Saturday, December 21, 2024
2024 marks the 55th year Poulsbo Yacht Club has brightened the holidays for our community with its "Lighted Ships Parade." This wonderful event has become a holiday tradition on Liberty Bay and surrounding waterways.
Along the route Santa calls out personal greetings. To review the route see below. Happy Holidays!
Along the route Santa calls out personal greetings. To review the route see below. Happy Holidays!
Messages for Santa are due by 5:00 pm the Friday prior to the parade -- Dec. 20th
The 2024 Parade starts just outside the PYC Marina at 5:00 pm.
- 4:45 - Leave the dock.
- 5:00 - Parade starts, fall in behind Rudolf & Santa Boat and proceed to downtown Poulsbo.
- 5:15 - Head south, following the west side of Liberty Bay.
- 5:55 - Pass Keyport and cross to Manzanita Bay and through Agate Pass on the east side.
- 7:25 - Arrive at Suquamish dock then return back down the west side of Agate Pass.
- 8:05 - Pass Point Bolin and head north to Lemolo and the east side of Liberty Bay.
- 8:50 - Parade ends at Poulsbo Yacht Club.
Lighted Ships Parade History
December 14th of 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the Poulsbo Yacht Club's Lighted Ships Parade. It started as a way to demonstrate the club's "community spirit" in 1969. The parade of "our beautifully decorated Christmas Ship was lead by Casey Kaesemeyer's "Joanne K." That year the club's Ships "cruised for four evenings playing carols and delighting children with personal messages along the way" (as noted in the 1970 PYC Yearbook article titled "1969 Year in Review"). 
The early 1970's "fuel crisis almost caused the Christmas Ship Parade to be cancelled. After much debate, and many letters and telephone calls from the public, the event went ahead with only 5 boats" (as noted in the club's history by Jean Niemeier).