Sunday December 12th, The fun and excitement will kick-off at noon as families can visit a Winter Wonderland on the City Pier in Santa Barbara Harbor. Festivities will include Santa's elves, ten tons of snow, holiday music, and it is rumored that there might even be a sighting of Jolly Old Saint Nick.
This year’s parade theme is, “Magic Under the Moonlight.” It will include the addition of the Human-Powered category competition starting at 4 p.m. Dozens of standup paddlers and kayakers dressed in Holiday apparel will loop Stearns Wharf, warming up the crowd with holiday glee. At 5 p.m. a holiday tree lighting ceremony will be held on the shoreward finger of Stearns Wharf next to the Sea Center. The night sky will be illuminated at 5:30 p.m., with roughly 30 holiday themed watercraft as they make their way from Ledbetter Beach down the coast to the Cabrillo Arts Pavilion, then back to Stearns Wharf. A fireworks show will conclude the evening parade. Best viewing locations for the boat parade and fireworks include Stearns Wharf, the breakwater, West Beach, and East Beach.