It’s official: the holiday season is upon us and all manner of festive, end-of-the-year events, like the annual Jacksonville Light Boat Parade, are coming right up!
The Jacksonville area provides a year-round stream of fun and excitement for guests of Club Continental. This is especially true around the holidays when the decorations come out and everyone is in an expansive, friendly mood.
One of the first big events of the holiday season is the Jacksonville Light Boat Parade. While last year’s event was held at the end of December, this year sees the annual parade returning to its normal, day after Thanksgiving spot.
Jacksonville Light Boat Parade 2019
November 30, 2019
If you’ve never experienced a lighted boat parade, you’re truly missing out on a very special spectacle, indeed!
Light boat parades include boats of all types, decorated to the nth degree with festive lights and decorations. Some of the decorations are incredibly elaborate, with costumed characters, music and more. Fantastic!
Jacksonville’s parade is held on the St. Johns River. The boats start off at 6:30pm from the Riverfront Hyatt, cruising along the Northbank Riverwalk to the Fuller Warren Bridge. Here the parade crosses over to the south bank, to follow the Riverwalk to the Duval County School Board building.
A festive and friendly crowd gathers along the riverbanks to watch and cheer on the magical event. The parade ends with a fantastic fireworks show that includes stunning “waterfalls” from both the Main Street and Acosta Bridges.
You can learn more about the Jacksonville Light Boat Parade at specialevents.coj.net. You can also follow this event on Facebook – just don’t miss it!
Jacksonville Area Holiday Events
The annual Light Boat Parade isn’t the only holiday event worth attending in the Orange Park area – not by a long shot! Below are a few of the other large or more popular holiday events coming up.
Nov 29 – Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Jacksonville Landing
Come celebrate the start of the Christmas season with this spectacular,
riverfront tree lighting ceremony the day after Thanksgiving.
Dec 3 – Light the Park at Orange Park’s Town Hall Park
Enjoy a reading of the traditional “A Visit from St. Nicholas” as Town
Hall Park is lit up with thousands of lights for the holiday season.
Dec 6-7 – Hometown Holiday in the Park at Orange Park’s Clarke House Park
Experience an old fashioned holiday celebration with a shopping
village, hay rides through a trail of lights, live entertainment,
Clarke House tours, and more. They’re even threatening snow!
We also have a number of special events that occur throughout the holiday season.
WinterFEST at Adventure Landing, for example, sees the popular water park transform into a winter wonderland through holiday season. Attractions include ice slides, an ice skating rink, a winter village, hot cocoa, and more.
Jax Illuminations is an annual, drive-thru holiday light show in Jacksonville. Tune your car radio to the special radio station and enjoy a mile of fantastic, twinkling decorations that flash and move to the music. A real holiday spectacular. Open November 20th through January 4th, 2019.
ZOOLights at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is another popular, season-long event. Walk through the Jacksonville Zoo after hours and see the exhibits and gardens decorated with thousands of sparkling lights. This event typically runs from late November through January.
Florida Holiday Lodging
The above is just a sampling of the full event calendar you will find in our area during the holidays. Whether you prefer the hustle and bustle of Jacksonville or the intimate and quieter, Old World Florida feel of of Orange Park, Club Continental has you covered. Book your stay with us today!