JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville holiday mainstay is getting ready to make its way down the St. Johns River: the annual Light Boat Parade.
Boats of all sizes will light up the river again on Saturday night starting at 6 p.m. Along with the boats, there will be a host of other events downtown, ending with a fireworks show that some say is the best the city offers because of the waterfall that cascades off the downtown bridges.
Bob Brindle knows that well, he’s been in the boat parade for the past 25 years. He actually won in his age category last year for his decorations. But that’s not why he does it.
“It’s one of the things you can do in Jacksonville where it’s a family affair. I mean, it’s everybody has a good time,” Brindle said.
Brindle said it may look great from the Riverwalk, but he said you should see it from his vantage point.
“When you’re on the boat, and you go in downtown, and you look down here, I mean people are 10 to 20 deep, just out there watching all these boats coming by and on my boat. My grandkids they like to get the bullhorn and yell back and forth with the people on the dock. And they’ll yell you say Merry, I’ll say Christmas,” Brindle said.
People can watch the light boat parade from the north and southbanks. The boats will make the loop from the downtown hotels to the Fuller Warren Bridge and back again. But that’s not the only thing that’s going to take place.
At Riverfront Park, the old home of the Jacksonville Landing, there will be vendors, artists, food trucks, and others taking part in a pop-up event.
In the past, the city used to do its tree light on Thanksgiving weekend.
Now, the tree lighting will take place Dec. 7 during Art Walk at James Weldon Johnson Park across from City Hall.