The boats come up the Patchogue River covered in lights again this month, and this year the parade reaches a round number. The Patchogue River Christmas Boat Parade runs for the 30th time on Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 5 p.m., the Sunday before Thanksgiving, as it does every year.

The boats start out in the Great South Bay and travel up the river into the village, each one decorated by its own captain and crew. Judges watch from Sandspit Park and hand out trophies at the end of the night.

Thirty years, and where it started

The parade goes back to Dick Blakeslee of The Oar Steak and Seafood Grill, the restaurant on the river, who modeled it on the boat parade in Fort Lauderdale. Three decades later it is one of the ways Patchogue opens its holiday season, a week ahead of Thanksgiving and well before the downtown festivals of December.

Where to watch

Two public spots are free:

  • Sandspit Park, at the Davis Park Ferry Terminal, where the judges sit.
  • The Watch Hill ferry terminal of Fire Island National Seashore, on the river.

Four waterfront restaurants also host viewing: Drift 82, The Oar, The Patch and Bayman's Clam Bar. The organizers suggest calling ahead for a table, since parade night fills the river's dining rooms early.

Saturday night: vote for a boat

The parade weekend starts a day early. On Saturday, November 21, from 5 to 9 p.m., the decorated boats are tied up for a free People's Choice vote at Bayman's Clam Bar and The Patch, and a water taxi runs between the marinas so visitors can see the fleet up close before it sails. A Santa boat carries the sponsors' banners through the weekend.

Boaters who want in

Entries are open on the parade's website, which has the registration form. Questions go to the organizers at [email protected] or 631-745-2253.

Next on Patchogue's holiday calendar

Three weeks later the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce holds It's A Wonderful Life in Patchogue on December 12 and 13, a weekend festival in the village with a 1940s theme, holiday shopping, music and live scenes drawn from the film, with village restaurants taking part into the evening. This year's grand marshal is Ken Dobbins, a former special education teacher at Sachem High School who has spent years performing in and directing community theater. The chamber passes him the sash on Tuesday, November 10, at 6 p.m. at Gallo's, 3 East Main Street, with tickets on the festival's site.

If you go

What: 30th Patchogue River Christmas Boat Parade
When: Sunday, November 22, 2026, 5 p.m.; People's Choice viewing Saturday, November 21, 5 to 9 p.m.
Where: The Patchogue River; free viewing at Sandspit Park and the Watch Hill ferry terminal
Cost: Free to watch
More: patchogueboatparade.org

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