On Saturday, December 12, the boats in the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade will line up along the New River docks west of Stranahan House, toward the Broward Center. A non-motorized preshow starts at 5:30 p.m., and the parade itself leaves at 6. It runs east along the river, turns north onto the Intracoastal Waterway and ends about 12 miles later at Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. This year's theme is "Party in the U.S.A.," tied to the America250 anniversary. The grand marshals are the country duo LOCASH, Preston Brust and Chris Lucas, riding the Fifth Third Bank Showboat.
If you live along Las Olas Boulevard or on the Isles, the route matters less than the timing. The water closes hours before the first boat goes by. The bridges close in order as the parade moves north. And the Las Olas bridge stays raised in the middle of the evening, which splits the neighborhood into two separate parade nights. Where you are standing at 6 p.m. decides which one you get.
The Water Closes First, Starting at 2:30
Winterfest closes the waterways to non-parade boats in three stages. If you planned an afternoon on the water that day, these times set your deadline:
- 2:30 p.m. The New River closes from the fork near Little Florida, west of Cooley's Landing, east to Marker 9.
- 4:50 p.m. The Intracoastal closes from Port Everglades north to the Oakland Park Bridge.
- 5:50 p.m. The Intracoastal closes north of the Oakland Park Bridge to Lake Santa Barbara.
The 4:50 closure is the one that covers the Intracoastal past Las Olas. That's more than an hour and a half before the parade is due at the Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park, around 6:30 p.m. If your boat is coming back from the ocean or from up the coast, it needs to be past that stretch well before dark.
The Bridge Stays Up, So Cars Can't Cross
Each Intracoastal drawbridge stays raised for the boats while the parade passes, which means no cars can cross it. Winterfest's approximate closing times for drivers:
| Bridge | Closes to cars | Reopens to cars |
|---|---|---|
| 7th Avenue | On demand | On demand |
| FEC Railroad | 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. |
| 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. |
Read down the table and you can follow the parade north. The closures move up the Intracoastal half an hour at a time behind the boats. The Coast Guard's Local Notice to Mariners for December 12 lists the same parade-night windows for the Las Olas, Sunrise and Oakland Park bridges. Winterfest calls all of these times approximate, and traffic can push them later.
From Las Olas, that leaves two hours with no road across the Intracoastal. Winterfest's viewing-area page says it plainly: the Las Olas bridge "will be locked open for the duration of the Parade," and guests should "plan on being on the east side of the Las Olas Bridge by 6:00 PM." That advice is for ticket holders, but it applies to anyone who has to cross. If you're on the Isles at 6:15 and dinner is at the beach, you'll wait until about 8:30. And on a normal day the bridge opens on the quarter-hour and three-quarter-hour. Expect that schedule earlier in the day too.
The East Side Has the Official Viewing Area
East of the bridge, the main event is Winterfest's own viewing area at Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park, 80 Las Olas Circle, on the southeast corner of Las Olas Boulevard and the Intracoastal. Gates open at 4 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults and $30 for children 12 and under, and children 3 and under get in free. Every guest gets a chair. Radio personalities from iHeart Radio call the parade over the speakers. New this year is the Soundwave, a 20-foot LED sound-system truck. The park has hosted the viewing area since 2021.
The rules come from the ticketed setting. You can't bring bottles, coolers, chairs or pets. Winterfest's viewing-area tips say to expect bag searches and metal detectors. They also suggest the Las Olas Parking Garage next door at 200 Las Olas Circle or a rideshare, since parking will be very limited that night. The parade goes on rain or shine.
The West Side Sees the Parade First
West of the bridge, the boats pass early, because the river is where they start. Two parties there have published 2026 details.
- The Riverside Hotel, 620 E. Las Olas Blvd. The hotel is on the New River, where the parade begins. Its party runs 5 to 8 p.m. and is 21 and over. Riverfront tickets cost $85 and include an open bar at the pool and dock with a front-row view. Premium patio tickets cost $150 and add culinary stations on the New River patio and Boathouse. Rooftop tickets cost $195 for the 8th-floor Skyline Terrace, with a premium open bar, a higher view and live entertainment. Valet is $38 extra.
- All Saints Episcopal Church, 333 Tarpon Drive. The church is just off Las Olas and is holding a waterfront viewing party as a fundraiser. Adult tickets are $25 in advance through December 11 and $30 on parade day. Children 12 and under get in free. A limited number of parking spaces cost $20, first come, first served. There will be food trucks, soft drinks, beer and wine, face painting and games. Outside food and drink aren't allowed, but here, unlike at the official area, you bring your own chairs, blankets and umbrellas.
Winterfest's Ways to Watch page also lists the bridges and the Riverside Hotel among the places along the route to watch. If you'd rather not cross the water at all, Winterfest will livestream the parade on social media, including Facebook, on December 12. Its television special airs later on WSVN 7, first on Friday, December 18, from 7 to 8 p.m., and again on December 25 and January 1 on both WSVN 7 and ABC Miami 18.
The Holiday Weeks Before Split Along the Same Line
In the weeks before the parade, the city's holiday events land on both sides of the same water, and several of them use the same parks.
- Thursday, November 19: Light Up the Beach at Las Olas Oceanside Park, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The display has more than 50,000 lights and a 20-foot snowman named "Olas" at A1A and Las Olas Boulevard. The lighting ceremony is at 6:30, and the Fort Lauderdale Symphonic Winds play from 7 to 8:30.
- Sunday, November 22: Winterfest Family Fun Day at Esplanade Park, 400 SW 2nd Street, on the New River, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's free, and the Museum of Discovery & Science offers free admission from 3 to 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, December 1: Christmas on Las Olas, from 5 to 10 p.m. on the boulevard between SE 6th and SE 11th Avenues. The Las Olas Association lists more than 60 vendors, live performances, Santa's Village, sledding on Snow Mountain and free ice skating.
- Sunday, December 6: Menorah Lighting at Las Olas Oceanside Park at 6 p.m.
The beach events happen east of the Intracoastal, and the boulevard and river events happen west of it. On December 12 the Las Olas bridge separates the two for two hours. All the other holiday nights, crossing it takes a minute.
If you're deciding whether to have friends over at your home on the water or head down to the boulevard on December 12, the team at Elmes Group knows how this stretch of the Intracoastal works on parade night. We're glad to help you plan the evening. Contact Us.
