✅ Confirmed for 2026

Christmas Ships Parade

Columbia and Willamette Rivers • Vancouver, WA

📅 Dates

November 27 - December 20, 2026 (select dates)

Hours: Evenings; the fleet is out for about two hours on many routes

💰 Cost

FREE

All ages

🎯 Best For

Families and fans of festive light displays

🅿️ Parking

Around 80 motor and sail boats decked out in holiday lights cruise the Columbia and Willamette rivers, parading on their own or joining up into a display nearly two miles long. Watching from the shore is free, and there are dockside chances to see the boats up close and meet the volunteer skippers. It's billed as the longest continuously operating illuminated boat parade in the United States.

🌟 What You'll Experience

Around 80 illuminated motor and sail boats.
Two fleets, on the Columbia and the Willamette, following different routes on different nights.
Combined-fleet nights when the boats join into a display nearly two miles long.
Santa escort to the Vancouver Waterfront for the Vancouver Rotary Tree Lighting on Friday, November 27.
Dockside viewing and skipper meet-and-greets.

💡 Pro Tips

Check which fleet and route runs on your night before heading out, because the Columbia and Willamette fleets follow different routes on different dates.
Arrive early and plan to wait: weather, river debris and commercial traffic mean there are no exact times for specific viewing spots.
In Portland, watch the Willamette fleet from Riverplace Esplanade at the west end of the Marquam Bridge, Tom McCall Waterfront Park along SW Front, or the South Waterfront Greenway. On the Vancouver side, Rotary Way west of I-5 is an outdoor viewing spot.
Watch for updates when the weather turns, since severe weather can cancel a parade and the call is made close to parade time.
To watch from the water or indoors, book a river cruise, a riverside restaurant table, or a Willamette Shore Trolley Christmas Ships excursion.
Dress warmly for an evening on the riverbank.

📞 Get More Information

Website: Visit Official Site