2022 Santa Barbara Harbor Parade of Lights – Info – Time – Date
A heaping pile of fresh, powdery snow in Santa Barbara?? This can only mean
one thing: the Santa Barbara Harbor Parade of Lights!
Sunday, December 11th 2022 marks the 36th annual Santa Barbara Parade of Lights.
This year’s theme is “Deck the Hulls” and roughly 30 decorated and illuminated
vessels will light up the night as they make their way from Ledbetter Beach to
Cabrillo Arts Pavilion, then back to the Santa Barbara Pier. The harbor will be
decked out in all its finery all day, so bring the whole family, come early and stay
late to take advantage of all the events.
Starting at 3:00pm the City Pier will have tons of snow (literally) to get everyone
into the holiday spirit. How often can you jump around in a pile of snow
while wearing flip-flops and a t-shirt? Kids will be entertained by holiday elves
milling about, and parents can shop, eat, and enjoy holiday spirits at one or more
of the fine restaurants on the Pier. Santa may even make an appearance! It’ll be
fun for the whole family.
At 4:00 pm the human-powered category of the parade will begin. Dozens of
standup paddlers and kayakers dressed in their holiday finery will paddle
through the harbor. At 5:00 pm the much-loved holiday tree lighting ceremony
will be held on Stearns Wharf next to the Sea Center, complete with live music
courtesy of the Dos Pueblos High School Jazz Choir.
Then, at 5:30 pm, dozens of decorated and brightly-lit vessels will make their way
around the harbor and up the coast, and back to the Pier again. In our opinion, the
best viewing location is from the breakwater in the harbor. The Pier is also a
popular place to watch and wave to the boats as they float by. Cap the night off
with an awesome fireworks display around 7:00 pm. Bring your Santa hat and
dress in layers. Even magical Santa Barbara gets chilly when the sun goes down.
Snow! Santa! Boats! Fireworks! What’s not to like? Join us and see what all the
excitement is about. And Happy Holidays from the Chandlery Yacht Sales Family
to you and yours.
If you are new to Santa Barbara, our local meetup.com group is having a Parade of Light Party. Check it out at https://www.meetup.com/santa-barbara-goleta-20s-and-30s-happy-hour/events/289796144/.
Another great option for watching the boat parade is the party they have aboard the Condor Express. It’s a party on the water watching a party on the water. Check them out here.
For more information about the 36th annual Parade of Lights, click here.
Happiest of Holiday to You
The Crew at Chandlery Yacht Sales