For the 2024 Key Largo Boat Parade on Saturday, December 14, lit boats with decorations inspired by this year’s Christmas in the Keys theme will light up Key Largo’s Blackwater Sound.
The evening will end with a fireworks show sponsored by Islamorada’s Plantation Boat Mart and presented by the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club.
Boats can participate the illuminated procession for free, and there are $5,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs, compared to $2,500 in different categories for both small and large vessels last year. Boats will compete for Best Business, Best Theme Use, Most Colorful, Most Original, Best Boat Under 25 Feet, and Best Boat Over 25 Feet.
According to Elizabeth Hladky, president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary, the theme this year encourages participants in the boat parade to be creative with their decorations, costumes, and musical selections. With so many gifts and prizes up for grabs, it’s the ideal chance to get involved and show off your holiday cheer on the water!
In preparation for a 7:30 p.m. launch, boats will line up along Dusenbury Creek Green Marker 41 at approximately 6:30 p.m. with help from Sea Tow. Bayside locations such as Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill, Sundowners, Caribbean Club, and Reefhouse Resort & Marina provide excellent views of the boat procession. The parade will continue with boats to MM 104, Riviera Village.
Lisa Feliciano, the previous president and event chair, said, “We appreciate our friends at Sea Tow helping to make sure everyone who is participating in the boat parade knows what to expect and where to go.”
Fireworks will illuminate Blackwater Sound’s skies after the parade. Dennis De La Torre, the owner of Plantation Boat Mart, is sponsoring the fireworks show. Plantation Boat Mart has been a part of the neighborhood for 36 years and is located at MM 90.4 bayside. In 1996, De La Torre purchased the company.
Son Ryan De La Torre stated, “We want this event to bring the community together.” Growing up, I always enjoyed this occasion and seeing the amazing fireworks show.
Go to keylargoboatparade.com and click on the parade entry form at the top of the page to register your boat for the procession. Participants in the boat parade receive a ditty bag filled with wine and other goods. They will also get a Keys Deep shirt and a boat parade shirt.
Follow the Key Largo Boat Parade on Facebook to be informed of all the events. The Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club uses the money raised from the boat parade to help the community. Every month, the residents of Oasis at the Keys Nursing & Rehab on Plantation Key are invited to a social hosted by the Rotary Club. The club also provides funding to groups in the Upper Keys, such as Wesley House, MarrVelous Pet Rescues, Key Largo School, and Coral Shores Athletics.
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