Earlier this month I had a great time visiting Fort Lauderdale by taking Albany’s first nonstop JetBlue flight to that destination.

This popular destination had a lot to offer in terms of culture, adventure, and foodie treats, but one of my favorite experiences was viewing the area’s holiday celebrations including the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade. This years’s theme was “Fairy Tales Afloat” and, with Nick Cannon as the parade’s Grand Marshal, over 100 beautifully decorated vessels ranging from corporate huge yachts to small fishing boats traveled 12 miles before close to one million spectators.  

To me, this was like our Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with quite a different variation of being at night and on the water with private boats acting as the holiday floats.

The Boat Parade staged on the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale, along the docks west of Stranahan House to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. It then traveled east to the Intracoastal Waterway as it continued north to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach.