The Christmas Boat Parade Is Judged at Crayton Cove and Ends in Port Royal. Aqualane Shores Sits Between Them.

At 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, December 19, the first decorated boats will leave Marker 18 near Bayview Park and start north up Naples Bay. This is the 37th Annual Marine Industries Christmas Boat Parade, and the Marine Industries Association of Collier County has picked "Blossoms & Bows" as this year's theme. The judges sit at Naples City Dock in Crayton Cove. After that, the route goes north to the Gordon River bridge, turns around, and ends in Port Royal's Man-O-War and Morgan Cove.

The parade is judged in Old Naples and ends in Port Royal. Aqualane Shores sits between the two. The Naples Daily News puts the neighborhood south of Old Naples and north of Port Royal, with "many canals that lead to Naples Bay and the sparkling Gulf of Mexico." The parade's route runs from the neighborhood just north to the one just south. The six weeks before it give a canal-front household time to decide whether to buy City Dock tickets, pick a free spot on the bay, or enter the boat at the end of the backyard.

The route runs north, then turns back south

MIACC's 2026 announcement describes the parade in four legs:

1. Start, 6:15 p.m. Boats gather at Marker 18, near Bayview Park and the Hamilton Harbor marina.
2. North to Naples City Dock, where the judges and VIP guests are.
3. Farther north to Pincher's at Tin City, at the Gordon River bridge.
4. Back down the bay into Port Royal, through Man-O-War and Morgan Cove.

MIACC lists the event from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m. Because the route doubles back, the boats cover the bay twice: once heading north to the bridge and again heading south toward Port Royal. The last leg ends in Man-O-War and Morgan Cove.

Seven viewing spots, placed along the route

MIACC names seven places to watch from. Only one needs a ticket. Listed in route order, they cover very different parts of the evening.

For Aqualane Shores, the two closest spots are the ones in or near Crayton Cove: Naples City Dock and The Boathouse on Naples Bay. The Boathouse is the only spot on the list that lists both valet parking and a 100-foot dock. That makes it a choice for a household that wants dinner before the parade, whether they come by car or by boat.

Naples Landing is the free public choice in the same part of the bay. The city lists its meters running from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the first boats leave Marker 18 at 6:15.

Three spots sit at the Gordon River bridge, where the boats turn around. Pincher's and Riverwalk share the Tin City address at 1200 5th Ave. S. Kelly's Fish House sits beside the bridge on the other side of the water. Naples Press has called Kelly's the oldest continually operating restaurant in Naples, run by the same family under the bridge since the early 1950s. Before planning dinner around a table there, call ahead on the night.

Bayview Park is at the opposite end of the route from Tin City. The boats gather near Marker 18 here before they start, so this park sees the fleet first.

The judges are at City Dock, and so are the tickets

Naples City Dock is the only ticketed spot, and that's because the scoring happens there. MIACC's announcement calls it "the official judging location" for the evening. It says a limited number of pre-sale tickets give guests "a front-row waterfront view of the parade and its festive procession through Naples Bay." Tickets are sold through MIACC's Eventbrite page.

The rest of the year, the dock at 880 12th Ave. S. is a working city marina. The city lists fuel, pump-out service, transient dockage and charter services there. On December 19 it is where every entry gets its score. This matters most to the Aqualane households thinking about entering a boat, because every entry passes the judges at City Dock.

Entering from your own dock

The Aqualane Shores Association describes the neighborhood's deep-water channels and coves as giving many homeowners access to the Gulf. Those same channels open onto the bay where the parade runs. MIACC's announcement says "boats of all sizes are encouraged to participate." The 2026 vessel entry form sorts entries by type and length:

• Power: up to 30 feet; 31 to 40 feet; 41 to 50 feet; 51 feet and up
• Sail: up to 35 feet; 36 feet and up
• Commercial: up to 40 feet; 41 feet and up
• Parade Theme: one Best Entry award for the boat that best carries "Blossoms & Bows"

Each class has a Best in Class award, and the theme prize is listed as Best Overall Theme. Because the classes are split by length, a 28-foot center console from an Aqualane canal competes with boats its own size, not with the big yachts.

The entry steps come in this order:

1. Fill out the entry form. It asks for the owner or captain's contact details, the boat's name, manufacturer, length and type. Send the completed form to [email protected].
2. Go to the captains' meeting. It is on Wednesday, December 16, at 6:30 p.m. at Pincher's at Tin City, three days before the parade. The form says all participants must attend.
3. Decorate to the theme if you're going for the Parade Theme award.
4. Get to Marker 18 for the 6:15 p.m. start.

The entry form also includes a release in which participants accept that taking part is voluntary and at their own risk. Read it in full before you sign. Questions about entries, VIP tickets or sponsorships go to the MIACC office at 239-682-0900.

Where the proceeds go

MIACC's event page says 100% of the proceeds benefit the Ricky King Fund and the MIACC Foundation. The entry form has a separate line for a tax-deductible donation to the Ricky King Fund, which carries the motto "For the love of kids." Checks are made payable to the Ricky King Fund and mailed with the entry to MIACC, PO Box 9887, Naples, FL 34101. The form says the whole donation goes to the fund.

The parade has run on Naples Bay for close to four decades. MIACC describes it as an event that brings together "the local boating community, marine industry and residents." Last year's was the 36th. The Naples Daily News listed it for Saturday, December 13, 2025, with the same set of viewing spots MIACC names this year. The 2026 parade is six days later on the calendar, the Saturday before Christmas week.

City Dock's next event on the bay

City Dock hosts the next big event on the bay a month later. The Naples Boat Show runs Thursday, January 21, through Sunday, January 24, 2027. The in-water show is at Naples City Dock, and the land displays are at Sugden Regional Park. The same Crayton Cove dock that scores the parade in December hosts the in-water boats in January.

If your boat will be at a Naples Bay dock this December, the CVJ Team at Joe Caveney can talk through what life on Aqualane Shores' canals looks like in season. We work with buyers and sellers whose homes face Naples Bay, so ask us about Request Private Access & Home Valuation.