Now everyone can plan their vacations early around Winterfest. The 52nd Annual Holiday Parade continues to encourage boaters and spectators to join their celebrations year after year. The website has added details for their 2023 events as well as a separate post listing the Parade dates from 2023 to 2028.
Mark your calendars for DECEMBER 16, 2023 with the Parade starting in the Downtown Area at 6:30 PM with a pre-show of non-motorized vessels at 6:00 p.m. The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade will stage on the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale, along the docks west of Stranahan House to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
The Parade starts in true procession at Stranahan House, traveling East along the New River in Fort Lauderdale to the Intracoastal Waterway and continues North to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. It’s 12 Miles of the “Best Show on H20.” The Parade takes approximately 2 and 1/2 hours to view from one location (starting locations stagger as you travel north).
Private boats, giant showboats, and corporate megayachts will be adorned with hundreds of thousands of lights, music, entertainment, decorations, celebrities, musical groups, beauty queens, and many other exciting entries expected to be viewed by over one million spectators. A variety of hotel packages with Parade viewing are also listed on the site.
THE PARADES FOR 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028
DECEMBER 16, 2023
DECEMBER 14, 2024
DECEMBER 13, 2025
DECEMBER 12, 2026
DECEMBER 11, 2027
DECEMBER 9, 2028
Parade dates may change without notice – please check this page
Winterfest, Inc., producers of the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, recently secured Fabulous Inflatables and Brandano Displays to design the Santa Showboat for the second year in a row. This Parade entry will host Santa Claus during his quick visit to South Florida and the City of Fort Lauderdale on December 16, 2023. The Santa Showboat, delivered by Amazon, will also host nominees from the Winterfest Foundation Jr. Captain Contest. These children, ages 7-16, represent the services of nonprofit organizations in Broward County. Download our app for a complete list of all 100 entries in Winterfest.
For information on how your Broward County non-profit organization can nominate a child, visit winterfestfoundation.org and scroll down the Jr. Captain section to nominate.
Look for more Parade highlights in this Captain’s Log, including our floating concert entry. winterfestparade.com
The 2024 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade has entered the history books!
Coming in 2025, this page will be updated with all the exciting details of the 54th Annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade. We’ll see you then!
The 54th Annual Holiday Parade takes place DECEMBER 13, 2025 starting in the Downtown Area at 6:30 PM with a pre-show of non-motorized vessels at 6:00 p.m. The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade will stage on the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale, along the docks west of Stranahan House to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
The Parade starts at Stranahan House, traveling East along the New River in Fort Lauderdale to the Intracoastal Waterway and continues North to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. It’s 12 Miles of the “Best Show on H20.” The Parade takes approximately 2 and 1/2 hours to view from one location (starting locations stagger as you travel north).
Private boats, giant showboats and corporate megayachts will be adorned with hundreds of thousands of lights, music, entertainment, decorations, celebrities, musical groups, beauty queens, and many other exciting entries expected to be viewed by over one million spectators.
Links to the 2022 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Digital interviews and event highlights captured by EyeOnSouthFlorida. To see current and past videos: https://eyeonchannel.com/?s=winterfest
2022 INTERVIEWS during Winterfest Events:
2022 Winterfest Launch Party
2022 Winterfest Black Tie Ball
2022 Winterfest Grand Marshal Reception
2022 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Parade Viewing at Riverside Hotel
2022 Raw Footage of the Parade Staging Area – Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade
The Organizers of Winterfest, Producers of the Signature Event, The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, brings “Home for the Holidays” with Decorating Contests, Virtual Events, Pop Up Santa Sightings, Holiday Cheer Light Cruises, and More as a countdown to the Annual Holiday Television Special
It was a very difficult decision to pause the “World’s Most Watch Boat Parade” for 2020, but that did not stop the organizers of Winterfest from reinventing this year’s holiday season. The team may not be able to produce the famous Parade in December; however, they are committed to bringing community cheer with the theme, “Home for the Holidays.”
