USA TODAY 10Best
Best Holiday Parade? The Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade!
Best Holiday Parade (2016)
Dancing elves, festive floats, boats covered in twinkling lights, Santa in his sleigh — these are some of the many sights you might see as a spectator at one of these 10 holiday parades, voted as the best in the U.S. by 10Best readers.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Holiday Parade are as follows:
- Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade - Orlando
- Christmas Ships Parade - Portland, Ore.
- Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade - Fort Lauderdale
- McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade - Chicago
- Calistoga Lighted Tractor Parade - Calistoga, Calif.
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - New York
- Reston Holiday Parade - Reston, Va.
- H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade - Houston
- Twinkle Light Parade - Albuquerque
- Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade - Annapolis, Md.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Wendle / Walt Disney Wolrd
No. 10:
Part of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, the Once Upon A Christmastime Parade sees Mickey and friends (including Santa Claus) parading down Main Street, U.S.A. in Orlando's Magic Kingdom park. Spectators can see their favorite Disney characters, including the Seven Dwarfs, Olaf, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger.
Photo courtesy of Christmas Ship Parade / Facebook
No. 9:
Going strong for over 60 years, the annual Christmas Ships Parade in Portland features five dozen ships of all sizes bedecked with sparkling holiday lights. Each night for two weeks, boat owners proudly cruise the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, providing holiday cheer to shore side onlookers. Spectators can see the Christmas Ships up close, meet the captains, take pictures and chat with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Photo courtesy of Winterfest Boat Parade
No. 8:
Fort Lauderdale's Winterfest Boat Parade, held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, calls itself "The Greatest Show on H2O." More than a million spectators line up along the 12-mile route through Fort Lauderdale's waterways, making it one of the largest single-day spectator events in the nation. For those who can't make it in person, the entire event is streamed live online.
Photo courtesy of Chicago Festival Association
No. 7:
The McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago runs along State Street, from Congress to Randolph, with a non-stop procession of huge balloons, colorful floats, marching bands, dancers and musical theater performances, concluding with old St. Nick himself, waving from his sleigh.
Photo courtesy of Visit Calistoga / Facebook
No. 6:
The Calistoga Lighted Tractor Parade in California's Napa Valley Wine Country hosts its 21st installment in 2016. The free, family-friendly event celebrates the region's agricultural heritage with a procession of bedecked farm equipment parading down Calistoga's main street.
Photo courtesy of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
No. 5:
Nothing says "Thanksgiving" quite like waking up to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade marching through the streets of New York City. This traditional holiday season opener since 1924 is famous for its giant inflatable balloons, depicting popular characters like Paddington Bear, Pikachu and Thomas the Tank Engine. Live performances along the parade route highlight pop icons and the Rockettes.
Photo courtesy of Watkins H. / Reston Town Center / Facebook
No. 4:
Reston Town Center in Reston, Va. will host the 26th annual Reston Holiday Parade in 2016, featuring giant inflatable balloons, live music, dancers, antique cars and local dignitaries marching along the half-mile parade route on Market Street. Photo ops with Santa and Mrs. Claus are available after the parade.
Photo courtesy of Ed Uthman / Flickr
No. 3:
The first Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade was hosted in 1949 between Union Station and Foley's in downtown. Today, the H-E-B-sponsored event celebrates Thanksgiving with festive floats, marching bands, giant balloons and live entertainment.
Photo courtesy of Eric Williams
No. 2:
Albuquerque's historic Nob Hill neighborhood transforms into a winter wonderland during the annual Twinkle Light Parade along Central Avenue. The procession along the mile-long parade route features 300,000 lights, dozens of floats, fire trucks, car clubs, marching bands and an appearance by Mr. and Mrs. Claus in their sleigh.
Photo courtesy of Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade / Facebook
No. 1:
Each holiday season on the second Saturday in December the Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis hosts its festive Lights Parade on the waters of Annapolis Harbor. Boats illuminated by thousands of colorful lights float along the waterfront in celebration of the holiday season.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Larry Bleiberg, Eric Grossman, Anna Hider (Roadtrippers) and Gerrish Lopez were chosen based on their extensive experience covering travel in North America.
Additional nominees for the category Best Holiday Parade included A Christmas Fantasy Parade in Anaheim, Children's Christmas Parade in Atlanta, Dallas Children's Health Holiday Parade, Holiday Boat Parade of Lights in Alexandria, Hollywood Christmas Parade, Mayor's Christmas Parade in Baltimore, Mummers Parade in Philadelphia, Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, Sparks Hometowne Christmas Parade and the World Famous Fish House Parade in Aitkin.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Anna Hider
Anna is a writer and social media manager for
Anna is a writer and social media manager for Roadtrippers, the coolest trip-planning site and app on the planet, where she's spent two years digging up the coolest off-the-beaten-path things for travelers to see and do. She loves hiking, exploring, and sometimes even getting lost in a good state park, and is definitely a sucker for any place with a waterfall, a ghost town or a beach.
Anna Hider
Anna is a writer and social media manager for Roadtrippers, the coolest trip-planning site and app on the planet, where she's spent two years digging up the coolest off-the-beaten-path things for travelers to see and do. She loves hiking, exploring, and sometimes even getting lost in a good state park, and is definitely a sucker for any place with a waterfall, a ghost town or a beach.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel... Read More
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Larry Bleiberg
Larry Bleiberg, a veteran journalist with... Read More
Larry Bleiberg, a veteran journalist with magazine, newspaper and web experience and a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, has spent much of his career living in, and writing about, the South. The Virginia native is former travel editor of the Dallas Morning News and Coastal Living magazine and founder of CivilRightsTravel.com. He served on a Pulitzer Prize team, is a seven-time Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award winner, and was honored for producing the best newspaper travel section in North America. Learn more at LarryBleiberg.com or facebook.com/larry.bleiberg.
Larry Bleiberg
Larry Bleiberg, a veteran journalist with magazine, newspaper and web experience and a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, has spent much of his career living in, and writing about, the South. The Virginia native is former travel editor of the Dallas Morning News and Coastal Living magazine and founder of CivilRightsTravel.com. He served on a Pulitzer Prize team, is a seven-time Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award winner, and was honored for producing the best newspaper travel section in North America. Learn more at LarryBleiberg.com or facebook.com/larry.bleiberg.
Lydia Schrandt
Lydia, Senior Photo Editor and Readers' Choice... Read More
Lydia, Senior Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production Manager for USA TODAY 10Best, has traveled to more than 40 countries in Europe, Asia and North and South America, and has lived in Albuquerque, Galveston, Austin, Thailand, Korea, China, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and now Houston. When she's not at her computer in a cafe, she's out photographing the city, writing fiction or cheering on Barça.
Lydia Schrandt
Lydia, Senior Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production Manager for USA TODAY 10Best, has traveled to more than 40 countries in Europe, Asia and North and South America, and has lived in Albuquerque, Galveston, Austin, Thailand, Korea, China, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and now Houston. When she's not at her computer in a cafe, she's out photographing the city, writing fiction or cheering on Barça.
