Wilmington's Holiday Boat Parade Is A Unique Coastal Christmas Thrill With Vendors And Events

Across the U.S., towns ring in the most wonderful time of the year with family-friendly Christmas parades, visits with Santa, and other festive traditions. Along the coast, many seaside towns put a nautical twist on the classic holiday parade. Wilmington, North Carolina's portside gem, may draw visitors year-round with its charming riverwalk and locally owned shops, but it's the beach towns along the Intracoastal Waterway where the action happens over the holidays. That's where you'll find the NC Holiday Flotilla at Wrightsville Beach happening on Saturday, November 29, 2025.

Abutting the east edge of Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach is one of North Carolina's most beloved summer towns. Each November since 1983, it's traded summer bustle for winter glow, hosting an illuminated boat parade and Christmas events for thousands of visitors — averaging over 50,000 in recent years. Festivities begin the Friday after Thanksgiving with ticketed parties and a free Tree Lighting Ceremony at Town Hall (this year, 5:30 p.m. on November 28). Guests can sip hot chocolate and nibble cookies as the Elf Patrol children's choir performs, followed by the Wilmington Celebration Choir and a visit from Santa.

The next day, starting at 10 a.m., Wrightsville Beach Park fills with around 100 food and craft vendors, plus a vintage car show. When the sun goes down, local captains, their vessels decked out in light displays and other festive decor, cruise 4 miles through Motts Channel, Banks Channel, and the Intracoastal Waterway. Spectators are invited to vote for their favorites as skippers compete for cash prizes and bragging rights. The evening finishes with a fireworks show over the harbor.

In 1983, a group of locals gathered at the Blockade Runner Beach Resort and decided to try something fun for the off-season: decorate their boats, set off fireworks, and throw a holiday party. Some also saw it as a way to bring some energy to the town during the off-season. The first flotilla consisted of just a handful of boats — some accounts say three, others say up to eight — and it has grown steadily, with more than 30 vessels participating in 2024.

The event has continued to anchor the region's Christmastime and off-season tourism, and in 2013, it was named one of the Top 20 Must-See Events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society. The NC Holiday Flotilla welcomes boats of all sizes, from monohull sailboats and bay skiffs to power yachts and even canoes, each choosing its own theme for decorating and competing in categories like People's Choice and Best Costumes and Crew Spirit. Past winners include themes like "Yellow Submarine," "Stick Man Christmas," and "Sleigh Surfing," all utilizing twinkle lights to illuminate their décor. "No matter how many boats we have, the captains never fail to give us a show," said Floatilla Chairwoman Linda Brown at a 2022 Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen meeting.

Thousands of visitors attend each year, filling local restaurants, shops, and hotels throughout Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach. Visitors stroll the waterfront, enjoying festive music, as they watch boats glide by in glittering lights. The town even celebrates it on at least one road sign, which reads: "Welcome to Wrightsville Beach, Home of the NC Holiday Flotilla," and the celebration has become more than just a holiday boat parade — it's a community tradition.