“This has been a very emotional time for all of us,” noted Lisa Scott-Founds, President and CEO of Winterfest, Inc. “The Parade is synonymous with the holidays. We had to weigh the safety of everyone onshore as well as the water. The event would create “gatherings” in public and private areas with little or no control regarding social distancing, and mask-wearing. What would those optics look like and how would that be perceived? It was decided by the Winterfest Board of Directors, as well as a few of our major sponsors, that the safety of the community was the main priority. As the area businesses open up, there is a tear that we are not the finale celebration for this difficult year. We may not have live events, but our calendar is full of holiday events and activities for everyone to enjoy.” Winterfest is asking the community to help spread the warm and positive feelings of the holidays by decorating and submitting a photo. Simply visit the https://winterfestparade.com/winterfest-decorating-contestto upload your images OR upload them on social media using the hashtag: #winterfestdecor on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. We want everyone to show their lights! When you enter on social media, include your social media handle, a brief description, and a shout-out where your amazing decorations are located (business name, for residents – your city, state … No exact location unless you want people to drive by and gawk!) If you decorated it – we want to see it (boats, homes, businesses, interior/exterior parts of your home … holiday tree, room, dock, balcony, porch, etc.)! Lots of great prizes will be given out including a $500 Bloomers Frosé Basket to the photo with the most votes in select categories. A few over the top entries will receive the “Griswold Award” which will be selected by the president of the Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®, Jarrod K. Lowe. We even have a contest for the cutest holiday pets! Voters, we didn’t forget about you – Vote starting November 28th and you’ll be entered for a chance to win round trip travel on Southwest Airlines®.
Are you out and about? Enjoy the Holidays with Winterfest aboard Holiday Lights Cruises on a special decorated Water Taxi or download the Winterfest App to see where Santa will be from November 27th to December 24th as he vacations in Fort Lauderdale. Want to getaway? Check out Winterfest’s Social Media and Crown Wine & Spirits locations and enter to win a two-night stay at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, dinner for (2) two, Southwest Airlines tickets and more. Click on https://winterfestparade.com/contests for all the details on how to enter!
Looking to snuggle more on your comfy couch? Winterfest makes Holiday Shopping, baking, DIY ornament crafting easy with a click to our website. Your family can even enjoy Santa in your home virtually. This year, Storytime with Santa is a Winterfest virtual experience with the first 100 children that are registered receiving a copy of the book Santa will be reading so kids may read along.. The sight will have the link to see Santa read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas on December 5th. A list of all the holiday excitement is on the Winterfestparade.com site under “2020 holidays.”
And what would Winterfest be without the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade? On December 19th, 25th and 31st, turn on WSVN Channel 7 to watch a trip down memory lane with a retrospective of 49 years of this holiday tradition. For your holiday needs and wishes, go to Winterfestparade.com
For more information on Winterfest, Inc., call 954-767-0686.
Winterfest®
Announces Bill Walker as 2019 Commodore of the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest® Boat Parade
FORT
LAUDERDALE, FL September 12th, 2019 In honor of his
dedication to the Parade and community involvement, the Seminole Hard Rock
Winterfest® Boat Parade has
announced Bill Walker as the 2019 Commodore. Walker, President and CEO of Water
Taxi Fort Lauderdale, has been involved as a Winterfest® board member as well as the Winterfest® Boat Committee since 2016, and has had his Water Taxis as Parade
entries for over 10 years.
Since
acquiring Water Taxi Fort Lauderdale in 2007, Walker and his company of 150
people have created a unique waterway service that has become a signature
transportation resource to this area. Before relocating to South Florida,
Walker served as the Principal and President at Boston’s Best Cruises. Here he
developed a system that included the first high speed bow loading catamarans to
be ADA accessible. Now, Walker is an established member of the Marine Advisory
Board of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and the Las Olas
Association Board of Directors. CEO of Winterfest® Lisa Scott-Founds said, “Bill’s passion, reliability, and
extensive knowledge of maritime has made him the perfect candidate to take the
helm as this year’s Winterfest® Commodore”.
Bill
Walker will be honored at the Grand Marshal Reception on December 13th.
Walker will be a part of the Parade along Fort Lauderdale waterways in true
Commodore Style on December 14th, at 6:30p.m.
For more information
please contact the Winterfest office at (954) 767-0686 or visit the website at
winterfestparade.com.
#
# #
About Winterfest, Inc.
Winterfest is a Florida
not-for-profit organization based in Broward County that produces a variety of
events including the free public event known as the Seminole Hard Rock
Winterfest Boat Parade – “The World’s Most Watched Boat Parade.”
Approximately one million spectators view the Parade on the 12-mile route along
with millions more via television and the internet bringing National and
International recognition to South Florida.
Winterfest also hosts annual events to enhance the community’s image and
provide unique, wholesome family entertainment. For more information on
Winterfest, please contact the office at (954) 767-0686 or their website: www.winterfestparade.com.
About Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino Hollywood
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is the flagship casino resort of Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It isa world-renowned entertainment, gaming and hospitality destination that features a AAA Four Diamond-rated, 465 room luxury hotel; expansive gaming offerings including first-in-class slots, high-stakes table games and South Florida’s premier poker room; spa and fitness center; award-winning dining and nightlife; and the popular Hard Rock Event Center which hosts celebrity performances, comedy acts and sporting events. A $1.5 billion expansion slated to open October, 2019, will bring 638 new, luxury guestrooms to the first-ever, guitar-shaped Guitar Hotel and 168 upscale guest accommodations, including unique swim-up suites, in the adjacent Oasis Tower at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. Upon completion, the property will have a combined total of 1,271 rooms. The project will also unveil a lush, “Bora Bora” style lagoon with private cabanas and butler service; a 42,000 square-foot Rock Spa®; a 13.5 acre recreational water experience for swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding; 19 dining outlets and 20 bars and lounges; an expansive gaming floor housing 3,100 slots, 193 table games and a 45-table poker room; 120,000 square feet of premier meeting and convention space including a 38,000 square-foot, carpeted exhibition hall; and a 26,000 square-foot retail promenade. The highly anticipated Hard Rock Live entertainment venue with a 7,000 person capacity, will showcase A-list entertainers, comedy acts, Broadway performances, sporting events and live broadcast productions. The integrated resort is located on 87 acres of the Hollywood SeminoleReservation along State Road 7, (U.S. Highway 441), and is 10 minutes from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and 30 minutes from downtown Miami and Miami International Airport. For more information, visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, call 800-937-0010 or follow us: Facebook: SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly, Instagram: @HardRockHolly
Fort Lauderdale, FL (August 13, 2019) – Parade Organizers announced today legendary multi-platinum superstar, Bret Michaels, as the Grand Marshal of the 48th Annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest® Boat Parade on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019.
Bret will serve as an ambassador for South Florida’s most acclaimed holiday celebration.
“Bret is one of the most iconic faces of rock-n-roll
and we are excited to have him bring his superstar presence to rock Greater
Fort Lauderdale,” said Lisa Scott-Founds, President & CEO of Winterfest,
Inc. “The added bonus is having him perform at the new Hard Rock Live the night
before the Parade as part of his 2019 worldwide Unbroken Tour.”
Michaels’ relentless work
ethic has extended him beyond his front man persona in the band “Poison” and
his solo career in music. His Michaels Entertainment Group is a multi-million
dollar empire. Along with his multifaceted career, he helps to raise millions
of dollars for charities through his Life Rocks Foundation. He has partnered
with both the American Diabetes Association and Juvenile Diabetes acting as a
spokesperson and sponsor.
“Seminole Hard Rock is
thrilled to have Bret Michaels serve as this year’s Grand Marshal, kicking off
the holiday season in style. His iconic stage personality screams Hard Rock and
is sure to shake up the waterways”, said Susan Renneisen, vice president of
community affairs and special events for Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
in Hollywood, FL. “As the chairwoman of Winterfest, Inc., I am personally
excited to bring such an energetic Grand Marshal to rock this 12-mile Parade.”
Michaels will be a part of a private Winterfest® Grand
Marshal Reception on Friday, Dec. 13 prior to his concert at Hard Rock Live at 8
p.m. The public will be able to purchase concert tickets for $70, $50, $40 and
$30. All seats are reserved and available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at
www.myhrl.com
and www.ticketmaster.com.
The following night, he will appear in the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest® Boat Parade
on Dec. 14. For more information on the Winterfest Celebration and how you can
be a participant, visit WinterfestParade.com
or call 954-767-0686.
Winterfest is a Florida
not-for-profit organization based in Broward County that produces a variety of
events including the free public event known as the Seminole Hard Rock
Winterfest Boat Parade – “The World’s Most Watched Boat Parade.”
Approximately one million spectators view the Parade on the 12-mile route along
with millions more via television and the internet bringing National and
International recognition to South Florida.
Winterfest also hosts annual events to enhance the community’s image and
provide unique, wholesome family entertainment. For more information on
Winterfest, please contact the office at (954) 767-0686 or their website: www.winterfestparade.com.
About Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino Hollywood
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel
& Casino Hollywood is the flagship casino resort of Hard Rock
International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It isa
world-renowned entertainment, gaming and hospitality destination that features
a AAA Four Diamond-rated, 465 room luxury hotel; expansive gaming offerings
including first-in-class slots, high-stakes table games and South
Florida’s premier poker room; spa and fitness center; award-winning dining and
nightlife; and the popular Hard Rock Event Center which hosts celebrity
performances, comedy acts and sporting events. A $1.5 billion expansion slated
to open October, 2019, will bring 638 new, luxury guestrooms to the first-ever,
guitar-shaped Guitar Hotel and 168 upscale guest accommodations, including
unique swim-up suites, in the adjacent Oasis Tower at Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino Hollywood. Upon completion, the property will have a
combined total of 1,271 rooms. The project will also unveil a lush, “Bora
Bora” style lagoon with private cabanas and butler service; a
42,000 square-foot Rock Spa®; a 13.5 acre recreational water experience for
swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding; 19 dining outlets and 20 bars and
lounges; an expansive gaming floor housing 3,100 slots, 193 table games and a
45-table poker room; 120,000 square feet of premier meeting and convention
space including a 38,000 square-foot, carpeted exhibition hall; and a 26,000
square-foot retail promenade. The highly anticipated Hard Rock Live
entertainment venue with a 7,000 person capacity, will showcase A-list
entertainers, comedy acts, Broadway performances, sporting events and live
broadcast productions. The integrated resort is located
on 87 acres of the Hollywood SeminoleReservation
along State Road 7, (U.S. Highway 441),
and is 10 minutes from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and 30
minutes from downtown Miami and Miami International Airport. For more
information, visit us online at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com, call 800-937-0010 or
follow us: Facebook: SeminoleHardRockHollywood, Twitter: @HardRockHolly,
Instagram: @HardRockHolly
Payment: You may purchase your Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade entry in our online store after you submit your parade application. After your application submission, you will be redirected directly to the Boat Entry Fee in our online store that matches your choice of Vessel Category above. Please enter your vessel name in the “Order notes” field during checkout. It’s an easy step to Holiday FUN!
The types of parade entries and the prices are as follows:
SHOWBOAT (Any vessel with approved signage – Sponsor designation and Guaranteed Television): $8,000.00
All Entry Fees include an 8×10 photo of entry & Two tickets to the Captain’s Cup Awards Dinner in 2021. Additional tickets to the Captain’s Cup Awards Dinner are available in our online store.
DONATE TODAY TO BE A PART OF THE 2024 WINTERFEST SILENT AUCTION. Reap the rewards for your item and logo displayed on our digital auction platform from October to December 7. This online auction has a separate marketing campaign on social media with select items that will be highlighted on Winterfest’s social media.
YOUR SUPPORT helps this organization create free events such as the Parade. Scroll to the bottom of this page for more details about Winterfest. You can fill out the form on this website or download this fillable pdf form.
SUGGESTED DONATION:
Event VIP Tickets
Sporting Event Tickets
Attraction Tickets
Gift Cards & Certificates
Purses & Jewelry
Beer, Wine, and Liquor
Exclusive Experiences
Memorabilia
Hotel Stays
Vacation Packages
Spa & Salon Products or Services
Airline Tickets
PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM:
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF WINTERFEST, INC.
Spurred by the continued popularity of the parade, a not-for-profit organization, WINTERFEST, Inc., was formed in 1988 to administer the Boat Parade and to build a festival around it.
Winterfest, Inc. is known for producing wholesome, unique, internationally recognized events that reflect the diversity and culture of South Florida. South Florida’s signature event, the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, has earned the title “The World’s Most Watched Boat Parade.”
Winterfest embraces the dual goals of providing a means for the residents of the Greater Fort Lauderdale area to come together and enjoy spectacular and unique events and attracting positive national and international attention to the area as a tourist destination and a great place to live, work, and play.
Your item and images will be a part of our ONLINE AUCTION powered by QTego, which can be seen on your laptop or smartphone.
Lights, Camera, Action… Movies on Parade is the theme for the 2019 Parade on December 14th. The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade is the “Greatest Show on H2O” with holiday floats that really float. Enjoy your Christmas on the Water or entertain guests on land. Winterfest has tickets for reserved Grandstands seats for only $25-$30 pp. Have a boat? You can enter your vessel for as little as $35 (private entry / no signage). Love to dance? Entertain clients, friends or colleagues with the purchase of a table of 10 at the Black Tie Ball start at only $3,000. Celebrate the holidays with Winterfest in beautiful South Florida and enjoy this holiday tradition which sails from Downtown Fort Lauderdale to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. Call Winterfest, Inc. for all your Holiday Party needs 954-767-0686 or email us info @ winterfestparade.com
