The 55th Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade starts at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 12. A preshow of non-motorized vessels begins at 5:30, and the procession is scheduled to run until 8:30. The start time is the same for everyone, but the boats reach your stretch of water at a different hour depending on where you live. They pass Stranahan House first and Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach last. In between, the drawbridges close to cars one after another, so the bridge you would drive home over shuts and reopens on its own schedule.
Pick the hour you want the boats in front of you and the bridge you need open afterward, and the right spot follows from those two answers.
This year's theme is "Party in the U.S.A.," marking America's 250th anniversary. The parade also serves as the grand finale of Fort Lauderdale's America250 celebration. The country duo LOCASH, Preston Brust and Chris Lucas, are the Grand Marshals and will ride the Fifth Third Bank Grand Marshal Showboat.
The River Closes Hours Before the City Notices
Things start well before dark. Parade boats stage on docks along the New River, running west from Stranahan House toward the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. From there the route heads east to the Intracoastal and then north. The river closes to all non-parade vessels at 2:30 p.m., from the fork near Little Florida, west of Cooley's Landing, east to Marker 9. The Intracoastal closes in two pieces. The stretch from Port Everglades to just south of the Oakland Park bridge shuts at 4:50 p.m., and the stretch north of Oakland Park to Lake Santa Barbara follows at 5:50.
If your boat is tied up off the New River, the afternoon of December 12 is effectively over by mid-afternoon. If you're farther up the Intracoastal, you have about an extra hour on the water before the channel closes.
The river end of the route has two city parks within walking distance. Riverwalk Linear Park, at 20 N. New River Drive, has a waterfront walkway with benches along the river. Laura Ward Plaza, at 420 SE 6th Ave., is a city waterfront park on the same stretch. Winterfest also lists the bridges themselves and The Riverside Hotel, at 620 E. Las Olas Blvd., among its live viewing locations. Downtown is where the boats appear first, close to 6:00 p.m., while there is still a little dusk left.
The Bridge Schedule Is the Parade's Timetable
Winterfest publishes the vehicle closures for each bridge. In practice, the table doubles as a timetable for the boats.
| Bridge | Closes to cars | Reopens |
|---|---|---|
| FEC Railroad Bridge | 5:30 p.m. | 7:20 p.m. |
| Andrews Avenue | 5:30 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| Third Avenue | 5:30 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. |
| 7th Avenue | On demand | On demand |
| Las Olas Boulevard | 6:30 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| Sunrise Boulevard | 7:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. |
| Oakland Park Boulevard | 7:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| Commercial Boulevard | 8:00 p.m. | 11:00 p.m. |
Winterfest calls these times approximate. Two things in the table matter most when planning.
First, the closures move north in half-hour steps once the procession leaves the river. Las Olas, Sunrise, Oakland Park and Commercial each close 30 minutes after the one before. Two and a half hours separate the first downtown closure from the closure at Commercial Boulevard. Andrews Avenue and Third Avenue reopen at 8:00 p.m., the same time Commercial closes.
Second, the bridges don't stay closed for the same length of time. The Intracoastal crossings from Las Olas to Oakland Park are each shut for two hours. Commercial Boulevard stays closed for three, and doesn't reopen until 11:00 p.m. If you're watching near the northern end and need to cross the Intracoastal on Commercial afterward, plan on a late night or a dinner reservation that runs long.
Las Olas Is the Ticketed Middle of the Route
Winterfest's official viewing area sits about halfway along the route, at Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park, 80 Las Olas Circle. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. The parade reaches the park around 6:30, which is also when the Las Olas bridge closes to cars. Winterfest describes it as a festival before and after the parade.
The ticket covers:
- A folding chair, with live commentary from iHeart during the parade
- Festival activities, entertainment, vendors and games
- Photo opportunities with Santa and mascots
Winterfest's listing prices general admission at $40, a reserved area with priority seating at $60, and assigned bleacher seats at $80. Children 3 and under get in free with general admission. At checkout, fees bring an adult general admission ticket for ages 13 and up to $43.80 and a child ticket for ages 4 to 12 to $33.18. The preferred viewing area comes to $65.04.
Getting to the park this year means crossing a construction zone. FDOT's rehabilitation of the East Las Olas Boulevard Bridge over the Intracoastal began in May 2026, with Seacoast Incorporated as the contractor and completion targeted for Summer 2027. In a July 28 traffic advisory, the City of Fort Lauderdale said the bridge would run with reduced lanes, one in each direction, through late fall. A bridge that has already lost lanes, with a two-hour parade closure on top, is a good reason to arrive close to the 4:00 p.m. gate opening.
North of Oakland Park, the Restaurants Host the Parade
By about 7:30, when the boats near the Oakland Park bridge, the setting has shifted from a park to restaurants. The waterfront along NE 32nd Avenue in the Galt area has several dining rooms directly on the Intracoastal, and some sell parade nights as an event.
Bokamper's Sports Bar & Grill, at 3115 NE 32nd Ave., is taking reservations for December 12 with VIP seating from $140. It offers patio and dock seating and posts a dedicated parade menu. A few doors away, last year's Visit Lauderdale spectator guide named Shooters Waterfront, at 3033 NE 32nd Ave., as a front-row restaurant for the parade. The same guide listed Mastro's Ocean Club, at 3000 NE 32nd Ave., among its waterfront picks. Farther south, the 2025 guide pointed to Coconuts, at 429 Seabreeze Blvd., for its Intracoastal view. Its general advice was to book a table well ahead of time.
The northernmost restaurant with a 2026 parade page is Kaluz Restaurant, at 3300 E. Commercial Blvd., right where the boats pass the last Fort Lauderdale bridge. Kaluz handles Winterfest bookings through its events team at [email protected]. Because Commercial closes at 8:00 and doesn't reopen until 11:00, a dinner at Kaluz can run the full length of that closure. Guests can see the boats and wait out the traffic without leaving their table.
Past Commercial, the parade ends at Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. Lake Santa Barbara Park, at 2290 SE 7th Street, has benches near where the route finishes. The city's event calendar lists the parade itself as free. The only gated, ticketed area is the one at Las Olas. Visit Lauderdale's guide notes that people without tickets can set up lawn chairs along the Intracoastal.
The Calendar Leading Up to December 12
Several Winterfest events lead up to the parade, starting 10 days after this post goes up:
- Sunday, November 22, Family Fun Day. A free day at Esplanade Park on the New River from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with rides, activities and entertainment. Winterfest's 2026 materials list Water Taxi rides among the activities.
- Saturday, December 5, Black Tie Ball. Held at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino from 6:00 p.m. to midnight, with the theme "Adorned in the USA." Individual tickets are $400 and tables start at $4,000.
- Tuesday, December 8, Captains' Meeting. A mandatory meeting for participating boats, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Suntex Marinas. First-time parade boaters can preview the route by Water Taxi afterward.
- Friday, December 11, Grand Marshal Reception. Invitation only, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
- Saturday, December 12, the parade. The river closes at 2:30 p.m., the preshow starts at 5:30, the boats leave at 6:00, and Commercial Boulevard reopens at 11:00.
If you're hosting guests or reserving a table, start with the closure time of the bridge nearest you. That tells you roughly when the boats will pass, and the reopening time tells you when your evening on that side of the water ends.
When the boats go by your dock or the windows of your condo on December 12, you're looking at the same stretch of water a buyer pays for the rest of the year. To talk about waterfront property along this route, including how long a home's nearest bridge stays closed on parade night, schedule a confidential consultation with Austin Bergman.
