Redington Beaches, Indian Shores Holiday Boat Parade Date Set

REDINGTON BEACHES, FL — The Redington Beaches/Indian Shores Christmas Boat Parade Committee has announced that the 2023 edition of the annual Holiday Boat Parade will be held, weather permitting, on Sunday, Dec. 10.

The boat parade date is earlier this year because of December’s high tides, which is important for the boats due to relatively shallow depths in some of the canals along the parade route.

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 free and family-friendly post parade awards party at Caddy’s. The public is invited to attend.

This year, the committee will be awarding cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200 to the top three boats in each category. Categories are organized based on boat lengths. Judging criteria will include decoration theme, crew enthusiasm and overall display presentation. Judging of the Redington Beaches/Indian Shores Boat Parade is done by residents who volunteer to represent their respective towns.

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.

“We're excited to host the annual Redington Beaches/Indian Shores Holiday Boat Parade again and to welcome participating boaters and local residents and visitors," said Keary Britt, general manager of Caddy's Indian Shores. “We’re very excited to continue hosting the Redington Beaches/Indian Shores Boat Parade for 2023 and many years to come.”

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.

The captains’ meeting for participating boats will be held jointly with the Madeira Beach parade meeting at Madeira Beach City Hall on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 6:30 p.m. This is a different location from past parades, selected for the convenience of the boat captains since Madeira Beach’s Boat Parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 9.

Boat captains are urged to attend the captains’ meeting to review route details and to pick up their numbered parade entry boards.

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.

Optimum viewing locations — which always get crowded early — include ROC Community Park in Madeira Beach; the 161st Avenue causeway in Redington Beach; Del Bello Park in Redington Shores (just north of Seabreeze Restaurant); and the Park Boulevard Boat Ramp in Indian Shores.

The awards ceremony will take place at Caddy’s Indian Shores Restaurant, the major sponsor of the parade, following the arrival of the last boat parade participant.

In the tradition of previous boat parades, Marcus Winters and Barry O’Connor, two of the owners of Caddy’s Indian Shores have extended an invitation to all participants to dock their boats overnight in the restaurant’s floating docks, based on availability.

Caddy’s will provide a complimentary meal for the boat crews attending the awards party.

Major prizes, consisting of gift certificates and cash, 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 equal numbers of boats in each category.

Entry forms for the parade are available now at the town Halls and and the websites of the participating towns. Entry forms will also be distributed to local marinas for boaters to pick up and will be available at the parade captain’s meeting.

Entry forms and parade information is also available on the committee’s Facebook page and Instagram page at “RBISBOATPARADE."

The boat parade committee has allocated up to $25 per boat for the rental of portable generators to operate the decorative lighting used by the boats. Boat captains should submit a copy of their rental receipt to claim the reimbursement.

For further information about the Redington Beaches/Indian Shores Boat Parade, call Redington
Beach Town Hall, 727-391-3875 or click here.