Start Time and Duration: The parade begins at the Alexandria City Marina at 5:30 p.m. and can be viewed in public parks along Alexandria’s waterfront. Plan to arrive early and allow plenty of time to get to your parade viewing site to ensure that you don’t miss the parade.
*Please note the duration of the parade can vary from 30 minutes to an hour based on total participants, cruising speeds and river conditions.
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 parks offer a more comfortable, less crowded viewing experience.
- 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
- Windmill Hill Park, 501 South Union Street
- Shipyard/Harborside Park, 1 Wilkes Street
- Ford’s Landing City Park, 99 Franklin Street
Getting Here
The parade is accessible via Metrorail (blue and yellow lines), bus, Lyft, Uber, taxi, Capital Bikeshare and more. If on King Street, hop on the free King Street Trolley to the end of the line at Market Square and walk to viewing points along the waterfront.
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.
About the Parade
Amazon is proud to sponsor the Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights and partner with Visit Alexandria on such a beloved community event. 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.
Boater Registration - Closed
Boater registration is closed. Information for registered boats can be found here or by contacting [email protected].
Prize Sponsors
Thank you to these generous businesses who donated prizes for this year’s winning boats.
