24th Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights
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This year’s Boat Parade includes annual festivities at Waterfront Park along with the return of Canal Center festivities to the Old Town North waterfront.

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 53rd 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 to 8 p.m.: Hands-on activities and food and beverage options at Waterfront Park (1 King Street) (Activities end at 5:30 p.m.)
• 2 to 8 p.m.: Holiday Festival at Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N Union St)
• 2 to 8 p.m.: Canal Center Holiday Art Mart on the Old Town North waterfront (11 Canal Center Plaza)
• 3:30 p.m.: Santa arrives by fireboat as part of the Holiday Festival at Torpedo Factory Art Center (Alexandria Marina)
• 5:30 p.m.: Parade begins at the Alexandria City Marina and cruises southward (0 Cameron St.)
  • Parade start time varies by location: ~5:30 p.m. at City Marina, but earlier to north and later to south
  • Duration: 45-60 minutes
  • Note: Viewing locations north of Founders Park may see boats in staging process rather than single-file parade line.

Parade Start Time and Duration: The parade route stretches for one mile along Old Town Alexandria’s waterfront.

Start time will vary as the parade proceeds southward on the Potomac River, beginning around 5:30 PM at City Marina, but earlier at northern viewing points and later to the south.

Note that depending on conditions, guests in viewing locations north of Founders Park (e.g. Canal Center, Rivergate Park and Oronoco Bay Park) may see the lighted boats in the process of staging rather than in a single-file parade line.

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:

• Canal Center Plaza, (11 Canal Center Plaza)
• Rivergate City Park, (2 Montgomery St.)
• Oronoco Bay Park, (100 Madison St.)
• 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

View a map of Boat Parade viewing area and activities.

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 and yellow lines) from the King Street station.

King Street Trolley: The free King Street Trolley will run a modified route from the King Street Metro to the Lyceum (201 S. Washington St) and back, every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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.

Road Closures: View a map of traffic patterns during the Boat Parade. In order to safely produce the parades, road closures, reserved parking and no parking zones will be in effect on Saturday, December 7. See a full list of closures here.

Capital Bikeshare: There are several dock stations within Old Town and in Old Town North near the Mount Vernon Trail and Oronoco Bay Park. 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