One of the most exciting things to see in California this holiday is a Christmas boat parade. Some boat parades allow you to ride in the parade, while others are spectator events. The grand-daddy of the boat parades is held in Newport Beach, though you can see boat parades throughout California.

At the oldest Christmas Boat Parade on the coast, the Newport Beach Boat Parade is free to watch, but most people like to book seats on boats in the parade and ride around the route to see waterfront mansions (one is currently listed for sale at over $27 million.) Newport Landing’s Christmas Boats (christmasparadeboats.com) and Hornblower Cruises (hornblower.com) are several options for booking a ride and seeing this parade!

Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade Dec. 14 – 18, 2011 christmasboatparade.com