Holiday boat parades near Fort Myers: Fort Myers Beach's 38th Christmas Boat Parade is Saturday, Dec. 5, and Cape Coral's Boat-A-Long is 4 to 9 p.m. Dec. 19.

Two lighted boat parades are on the calendar near Fort Myers this December. The Fort Myers Beach Christmas Boat Parade, now in its 38th year, is Saturday, Dec. 5, according to the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce. Cape Coral’s Holiday Boat-A-Long is 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at Four Freedoms Park, according to the City of Cape Coral. The city called last year’s Boat-A-Long a free, family-friendly event.

Last checked Nov. 1, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce’s major events list and its 2024 boat parade application (PDF), the City of Cape Coral’s Holiday Boat-a-Long page and its 2025 announcement, and the City of Fort Myers events calendar.

At a glance

  • Fort Myers Beach Christmas Boat Parade: Saturday, Dec. 5. Start time and route not yet published.
  • Cape Coral Holiday Boat-A-Long: Saturday, Dec. 19, 4 to 9 p.m., Four Freedoms Park, with Santa, food trucks and a movie after the parade.
  • Downtown Fort Myers: no lighted boat parade on the city’s 2026 calendar.
  • Contacts: Fort Myers Beach Chamber, 239-454-7500; Cape Coral boat entries, Sea Tow, 239-945-4820.

Fort Myers Beach Christmas Boat Parade: Saturday, Dec. 5

Is it on this year? Yes. The chamber’s list of major events gives the 38th Annual Fort Myers Beach Christmas Boat Parade as Dec. 5, 2026. Its public pages did not give a start time, a starting marina or a route when we checked on Nov. 1, and its online event calendar does not load for outside visitors. We will add them here when the chamber publishes them.

How it ran in 2024, the last year with a published entry form: the chamber’s application set the parade for 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at Salty Sam’s Marina. Treat the 2024 details as a guide only; the 2026 time and start point may differ.

  • Watching: the chamber suggests finding a spot along the shore or at a waterfront restaurant.
  • Entering a boat: in 2024 entry was $40 for a private boat and $75 for a sponsored boat. Skippers had to carry insurance and a working VHF radio (parade traffic used Channel 68) and attend a mandatory captain’s meeting at the chamber earlier in parade week. Contact the chamber at 239-454-7500 or events@fmbchamber.com for the 2026 form.

Fort Myers Beach is south of Fort Myers on Estero Island, reached by San Carlos Boulevard and the Matanzas Pass Bridge. Expect slow traffic on San Carlos Boulevard on parade night.

Cape Coral Holiday Boat-A-Long: Saturday, Dec. 19

Is it on this year? Yes. The City of Cape Coral’s event page lists the Holiday Boat-a-Long for Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, from 4 to 9 p.m. at Four Freedoms Park. Cape Coral is about 11 miles west of Fort Myers across the Caloosahatchee River.

  • What is on: stage entertainment, local food trucks, crafts, a visit from Santa Claus and the boat parade along the Bimini Basin. After the parade, The Santa Clause 2 plays on a giant inflatable screen.
  • Bring: lawn chairs and blankets, the city says.
  • Parade time: the 2026 page does not give one. In 2025 the parade started at 7 p.m.; boats lined up in the Bimini Basin, passed the park’s beach and then toured canals in South Cape Coral, according to the city’s 2025 announcement, which called it a free, family-friendly event.
  • Where: Four Freedoms Park, 4818 Tarpon Court, the city’s 2025 announcement says. The city publishes a parking map with the event; it does not list parking in text.
  • Entering a boat: register with Sea Tow at 239-945-4820.

Other holiday nights on the water

Holiday Nights at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd., lights the riverfront grounds on the Caloosahatchee from Nov. 27 to Jan. 3, 5:30 to 9 p.m., closed Dec. 24 and 25. Prices and Santa nights are on our holiday lights and Christmas events page, and the downtown wreath lighting on Dec. 4 is on Christmas parade and tree lighting.

Getting there and parking

What this means for you

  • Two Saturdays to plan around: Dec. 5 at Fort Myers Beach and Dec. 19 in Cape Coral.
  • Cape Coral’s event runs all evening with food and a movie, so arrive by late afternoon for a spot in the park.
  • Fort Myers Beach details are still to come; check back here in late November.

Running a lighted boat parade we have missed? Tell the newsroom with the date, time, route and a link to the organizer’s page.

Related: things to do this month, New Year’s Eve in Fort Myers and free things to do.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Fort Myers Beach Christmas Boat Parade in 2026?

Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce says. It is the 38th annual parade. The chamber had not published the start time or route on its public pages on Nov. 1; in 2024 the parade ran 6 to 9 p.m. from Salty Sam’s Marina.

When is the Cape Coral Holiday Boat-A-Long?

Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, from 4 to 9 p.m. at Four Freedoms Park, the City of Cape Coral says, with stage entertainment, food trucks, crafts, Santa and the boat parade on the Bimini Basin, followed by The Santa Clause 2 on a giant inflatable screen.

Is there a boat parade in downtown Fort Myers?

We found no lighted boat parade on the City of Fort Myers’ events calendar for 2026. The two nearest are at Fort Myers Beach on Dec. 5 and in Cape Coral on Dec. 19.

How do I enter my boat in a holiday boat parade?

For Cape Coral, register with Sea Tow at 239-945-4820, the city says. For Fort Myers Beach, contact the chamber at 239-454-7500 or events@fmbchamber.com; in 2024 entry was $40 for a private boat and $75 for a sponsored boat, with a mandatory captain’s meeting.