Harbor Lights Festival canceled; Illuminated Boat Parade still set to light up marina
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the roles of the Port of Corpus Christi and the Downtown Management District in the Illuminated Boat Parade.
The holiday season has made its way to the Coastal Bend.
The annual Illuminated Boat Parade is set to bring Corpus Christi's downtown marina to life with a holiday-themed boat parade at 6 p.m. Saturday.
The event is sponsored by the Port of Corpus Christi, and the Downtown Management District produces it in partnership with the Corpus Christi Marina.
Normally part of the Harbor Lights Festival, the Corpus Christi tradition is canceled indefinitely. In September, the festival announced on its Facebook the cancellation of the event, which included a children's parade and live entertainment.
"The Board and Committee sincerely express gratitude for the numerous years of support from our many sponsors, the community and volunteers," the post said.
Alyssa Barrera Mason, executive director of the Downtown Management District, said the district has been producing the boat parade since 2019 and wanted to continue it after the cancellation of the Harbor Lights Festival.
Here's what you can expect at the free boat parade.
Where can I watch?
The public is invited to view the parade at the seawall between the Lawrence Street T-head and Coopers Alley L-head.
What will the weather be like?
The evening will be partly cloudy with spotty showers late in the night. The low will be 56 degrees with wind gusts at 15 miles per hour. With the parade downtown, being close to the water will make the weather much chillier. Be sure to bundle up with coats, long sleeves and other winter gear.
Will there be awards?
A $500 prize will go to the best powerboat, sailboat, commercial boat and governmental boat. A $750 prize will be awarded for the farthest distance traveled to participate in the parade.
Boats participating in the Illuminated Boat Parade and the La Posada Lighted Boat Parade — an annual event taking place Friday, Dec. 9, at the JFK Causeway and Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Padre Isles POA Boat Ramp — will have the chance to win the $1,000 Best of Boat Worlds prize. The winner will be honored at the first Corpus Christi City Council meeting in 2023.
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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Twitter @johnpoliva.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Harbor Lights Festival canceled; Illuminated Boat Parade still on
