We thank you for inquiring about our 35th Annual Mount Dora Lighted Boat Christmas Parade! This year’s boat parade will be held on Saturday December 6th, 2025.
Our boat parade theme is “Florida Christmas”. Whether you decorate your boat up fancy or just put a few lights on, let your imagination run wild and come join us for some fun!
Awards will be presented for: First, Second, Third Place and Most Creative
- If you would like to enter online with a card (a $1.50 processing fee applies) please choose the Online Application button and use our secure checkout system.
- If you would like to enter your boat by printing and mailing your application form with a check, please choose the Printable Form button below.
Entry fee: $25
Judging will take place in Lake Beauclair at 5:30 PM.
In order to have your boat judged please fall in line and circle the Committee Boat (Rusty Anchor’s Tiki) clockwise.
Once judging is complete (approximately 6:00 PM) we will follow the Committee Boat into Lake Dora and along the shoreline for the parade.
Award Winners will be announced via our Social Media pages so please keep an eye out for that. Please communicate with Rusty Anchor Staff via our social media or the Contact Us form on our website so we can make arrangements to get your awards to you. We can’t wait to see what you all put together this year and we look forward to having you join us!
Want to view the boat parade from shore? Here’s some tips:
The Boat Parade travels on the Mount Dora side of Lake Dora and can only be viewed from the Mount Dora area’s shoreline. It can easily go on for an hour so if you want to watch the boat parade from shore this is what we suggest:
- Like most events, it’s good to come early. Find a comfortable spot in Mount Dora along the shoreline of Lake Dora, sit tight and relax.
- The Boat Parade travels at its own safe pace so depending on your location, it may or may not get to you at exactly 6:30 pm
- Tour boats and Private boaters with their boats decorated come along the shoreline so unless you see Our boat with the Big Green Alligator on the side and a string of boats behind it (the boat parade) you may be seeing private boaters or tour boats.
We hope you enjoy the boat parade, we look forward to hearing your festive voices!