Palm Valley Boat Parade 2026: Dec. 5 and tree lightings

Last checked Nov. 7, 2026. This page is updated each year. Parade facts come from the Palm Valley Boat Parade’s website; its 2026 viewing page confirms the date, the start time and a parking and shuttle map, and says the other details are still being confirmed. Other sources: the Sawgrass Marriott’s holiday page, Florida’s Historic Coast and Visit St. Augustine, St. Johns County’s tourism sites, and the library calendar.

Ponte Vedra Beach has no city and no city Christmas parade. Its best-known holiday parade is on the water: the Palm Valley Boat Parade, a volunteer-run procession of lighted boats on the Intracoastal Waterway. Questions go to the volunteer organizers at 904-395-5217 or palmvalleyboatparade@gmail.com.

Updated Nov. 7: the organizers’ 2026 map puts shuttle parking at Alice B. Landrum Middle School, the shuttle drop-off at the Palm Valley Bridge and handicap-only parking at the bridge. Shuttle times, seating and food trucks are not confirmed yet.

Updated Oct. 23: the organizers have set the 2026 boat parade for 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and the Sawgrass Marriott has set its tree lighting for Friday, Nov. 27.

Holiday season at a glance

• Nov. 19-21 and Nov. 23-25: Seymour’s Holiday Book Sale, Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library
• Friday, Nov. 27: Tree Lighting Celebration, Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa
• Saturday, Dec. 5: St. Augustine Christmas Parade, 9 to 10:30 a.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 5: Palm Valley Boat Parade, 6 p.m., Intracoastal Waterway, free

Palm Valley Boat Parade

The 2026 parade starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, on the Intracoastal Waterway, the organizers’ website says. It runs rain or shine. Watching is free. The organizers’ 2026 viewing page confirms the date, the 6 p.m. start and a parking map, and says shuttle times, seating, food trucks and other services are still to be confirmed:

• 2025 hours: 6 to 8 p.m.
• Route: the parade starts 1 mile south of the Palm Valley Bridge and heads north to the last home in Marsh Landing.
• Parking (2026 map): shuttle parking at Alice B. Landrum Middle School, with the shuttle dropping off at the Palm Valley Bridge. Parking at the bridge is for people with disabilities only. In 2025, shuttles ran continuously from 5 to 7:45 p.m.; 2026 times are not posted.
• Viewing party (2025): under the bridge, with bleachers on a first-come basis, food trucks, holiday music and kids’ games. The 2026 map shows seating, food and restrooms at the bridge, but the organizers have not confirmed these services. Many people bring chairs.
• Boats: captains register on the parade’s registration page; the parade is run entirely by volunteers.

The Palm Valley Bridge carries County Road 210 near Roscoe Boulevard. Check the parade’s viewing page before Dec. 5 for this year’s shuttle times.

Tree lighting and Santa

Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, 1000 PGA Tour Blvd., holds its Tree Lighting Celebration on Friday, Nov. 27, the resort’s holiday page says; it has not posted a time. The celebration welcomes the community with lights, music and seasonal treats, and Stories, S’mores and Holiday Movie Nights on Fridays and Saturdays through the season, according to the county’s tourism office. The resort also displays a life-sized gingerbread house. Questions go to the resort at 904-285-7777.

We will add other tree lightings and Santa visits as organizers publish dates. Send yours through our contact page.

At the library

The Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, 101 Library Blvd., lists:

• Holiday Music Workshop: 1 to 2 p.m. Saturdays, Nov. 7, 14 and 21
• Seymour’s Holiday Book Sale: all day Nov. 19-21, and 10 a.m. Nov. 23 to 6 p.m. Nov. 25

Nearby: St. Augustine

The St. Augustine Christmas Parade is from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, from the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios, 27 Ocean Ave., to the Visitor Information Center, 10 W. Castillo Drive. Admission is free. Traffic is barred on the route from 8:15 a.m. St. Augustine’s free Nights of Lights park-and-ride shuttles run on select days from Nov. 21 to Jan. 2, including parade day, when they start at 8 a.m., according to Visit St. Augustine.

What this means for you

• Plan to park at Landrum Middle School and ride the shuttle for the boat parade.
• Put Saturday, Dec. 5, on the calendar for the boat parade; we will add shuttle times when they are posted.
• Bring a chair; 2026 seating is not confirmed.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Christmas parade in Ponte Vedra Beach?

The area’s parade is on the water: the Palm Valley Boat Parade of lighted boats on the Intracoastal Waterway. The 2026 parade starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, its organizers say.

Where can I watch the Palm Valley Boat Parade?

From the Palm Valley Bridge on County Road 210 near Roscoe Boulevard, the organizers’ viewing spot. Their 2026 map puts shuttle parking at Alice B. Landrum Middle School and allows only handicap parking at the bridge. In 2025, shuttles ran from 5 to 7:45 p.m.; 2026 shuttle times are not posted yet.

Is there a tree lighting in Ponte Vedra Beach?

The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa holds its Tree Lighting Celebration on Friday, Nov. 27, the resort’s holiday page says. It has not posted a time.

When is the St. Augustine Christmas parade in 2026?

9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, from Mission Nombre de Dios at 27 Ocean Ave. to the Visitor Information Center at 10 W. Castillo Drive in St. Augustine, according to Visit St. Augustine.