In 1991, three men were sitting under a tree with a few beers when they came up with a way to poke fun at Chino Hills becoming a city: a boat parade with no water. According to the Champion's account of the parade's history, they hitched decorated boats to their cars and drove into the neighborhood one December night. Santa threw candy to children who ran out of their houses, and Alvin and the Chipmunks played the whole time.
Tim Neel, the only co-founder who still lives in Chino Hills, told the Champion the story. The joke stuck. The Boat Parade returns on Friday, Dec. 11, 2026, from 7 to 9 p.m., and the City of Chino Hills calendar lists it at Chino Hills City Hall, 14000 Peyton Drive.
The parade has outlasted its joke because it has never stopped being run by neighbors. The City still invites residents and local groups to enter, and families, school bands and Kiwanis volunteers still build the show.
From a Spoof to a Kiwanis Tradition
The first parade was simply a few residents driving through their own neighborhood. Five years later it had a permanent organizer. The Chino Hills Kiwanis Club took it over in 1996 with support from the late Mayor Jim Thalman, who was a Kiwanian himself, the Champion reported.
Under Kiwanis, the parade grew into an official city event, held in partnership with the City of Chino Hills. The two things the founders started are still part of it. The Champion wrote that "candy-throwing remains a staple and the Chipmunks still sing."
Last year, the City and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin both called the Dec. 12, 2025 parade the 33rd annual edition. By then, an event that began as a jab at city hall was starting and ending on the city hall block.
What Actually Rolls Down Peyton Drive
The boats are real boats, decorated and hitched to vehicles, just as they were in 1991. They no longer make up most of the parade, though.
In 2024 the parade had 61 entries, and 30 of them were boats, according to the Champion. That means more than half of the entries were something else. The Ayala High School band and color guard led the parade. Rolling Ridge Elementary School joined for the first time with its Tall Flag performers. Mayor Art Bennett rode in a 1922 Ford Model T convertible.
Some families have been in it for decades. The Champion noted that the Broswell family has taken part for decades and won several awards.
Sheran Voigt of the Chino Hills Kiwanis Club described the parade to the Champion this way:
"The parade is a tradition in Chino Hills and brings the community together every year."
The City has made room for more than boats. The 2026 calendar listing says Kiwanis is looking for "boat and non-boat entries such as bands, equestrians, and others who may want to participate." The 2025 entry call also named specialty vehicles. That's why a horse and rider can end up in line behind a decorated boat.
Last Year's Route, Street by Street
The route has changed over time. In 2024 the Champion reported a new route that started on Shoppes and Boys Republic drives. The City's November 2025 release laid out the 2025 route:
- Start: City Center Drive at Shoppes Drive, at 7 p.m.
- Southbound: down City Center Drive, then south on Peyton Drive
- Turnaround: Eucalyptus Drive
- Return: back north on Peyton Drive
In 2025, spectators could watch from City Center Drive, Shoppes Drive and Peyton Drive. Announcers along the route told the crowd about each entry as it passed. Because the parade turns around at Eucalyptus, Peyton Drive sees every entry twice, once heading south and once heading back north.
The 2026 listing says crowds will "arrive early to park and will gather on the parade route," so plan to get there well before 7 p.m. The route map for each year is posted at chinohills.org/BoatParade, and that page is the one to check before you pick a spot on the curb.
Getting a Boat, or a Horse, Into the Parade
Because neighbors make up the parade, getting in follows a simple process run by the City's Community Services Department. Last year it worked like this:
- Applications were available online at chinohills.org/BoatParade. Paper packets could be picked up at the Chino Hills Community Center, 14250 Peyton Drive, and at the City Hall Recreation Office, 14000 City Center Drive.
- Deadline: completed packets had to be submitted and approved by Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, nine days before the parade.
- Classic cars: the City asked owners of convertibles and classic cars to drive special guests and dignitaries, and to email [email protected] if interested.
- Questions and entry ideas went to Community Services at (909) 364-2710.
Entries compete for awards. In 2023, the Daily Bulletin listed Best Lights, Best Humor/Originality, Most Patriotic and a Mayor's Award. Best Humor/Originality is fitting for a parade that began as a joke.
If last year's calendar is any guide, the 2026 entry window will be short, with a deadline in early December. A family with a boat in the driveway and a few weekends to string lights should check the City's page soon.
December on the Same Few Blocks
The parade is part of a holiday season that the City has packed into a short stretch of its civic center. Nearly every December event listed on the City calendar sits between 14000 and 14280 on Peyton Drive and City Center Drive.
| Date | Event | Time | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday Tree Lighting | 5–8 p.m. | 14000 City Center Drive |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | Boat Parade | 7–9 p.m. | City Hall, 14000 Peyton Drive |
| Mon., Dec. 14 | Adopt-A-Family gift drop-off | 8 a.m.–7 p.m. | McCoy Equestrian & Recreation Center, 14280 Peyton Drive |
| Thu., Dec. 17 | Special Needs Gift Exchange | 6–8 p.m. | 14280 Peyton Drive |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Breakfast with Santa | 9–11 a.m. | 14250 Peyton Drive |
The Holiday Tree Lighting comes six days before the parade. It includes a craft fair, entertainment, arts and crafts, a snowfall and a visit from Santa, and it is free for Chino Hills residents of all ages. The Adopt-A-Family drop-off, the Special Needs Gift Exchange and Breakfast with Santa fill the week after the parade. Breakfast with Santa takes place at the Community Center, the same building where parade packets were handed out last year.
The tree lighting and the breakfast are City programs, and the gift drives depend on donors. The parade is the one event on the list whose content comes from resident entries. The City and Kiwanis close the streets and provide announcers, but how long the parade runs, and whether it's funny, depends on who signs up.
Pricing a home, like judging a parade float, comes down to the details. At The Mowery Group, our broker-and-appraiser team works in Chino Hills all year. If a December in this city has you thinking about what your home on these streets is worth today, schedule a free consultation and we'll give you a valuation-backed answer.
