Huntington Harbour's Boat Parade Is a Thank-You to the Homes on the Water

On the second Saturday of December, decorated boats move through the channels of Huntington Harbour past docks, decks and rooflines that residents have spent weeks lighting. The all-volunteer group behind the parade says plainly that the parade is its way of thanking the Harbour residents who decorate their homes.

That changes how December in the Harbour works. The homes are the main attraction. The parade on December 12 is a gift to them. The ticketed Cruise of Lights, the following week, is how everyone else gets a close look. One organization runs both, on separate weeks, and each has its own logistics.

One Committee, Two Separate Weeks

Both events belong to the Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee, which supports the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. The Boat Parade's site describes the Society as the county's oldest nonprofit music organization. The parade site notes that, unlike many boat parades, this one is not produced by a marina company, the City or a Chamber of Commerce. The Cruise of Lights ticket page says the cruises support youth music education programs.

The two calendars don't overlap. The parade closes out its weekend with a Sunday morning awards stream, and the cruises start six days later, on Saturday, December 19.

The Parade Is Addressed to the Docks

The parade's own materials show who comes first. Next to its note about who the event thanks, the organizer gives the public a warning:

"Please note public viewing areas at the beaches fill up quickly with very limited parking. One of the best ways to see it is to be in it by entering your boat!"

The parade-route page is still labeled for 2025, but it says the same thing more bluntly: public viewing areas are only at beaches, and parking is extremely limited. The homes along the channels get the best seats in the Harbour on parade night. Everyone else gets a few beach spots or a screen.

The screen is a real option, and the committee has built its weekend around it. Here is the 2026 schedule as the Boat Parade site lists it:

1. Saturday, December 12, 6 p.m.: The parade streams live on the parade's Facebook page.
2. Saturday night, during the parade: People's Choice voting opens. Viewers vote for a favorite boat by "liking" the number the boat displays during the parade.
3. Sunday, December 13, 8 a.m.: People's Choice voting closes.
4. Sunday, December 13, 11 a.m.: The awards presentation streams live, virtually.

The site also links to a live route tracker, which helps on a night when the beach spots fill early. Residents who can see a channel from the street can use it to time a short walk out instead of standing in the cold for an hour.

The 2026 theme is printed as "America 250 Music" and "To The Moon & Back," and Norman Huniu is this year's Grand Marshal. Theme matters for the homes as well as the boats. The entry page's award list includes "Best Tribute to Theme" for both waterfront and off-water homes, and its calendar sets aside time for home judging and home-award presentations. A Harbour resident who strings lights along the dock is taking part in the contest whether or not a boat ever leaves the slip.

The parade has long been a big production for a volunteer effort. A 2018 Daily Pilot report described its growth from about 12 vessels to more than 75 boats. The 2026 site has no entry count yet. Entries remain open to "new and past participants."

The Following Week, the Homes Become the Tour

If the parade thanks the decorated homes, the Cruise of Lights is how the rest of the public gets to see them. Organizers describe it as narrated boat tours through the waterways of Huntington Harbour. It runs after the home judging and the parade, so the lights are fully up by the time paying passengers arrive.

You don't drive to the boats. The Cruise of Lights FAQ sets out the order:

1. Park in the rear lot of Huntington Harbour Mall, 16889 Algonquin Street, then gather your group and get in line.
2. Pick up tickets at will call in that same rear lot, behind Trader Joe's, if yours weren't mailed. Printed and digital tickets both work as boarding passes.
3. Ride the shuttle bus for about five minutes to the Huntington Harbour Yacht Club.
4. Board the narrated cruise.

The yacht club lot at 3821 Warner Ave. is reserved for guests with a State of California Disabled Person Parking Placard. Placard holders can skip the shuttle and drive straight there. Everyone else gets sent back to the mall. The boats are wheelchair accessible, but power chairs are not allowed.

The FAQ adds a few practical notes. Layer up, since nights get cold on the water, and wear solid shoes. Drinks and snacks are sold on the boats. Restrooms are in the parking lots but not guaranteed on board.

Tickets bought by phone at least seven days before your cruise date are mailed. Later phone orders wait at will call. Plan the date carefully. The ticket page says that if you can't attend, your payment counts as a donation to the committee, and refunds are given only if the cruise itself is canceled. Rain alone won't cancel it.

Five Nights, and Which One to Pick

The 2026 run is short. The ticket form lists cruises Saturday, December 19, through Wednesday, December 23, with departures at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. That works out to 15 departure times for the whole season.

Five nights matches 2025, when the cruises also ran December 19–23. In 2024 they ran December 18–23, one night longer. The organizer's ticket page warns that space is limited.

The calendar has one clear pick for price. Monday, December 21, is listed as the season's Special Value Night. The regular prices are $28 for adults and $20 for children ages 2 to 12. Babies under 2 ride free, but only with an adult ticket. The two weekend nights, December 19 and 20, fall right after many school calendars break. The three weeknights run into the days just before Christmas Eve. If a group can do a Monday, the value night also lands in the middle of the run.

Gift certificates are available by phone at 714-840-7542, which makes the cruise an easy present for out-of-town family visiting that week.

The Rest of Huntington Beach Fills In Around the Harbour Weeks

The Harbour's two weeks sit at the end of a busy month, and most of the other holiday dates come earlier. That leaves room to plan. Here is the citywide calendar from the publish date forward, as organizers list it:

• Every Tuesday, 4:30–8:30 p.m.: Surf City Nights on Main Street between PCH and Orange Avenue. That covers November 10, 17 and 24 and December 1.
• Friday, November 20, 4–7 p.m.: The Bella Terra tree lighting, with the tree ceremony at 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 24, 4–7 p.m.: Magic on Main Street, on the same Tuesday as that week's Surf City Nights.
• November 27 through December 24: Santa photos at Bella Terra, plus the Dreamers Holiday Market on November 28 and a Nutcracker performance on November 29.
• Saturday, December 5, 1–4 p.m.: Winterfest on The Green in front of Century Theatres at Bella Terra.
• Sunday, December 6, 3:30–6 p.m.: Light a Light of Love, the Waymakers pier lighting on Main Street and at Pier Plaza.

After December 6, the Harbour has the city's holiday calendar mostly to itself. The parade stream starts at 6 p.m. on December 12, and the last cruise leaves the Huntington Harbour Yacht Club at 7:30 p.m. on December 23.

The homes along those channels are part of what gives the Harbour its value as well as its December reputation. If your family is thinking about a Harbour property, whether you're timing a sale, settling an estate or just want a defensible number before deciding, The Mowery Group can give you an appraisal-backed view of what the home is worth. Schedule a free consultation with our Huntington Beach office.