King Harbor's Boat Parade Now Sails Toward the Crowd

The King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade starts at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 12. King Harbor Yacht Club runs the parade, and the club is not open to the public for the event.

So the people who build and light the boats will be at the club, and everyone else watches from the city's side of the water. The official 2026 parade listing names two places it calls the best for viewing: Moonstone Park and "Mole D along the Splash Wall." In 2025, Redondo Beach's only parade was rerouted toward the public shoreline, and that's where your evening should be planned.

A Route Redrawn for the People on Shore

For most of its history the parade has been a yacht club tradition that the public watched from wherever it could. That changed in 2025. Easy Reader reported in August 2025 that the King Harbor Yacht Club parade would get a new route that December. The new route ran closer to the Pier and the corner by Riviera Mexican Cantina, to make it more spectator-friendly. City Councilman Chadwick Castle summed up the parade's place in town in the same report:

"This is the only parade we have in Redondo Beach."

The same report covered another event on that stretch of water. Ocean water polo courts went in between Riviera Mexican Grill and California Surf Club because the spot gave spectators better views. Speaking about the water polo tournament, Castle told Easy Reader, "We're trying to activate the waterfront." The 2025 parade route was moved toward that same corner.

You also get more than one look at the boats. According to the parade's 2025 sponsorship page, sponsored boats circled the marina three times for judging. If this year's format matches, you don't need a perfect spot at 5:30. A boat you miss on the first lap will come around again.

The Two Spots the Organizers Point To

Since the club is closed, the parade's own recommendations are the most direct guide to the public side of the harbor.

• Moonstone Park. The city places its Harbor Patrol office at the west end of Marina Way, next to Moonstone Park. The park sits on Mole B, which is also home to the Lanakila Outrigger Club.
• Mole D along the Splash Wall. This is the second spot on the official list. It's on the inner harbor side among the marina facilities.

Moonstone Park has had a busy year. The City of Redondo Beach's breakwall update says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers scheduled repairs on the King Harbor breakwall to begin June 22, 2026. The plan called for a construction staging area on Mole B. The Army Corps said it would make every effort to keep Moonstone Park open, but parking next to the park was expected to be used for staging, which could reduce the spaces available. The city expected the project to finish in November 2026, and it said it had shared the harbor's event schedule with the Army Corps to limit the impact on community events. If you plan to park right next to Moonstone Park on the 12th, check that city page first. That parking may still be in use for staging.

The corner the 2025 route favored has the most nearby food and drink. Riviera Mexican Cantina, at 207 N Harbor Dr, describes itself as a waterfront Mexican restaurant with outdoor seating overlooking the harbor. R/10 Social House, a waterfront gastropub, is at 179 North Harbor Drive. California Surf Club runs a North Grill that its site says is open daily to the public. In 2025, a watch-party listing on California Surf Club's events page put that year's community viewing area between the Surf Club and Riviera Mexican Cantina.

How the Day Builds to 5:30

The parade is the finale of a program that starts in the morning. Here is the official event calendar for December 12, 2026:

The holiday market sits on the same stretch of waterfront the 2025 route favored. You can shop between R10 and California Surf Club through the afternoon and still be near the water when the boats come out half an hour after the market closes. The car show runs until 6, so it overlaps the start of the parade.

An event listing on Local Anchor adds a late-afternoon lineup. It lists a paddle craft parade at 3:30 p.m., the RUHS Marching Band at 4, and community viewing at 4:30. The same listing gives this year's theme as "Stars, Stripes & Saltwater, Celebrating 250 Years of the USA." If the band is your reason to come early, check the parade's own site closer to the date.

Who Is Actually Out on the Water

The boats come from the harbor community, and anyone with a boat can join. The registration page lists a $40 entry, paid at the mandatory skipper's meeting at King Harbor Yacht Club. That meeting is Wednesday, December 9, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. If you don't have a boat but want to be in the lights, there's a $300 decorate-someone-else's-boat option. Through it, organizers will try to pair you with a boat owner so you can decorate the boat and ride along.

Last year's winners show the range of entries. The Daily Breeze reported that "Gypsy King" was the 2025 overall winner. "Teaser" won best power boat, "Sparky" won best boat 25 feet and shorter, and "Hana Malia" won best sail boat. With a separate category for boats 25 feet and under, a small boat doesn't have to compete against the biggest yachts in the marina.

The tradition goes back more than three decades. Easy Reader called the 2011 edition the 20th annual parade. Its 2021 coverage called that year the 29th, after the 2020 parade was canceled. In 2023, parade chair Pat Light told the Daily Breeze that the yacht club had sponsored the parade for nearly three decades, with club volunteers taking part. In 2024, Easy Reader reported that the parade was put on by King Harbor Yacht Club and Port Royal Yacht Club. That year's proceeds benefited the King Harbor Youth Foundation sailing program and Waterfront Education. The youth foundation is a separate nonprofit focused on youth sailing, founded in 1982.

Getting There and Getting Home

Parking near the parade costs the same as on any other harbor evening. The city's harbor parking page lists the Marina lot at 181 North Harbor Drive at $2.25 an hour. The Pier and Plaza structures have 1,350 spaces between them, also at $2.25 an hour, and are pay-by-space. Privately run lots around North Harbor Drive, Marina Way, Yacht Club Way and Portofino Way charge varying rates. The parade runs until 7, and the car show and market traffic will already be there. The Pier and Plaza structures are the biggest supply if you'd rather walk to the waterfront than circle Mole B.

You can also take the bus. Beach Cities Transit revised its routes and schedules effective October 5, 2026. Line 102 serves the Redondo Beach Pier and King Harbor as well as the Redondo Beach K Line station. The city lists service from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., with buses every 45 to 50 minutes. A 7 p.m. finish leaves time for one or two buses before service ends at 8. Check the Saturday schedule on the Line 102 page before you rely on it.

The schedule leaves room for a full day. Paddle in ugly sweaters at 10, browse the market between R10 and California Surf Club through the afternoon, and be at Moonstone Park or the Splash Wall on Mole D by 5:30.

If you're hosting family for the parade or want to know which harbor-view homes have the best sightlines on December nights, Lisa Moule Realty knows King Harbor slip by slip. Schedule your South Bay consultation, and we'll talk about the waterfront you'd like to watch from.