Home > Events > 40th Annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights

40th Annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights

Posted by bayinn on December 11, 2011

12/11/11

Hundreds of boats are decrorated for this dazzling holiday boat parade of lights on San Diego Bay. Join us for this San Diego Holiday Tradition!

Time
5:30 - 9:00 pm

There will be another parade on Sunday, December 18.

Parade Route

• Start led by US Coast Guard Cutter
• South end to north end of Shelter Island
• North end Shelter Island across America's Cup Harbor entrance to west end Harbor Island
• West end Harbor Island to east end of Harbor Island
• East end Harbor Island to just west of Maritime Museum's ferry Berkeley
• Pass Berkeley and Star of India
• Parallel the Embarcadero to the "G" St. Mole
• Pass Seaport Village and the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina
• Past Marina Park, turn south. Cross Bay to the Marriott Coronado Hotel
• Proceed west to the Coronado Ferry Landing
• Proceed to Finish at buoy 22a

Best Viewing

For boaters wishing to view the parade, a good viewing area is where the parade route turns for Coronado, near the 10th Street Terminal. For those viewing on land, the north and south ends of the Embarcadero as well as the pathway along Coronado are good spots as they tend to be less crowed.

If you plan on viewing the parade from Harbor Island, get there early and be aware that parking is at a premium. Another good spot is the park behind Seaport Village.

Approximate Times at Locations Around the Bay

The parade takes approximately one hour to one and a half hours to pass any given point along the parade route. The approximate arrival time of the parade at various locations are:

• Shelter Island (start of parade) - 5:30 pm
• Harbor Island - 6:00 pm
• The Embarcadero - 6:30 pm
• Seaport Village - 7:00 pm
• Ferry Landing on Coronado - 7:30 pm

Parking

The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights is seen by approximately 80,000 people every year. As a result, parking will be limited in and around the Bay.

Attendees to the event are encouraged to utilize San Diego Public Transit, such as the San Diego Trolly. Stations with parking lots that provide convenient service to the North Embarcadero area include Fashion Valley, Old Town and America Plaza. For more information go to www.sdmts.com.

Another Alternative is to park downtown and utilize San Diego Pedicab service for transportation to the Embarcadero. Fares run about $1 per minute.

The following outlines other free and paid lots:

• Metered spaces along Harbor Drive - Free on Sunday
• Allright Parking (Broadway & Harbor Dr.) - Paid
• Ace Parking at B St. Pier - Paid
• Seaport Village - Paid (Two hours free with purchase)
• Parking Lot in front of Fish Market Restaurant north of Seaport Village - Metered
• Ace Parking at the County Administration Building - Paid
• Harbor Island - Free but limited
• Shelter Island - Free

 

Price:
Free

Phone Numbers
619-224-2240