Each year the residents of Long Beach water communities–Naples and Belmont Shore–eagerly look forward to traditions that turn their bays into magical, lit wonderlands filled with trees made of lights. Once the trees are in place, residents begin decorating their boats for the Naples Christmas Boat Parade (link also provides parade route & map). This year Naples Boat Parade is themed TV Land Holidays, and will be held on Saturday, December 17, 2011, starting around 6 p.m.

After The City of Long Beach installs the lighted Trees on Bay– floating platforms on the water–they are turned on around Thanksgiving or early December. Some communites’ residents living along the waterways help maintain the lit tree platforms as sponsors paying for replacement bulbs. If you are lucky enough to see this holiday spectacle, be sure to park your car at Bayshore Drive near 2nd Street and stand there, watching the dancing lights. It’s a beautiful sight, especially around or just after sunset when the trees begin to shine!