Winterfest is one of three canceled boat parades in South Florida. Two others are now postponed.

Lisa J. Huriash, Bill Kearney, Juan Ortega, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Updated ·4 min read
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Winterfest is one of three canceled boat parades in South Florida. Two others are now postponed.

Organizers for the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade said Friday that the event is canceled, citing perilous conditions for spectators and boaters.

It’s one of five boat parades that either were canceled or postponed across Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties over public safety concerns. Lisa Scott-Founds, the president and CEO of Winterfest in Fort Lauderdale, announced the cancellation, her voice getting choked up as she made the statement.

Stephen Gollan, Fort Lauderdale’s fire chief, called the weather unusual for December and said having the boat parade would have been a “recipe for disaster.” He said it would have been “nothing short of reckless” if it had been allowed to continue. Gollan hugged Scott-Founds, who was in tears. “It’s the right thing to do,” he assured her.

An estimated 3,000 people who bought Winterfest tickets will get refunds. There were 97 boats scheduled to participate. And people had traveled from across the country to South Florida to be able to watch or be part of the event.

Bill Walker, chairman with the executive board of directors for Winterfest, called the cancellation “a decision we do not take lightly.” He said they cannot postpone the event, either, because of the necessary permits and logistics, including the need for law enforcement. “It’s an unprecedented weather event.”

Winterfest would have marked its 52nd run this holiday season. Only once before did officials have to call off the celebration: Amid the pandemic in 2020, when large public events were canceled.

The other affected boat parades this month:

  • Boca Raton’s annual Holiday Boat Parade, which was set for Saturday, has been canceled and won’t be rescheduled. “After consultation with the National Weather Service and public safety officials, this year’s Boat Parade is canceled due to severe weather conditions expected this weekend,” the city said.

  • The Miami Outboard Club’s 25th annual Holiday Boat Parade, set for Saturday, was canceled, citing “unsafe” conditions. Its fundraising raffle was postponed to Dec. 22.

  • The Pompano Beach Boat Parade has been postponed. Originally set for Friday, it now will be held Thursday night, at 7 p.m.

  • The Lantana/Lake Worth Beach area’s boat parade, the ninth annual Lake Osborne Holiday Boat Parade, originally set for Friday, has been postponed to next Friday, Dec. 22.

If boat parades had been allowed to proceed Saturday evening, boaters would have faced strong conditions. “I personally would not go on the water,” said George Rizzuto, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami. “With gusts between 40 and 45 mph, it’s not going to be very fun out there.”

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According to the weather service, surface wind speeds in Fort Lauderdale are expected to rise steadily from 20 mph over the course of Saturday, reaching 28 mph by 10 p.m., and peaking at 33 mph just after midnight.

Gusts also will increase in power, reaching 43 mph by 10 p.m., and peaking after midnight at 44 mph. Temperatures will hold steady in the low 70s.

Rain potential will remain close to 100% throughout the afternoon and evening. A high-surf advisory and wind advisory are in effect overnight, and the weather service says marine hazards are “extreme” in Broward County waters Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday also has an elevated risk of thunderstorms and lightning.

Winds will shift from the east early in the day to southeast in the afternoon to south by evening, aligning with the direction of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Any boat heading south would face stiff headwinds, and possible wave action, as the wind has time to interact with the water surface. Forecasters are saying that offshore seas could build to 17 feet.

Inshore waters such as the Intracoastal Waterway and the New River could see wave heights of 2 to 3 feet, Rizzuto said. The weather service said a gale warning, which exceeds a small craft advisory, remains in effect for Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade waters until 7 a.m. Sunday.

The warning said “strong winds will cause hazardous seas, which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility. Mariners should alter plans to avoid these hazardous conditions.”