San Diego is known as the city that loves the seaside owing the distinction to its great location of being near the Pacific Ocean. Thus yachting, fishing, and boating are prime activities that the city takes seriously. Another noticeable San Diego trait is its knack for entertainment and this is seen everyday in the various attractions and entertainment spots present in the city. Combine these two and you have a the Parade of Lights.
This is an annual event held at the Bay side area that acts as the boating community’s Christmas gift to the city of San Diego. The event draws in 80,00 viewers a year and no one is left disappointed as San Diego remains true to its flair for entertaining by ending the year in a splash of color and with a definite bang.
The Parade of Lights begins at around 5:30 pm with a fireworks display that launches the boats off to their course through San Diego Harbor. After the fireworks showcase, the boats line up at Shelter Island then move on to the Harbor Island, next to The Embarcadero, after that Seaport Village, and eventually ending at The Ferry Landing in Coronado at around 7:30 pm. Viewers are in for a treat every year because of the different themes that they have lined up for each year such as a Pirate’s theme for this year and Christmas at the zoo from previous years.
To completely enjoy San Diego’s Parade of Lights, make sure that you get there early in order to find a good viewing spot. Harbor Island usually has the most crowded places and so you can choose to view from the Embarcadero or the Coronado. A prime viewing spot when you’re on water is the 10th street terminal at Coronado.