Parade of Lights

On Sunday, December 8th, at 3:00 p.m., come down to the waterfront to celebrate the 38th Annual Parade of Lights, where families can visit a Winter Wonderland on the City Pier in the Santa Barbara Harbor. There will be holiday elves, 10 tons of snow, goodie bags, and a visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus!

The Human-Powered category of the parade will take place during the daylight at 3:30 p.m. Dozens of standup paddlers and kayakers dressed in festival attire will loop the harbor and Stearns Wharf, spreading cheer for all to hear. At 5:00 p.m., a tree lighting ceremony, complete with holiday tunes, sung by the Dos Pueblos Jazz Choir, will be held on Stearns Wharf next to the Sea Center. Then, at 5:30 p.m., around 30 illuminated watercraft will light up the night as they make their way from Leadbetter Beach down the coast to the Cabrillo Pavilion, then back along the coast to Stearns Wharf.

The parade will be followed by a brief fireworks show starting at approximately 7:00 p.m. The best viewing locations for the boat parade and fireworks include Stearns Wharf, the breakwater, West Beach, and East Beach.

After the fireworks, there will be a no-host awards ceremony at the Anchor Rose restaurant, located upstairs in the Waterfront Center Building at 113 Harbor Way. 

Registration for the competition is now open, and, as always, it’s free to enter! Participants can enter one of the five categories: human-powered, power, sail, commercial fishing, or commercial other. Pick up your entry form at the Harbor Market, Harbor Fuel Dock, Paddle Sports Center, or the Waterfront Department Administration Office, or click here to fill out an entry form and submit it online. 

This year’s Parade of Lights event is put on by the 2024 Parade of Lights Committee and sponsored by the City of Santa Barbara Waterfront Department, Santa Barbara Harbor Merchants Association, Stearns Wharf Business Association, and the Santa Barbara Yacht Club. 

Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 8th, to get in the holiday spirit Santa Barbara style and head to the waterfront for an afternoon and evening of fun at the 38th Annual Parade of Lights.

For more information, contact Waterfront Public Information Officer Angela Rodriguez at ARodriguez@SantaBarbaraCA.gov or (805) 897-1962.