The 34th Annual Schooner Wharf Bar/Absolut Vodka Lighted Boat Parade sails into the holiday season on Dec. 13th.

Key West’s Historic Seaport has been transformed into a warm winter wonderland, as the annual Lighted Boat Parade sails through the Key West Bight and Harbor on Dec. 13th, bringing maritime merriment to the harbor.
This year marks the 34th anniversary of the Schooner Wharf Bar/Absolut Vodka Lighted Boat Parade, a must-see holiday event in the tropics. Vessels of all shapes and sizes deck their hulls, and string lights in their rigging to twinkle through the night sky over Key West Bight and Key West Harbor. Schooner Wharf Bar is the holiday headquarters with festivities starting at 6 p.m. when Christmas takes on the sounds of the islands with the Bahama Village Music Program House of Pan Steel Band tapping out holiday favorites on steel drums.

Followed by the best music this island has to offer, adding to the festivities. Come early for the best viewing spots and take a stroll along the Harbor Walk of Lights while watching the brightly lit boats, captains and crews add their final decorations for the parade.

The 34th Annual Schooner Wharf Bar/Absolut Vodka Lighted Boat Parade begins at 8 p.m., when the vessels in the harbor begin their festive procession past the judging stand at Schooner Wharf to compete for bragging rights and $40,000 in prizes with a free raffle for boat entries.

Captains should register for the parade by Thursday, Dec. 11th but entries will be accepted as late as the day of the parade. A Captains Meeting will take place Thursday, Dec. 11th at 8 p.m. in the Sail Loft of Schooner Wharf and an Awards Ceremony Sunday at 8:00 p.m. For more information, or to register for the parade, call 305-292-9520.