Morgan M. Hurley | Downtown Editor

The 2012 holiday season will see the return of the 41st annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights, which features nearly 100 local boats “trimmed to the brim” as they march (float) along the San Diego waterfront from the boat launch at Shelter Island to just past the 10th street terminal where it turns west and ends at the Coronado Ferry Landing.

The annual holiday parade is organized by an all-volunteer organization made up of the San Diego boating community and consists of both private and commercial vessels.

The 2013 parade will be held on Sunday, Dec. 9, and again on Sunday, Dec. 16. The parade will kick off at 5:30 p.m. both nights. For a map of the parade route, visit their website.

This year’s theme, chosen with the help of the USS Midway Museum, is “Our 41st anniversary, USS Santa Clause.”  Two panels of judges are positioned along the parade route and scoring each participant on a variety of categories and criteria. Boats who participate in both parades get bonus points.

Award categories include (but are not limited to): Best of Parade, San Diego Bay Parade of Lights Committee International Award, San Diego Port Tenant Award, Best Yacht Club Entry, Best Marina Entry, Best of Power (both commercial and private), and Best of Sail (categories in both private and commercial).

Awards will be handed out at the annual banquet that takes place in January and includes all participating boaters.

For those who wish to watch the Parade of Lights, a good place to view it is from the water, however those wishing to find a spot along the Bay need to arrive early for best locations.

Because of the large number of people who come to watch the parade every year, attendees are encouraged to take public transportation since parking around the Bay will be limited.

More information about parking and the event itself is available on their website or email them at  [email protected].