JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Light Parade will move from Thanksgiving weekend to New Year's weekend this year, Gator Bowl Sports announced Tuesday.
The parade and its iconic fireworks show will take place Friday, Dec. 30, the evening before the 72nd annual TaxSlayer Bowl game on Saturday. The parade also picked up a title sponsor, Community First Credit Union.
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The Light Boat Parade is a community tradition dating back to 1984. The parade began as a celebration of the Gator Bowl with a purpose of not only providing exciting entertainment for visiting fans and the local community, but to also bring activity to the St. Johns River. The parade also provides an opportunity for Jacksonville’s boating community to take center stage, entertaining the over 200,000 people who annually attend this event.
“Moving the Light Boat Parade to coincide with the TaxSlayer Bowl will guarantee heightened promotion of the prized Light Boat Parade, as tens of thousands of fans will be staying in our downtown hotels in preparation for the game,” Gator Bowl Sports CEO Rick Catlett said "We believe that long-term, this will boost our city’s exposure and, in turn, our economic impact through increased tourism, all while remaining one of our city’s premier events.”
The parade was operated by the city of Jacksonville for over 20 years, but it was cut from the city budget in during the recession. A group of local boating enthusiasts continued to operate the parade until 2014, when Gator Bowl Sports took over the event.
“The boating community is excited for the opportunity to bring this great event back to the premium level that it once was,” said Lisa Almeida, CEO of Freedom Boat Club in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. “The support of Gator Bowl Sports and sponsorship by Community First Credit Union has gotten us well along that path.”
“We are excited about the ‘New Night and the Same Great Tradition,’” said John Hirabayashi, CEO and president of Community First Credit Union. “We hope the entire community embraces the event with the enthusiasm it has in the past. The Community First Jacksonville Light Boat Parade showcases our beautiful St. Johns River and downtown skyline as well as our strong community spirit for the thousands of locals and visitors who are expected to attend.”
Registration is open for boaters interested in participating in the 32nd Annual Community First Jacksonville Light Boat Parade. The holiday tradition is free for all vessels, from canoes or kayaks to sailboats or houseboats.
All decorations, ranging from simplistic to extravagant, are welcome. The deadline for registration is Dec. 16. Boaters may register at lightboatparade.com.