The Riverwalk was full by five. By half past, the bridge sidewalk was full too, and the people who arrived at six stood on the benches. It is the one night of the year when the whole town is on the same hundred yards of waterfront, and the river delivers.
The first boat came under the Roosevelt Bridge at a quarter past six, a small centre console with a Christmas tree lashed to the T-top, and the crowd cheered it like a float. Behind it came the rest: a sportfisher with a reindeer on each outrigger, a pontoon of carol singers, a sailboat with lights up every stay, a kayak with a single string of bulbs and a very cold paddler, and the judges’ favourite, a trawler done up as a lighthouse with a working beam that swept the docks every ten seconds.
What to know for next year
- Arrive at five for the Riverwalk, or at six for the bridge.
- The Boathouse dock is the best seat and needs a booking in November.
- Dress for a cold wind off the water, whatever the afternoon was like.
- The parade passes the Riverwalk, turns at the point and comes back, so you see every boat twice.
The night market the evening before makes it a weekend. We stayed at the Harbor House, walked to both and did not touch the car until Sunday.