Last December, Boynton Beach spread its holiday season across two evenings in a row. The 54th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting ran from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2025. The 54th Annual Holiday Parade followed from 4 to 6 p.m. the next afternoon. The year before, the parade took over Federal Highway and Ocean Avenue on December 7, 2024.
This year the city has merged the two. The 2026 Holiday Tree Lighting listing from the City of Boynton Beach says that "instead of two separate events," the tree lighting and the holiday parade become "one special night." Groups that used to march now get a stage slot of up to 10 minutes, and that limit includes load-in and load-out.
So the only holiday procession left in Boynton Beach this December is the one on the water.
Two nights, side by side
The changes are easiest to see in a table. Here are the two evenings that make up the city's December this year, with last year's parade for comparison.
| 2025 street parade | 2026 Holiday Tree Lighting | 2026 Holiday Boat Parade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 | Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026 | Friday, Dec. 11, 2026 |
| Hours | 4 to 6 p.m. | 4 to 10 p.m. | Festivities 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Where | Boynton Beach | 120 E. Ocean Ave. | Intracoastal, Lantana to Delray Beach |
| Format | Moving parade | Stage performances, tree lighting, gift market | Moving flotilla, judged |
On paper, the tree lighting grows from a four-hour evening last year to a six-hour one this year, and the parade shrinks from a two-hour route to a run of short stage sets inside that window. People who used to stake out a curb on Federal Highway will get a seat in front of a stage instead.
What the combined night on Ocean Avenue looks like
The city has given the December 5 event a Grinch and Whoville theme. It promises music from local performers, food, children's activities and a holiday gift market. The application page calls it the "newly redesigned Holiday Tree Lighting/ Whoville Spectacular." Santa and the Grinch both appear at the tree lighting ceremony, alongside dancers, bands, costumed characters and community groups.
The listing covers the practical details:
- Free parking is on the corner of Boynton Beach Boulevard and Seacrest Boulevard, entering from Boynton Beach Boulevard.
- Accessible parking is on Ocean Avenue east of Seacrest Boulevard.
- Rideshare drop-off and pickup is at the roundabout at City Hall, 100 E. Ocean Ave.
Groups that used to walk in the parade now need to apply for a stage slot. The Holiday Tree Lighting Stage Performance application closes November 22, 2026. Applications for nonprofit, craft and retail, and food truck vendors share that deadline. The craft and retail category covers items like artwork, jewelry, clothing and home décor. Service businesses are pointed to the sponsorship packet instead. That leaves a little over two weeks from publication day for a school band, dance studio or scout troop to claim one of those 10-minute slots.
The procession that still moves
Six days later, the Holiday Boat Parade does what the street parade no longer does. The Boynton Beach CRA describes it as an annual event on the second Friday of December. The route starts at the Ocean Avenue Bridge in Lantana and runs south to the C-15 Canal in Delray Beach. In 2026 that second Friday is December 11. Discover The Palm Beaches lists the start as 6 p.m., and the city's own listing puts the procession leaving the Lantana bridge at 6:30 p.m.
The parade is not Boynton's alone. The CRA's 2024 announcement named Hypoluxo, Lantana and Delray Beach as partners, and the boats are judged as they go. Recent years awarded first, second and third place in three size classes: under 25 feet, 25 to 34 feet, and 35 feet and up. The event listing describes boats decorated with lights, holiday displays and carolers, with trophies and cash prizes from a panel of judges. Entry is free for local boaters.
With the street parade gone, the boat parade is the one event this month where the show comes past you, so where you stand decides what you see and when.
Choosing your spot along the water
Boynton Harbor Marina, 735 Casa Loma Blvd. This is the official watch location, with music, family activities, a visit from Santa, and food and drinks for sale from Two Georges Restaurant. Of the waterfront spots, only the marina has a program that runs before the boats arrive.
The city parks. The event listing names Intracoastal Park, Jaycee Park and Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park as other places to watch. They suit anyone who wants the boats without the marina crowd.
A table with a view. The same listing suggests watching over dinner at Two Georges, Banana Boat, Prime Catch, Old Key Lime House, Del Fuego or Deck 84, all with views of the Intracoastal. On the second Friday in December, plan on calling ahead.
South of the city line. The route ends in Delray Beach. In 2024, Boca Daily News called Veterans Park on Atlantic Avenue the "prime watch location" there.
The bridges set the evening's clock
The drawbridges stay raised while the boats pass under them, so the parade affects more people than those watching it. That includes anyone driving home across the Intracoastal on a Friday night. Boca Daily News reported in December 2024 on the organizers' estimated closing times for that year, along with a caution from the announcement:
"It is very difficult to provide an exact time that the bridges will be unavailable for crossing. The times listed … are merely estimates based on data collected in previous years."
These were the 2024 estimates, listed from north to south:
- Ocean Avenue, Boynton Beach: 7:15 p.m.
- Woolbright Road, Boynton Beach: 7:30 p.m.
- George Bush Boulevard, Delray Beach: 7:45 p.m.
- Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach: 8 p.m.
- Linton Boulevard, Delray Beach: 8:15 p.m.
These are past-year figures, not a 2026 schedule. They do show how the evening flows: the boats reach Boynton's two bridges about 45 minutes to an hour after leaving Lantana, then take roughly another 45 minutes to work down through Delray. If you watch from a park in Boynton, you will likely see the flotilla early in its run. If you are driving across a bridge that night, give yourself the whole 7 to 8:30 p.m. window.
Bring a toy and a flashlight
The boat parade also doubles as a Toys for Tots drive. The event listing asks spectators to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the watch party at Boynton Harbor Marina. Volunteers from Sea Tow and the U.S. Marines make dockside pickups along the route, and if you wave a flashlight when one of their boats passes, they stop to collect your donation. If you live on the water anywhere between the Lantana bridge and the C-15 Canal, you can donate from your own dock.
The city keeps its seasonal details on the Holidays in Boynton Beach page. Check it for updates before December 5 and again before December 11.
I love watching Boynton Beach's holiday traditions, and I'm always happy to talk about how this city spends its December. If you want suggestions for a quiet spot along the Intracoastal on December 11, or you're thinking about a home where the flotilla goes right past your dock, call or email me through Michelle Yales and schedule a free consultation.
