Popular Holiday Boat Parade Moving Forward, Scheduled Dec. 13

INDIAN SHORES, FL — With a few concessions made due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Redington Beaches/Indian Shores Holiday Boat Parade Committee that the annual Holiday Boat Parade will take place Sunday, Dec. 13, weather permitting.

The Holiday Boat Parade will end, as usual, at the Caddy’s Indian Shores Restaurant on Gulf Boulevard in Indian Shores. Prizes will be awarded at the Post-Parade Party at Caddy’s.

Participating boats are requested to rendezvous just north of the Tom Stuart (Madeira Beach) Causeway at approximately 5:45 p.m. for the 6 p.m. start of the parade.

The parade is sponsored jointly by the towns of Redington Beach, North Redington Beach, Redington Shores and Indian Shores. Each town provides initial financial support that is supplemented by private cash donations and, usually, prize merchandise donations from local businesses.

This year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the committee will not be soliciting merchandise donations from local businesses. Instead, only cash prizes and gift cards will be distributed to winning boat crews.

As in previous years, the boats will cover a route following the Intracoastal Waterway from just north of the Tom Stuart Causeway Bridge (Redington Beach) to Caddy’s - Indian Shores restaurant in Indian Shores. It meanders into the creeks and canals that branch off the Intracoastal Waterway, passing along the shoreline of each of the participating communities.

The awards ceremony will take place at Caddy’s – Indian Shores, the major sponsor of the parade, following the arrival of the last boat parade participant. Following the tradition of previous boat parades, Marcus Winters and Barry O’Connor, two of the owners of Caddy’s – Indian Shores, invite all participants to dock their boats overnight in the restaurant’s floating docks.

“We’re very excited to continue hosting the Redington Beaches/Indian Shores Boat Parade for 2020 and many years to come," said Militza Casasnovas, general manager of the restaurant.

Instead of the usual buffet meal provided for the participating boat crews, Caddy’s will distribute boxed meals – a safer option during the coronavirus pandemic.

Major prizes are given to the top three boats in each category. The three judging categories are based on the lengths of the participating boats. Typically, the categories break at approximately less than 25 feet, 25 to 35 feet, and over 35 feet. The committee tries to put an equal number of boats in each category.

For more information about the Redington Beaches/Indian Shores Boat Parade, call Redington Beach Town Hall at 727-391-3875.

Courtesy Redington Beaches/Indian Shores Holiday Boat Parade Committee