It’s not too late to enter the Parade of Lights

A favorite holiday event among Canyon Lakers is the annual Parade of Lights boat parade hosted by the Yacht Club. This year’s parade will be held on Saturday, Dec. 8. Boats will line up at the East Port launch ramp at 4:30 p.m. The Yacht Club’s fire-breathing Green Dragon boat will lead the parade through the East Bay at 5:30 p.m.

The parade will travel through the East Bay and around the main lake before ending at Holiday Harbor Park where Santa will greet visitors and awards will be presented. The community is invited to view the boats up-close at the end of the parade at Holiday Harbor Park.

Residents, clubs, groups and businesses are encouraged to decorate a boat with lights and join in on the fun. There is no entry fee.

Cash prizes will be awarded for the best-decorated boats in various categories. One boat will be chosen to receive the Commodore’s Award. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in the categories of Best Pontoon, Best Ski Boat and Club/Civic categories. There are two new awards up for grabs this year for first-time entries and those who have not entered the parade in the last three years.

The Yacht Club is requesting that participants turn in their entry forms as soon as possible so the club has a general idea of how many boats will be participating this year. Entry forms are available in The Friday Flyer paper and at the POA office, lodge and country club, or by emailing Commodore Dave Dain at ddain297@gmail.com.

Last-minute entries can sign up on the day of the parade at the East Port launch ramp at 4:30 p.m.; however, participants who do not submit an entry form will not be eligible for judging and prizes.

The Yacht Club offers the following tips for participants:

To make the Parade of Lights more enjoyable, enlist a group of friends or neighbors to help come up with a theme and decorate a boat. It does not have to be an extravagant entry or look like a masterpiece in the daylight, the crowd only sees the lights.

When decorating your boat, keep in mind the obstacles of the lake. The biggest obstacle to remember is the boat tunnel. If your decorations are too high or wide, your boat won’t make it through the tunnel.

Boats circle the main lake counter-clockwise. If your entry is one-sided, make sure it is on the starboard side or spectators won’t see it.

Generators can be rented from Home Depot.

When building your entry, be sure to use the lightest materials possible. Reflectix and R-Tec engineered insulation are a couple products that work great. Both are easy to cut into shapes. The easiest way to attach lights to the material is with a hot glue gun.

Decorate your boat with two to three color combinations only. If you use too many colors, the whole boat will become a blur to the spectators because of the reflection on the water. Place a few more strings of lights to outline the shape of your boat and the whole decorating scheme will become clear to spectators.

For more information about the Parade of Lights, contact Commodore Dave Dain at ddain297@gmail.com.