Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade

The Winterfest Boat Parade is billed as the most spectacular show on H2O, staged by Winterfest, Inc. on the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Boats gather along the docks west of Stranahan House toward the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, then the parade leaves Stranahan House, runs east on the New River to the Intracoastal Waterway, and continues north to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach, a 12-mile route. Private boats, showboats, and corporate megayachts carry lights, music, entertainment, decorations, celebrities, musical groups, and beauty queens. A pre-show of non-motorized vessels comes first. The parade takes about two and a half hours to pass a single location.

Our take: Pick one spot and stay put, since the parade takes about two and a half hours to pass a single viewing location.