Water You Doing for Christmas? Seeing the Christmas ships of course!
Randal C. Hill
Ready for a brief history lesson? It’s December 1954. Bill Haley and His Comets’ “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” are in the Billboard Top 10, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is playing to packed houses at (single-screen) theaters and, on ABC-TV’s Disneyland, the first Davy Crockett adventure is about to take the kid-culture world by storm.
Happening in the City of Roses near the end of that year, a lone sailboat from the Portland Yacht Club drifts through town on the glassy, dark Willamette River. The craft is festooned with red and green ribbons and bows on the rails, onboard lights twinkling. Those who see it from shore unexpectedly witness the birth of a new holiday tradition.
And what a tradition! This year, in the 67th annual Christmas Ships Parade, spectators can expect to see some 60 decorated watercrafts on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, horns honking, sirens wailing and with lighted displays that inspire oohs and aahs from bank to crowded bank.
Each boat — anywhere from 14 to 65 feet in length — is privately owned, and all participants
involved decorate the vessels themselves. Some have made the parade their family tradition for more than three decades, and each passing year newcomers eagerly join the fun. The spectacle is a longstanding tradition for many attendees as well. “I think we’re going to have to come here every year. This is awesome!” enthuses one first-time spectator.
Many hotel rooms along the rivers are booked for the event by mid-summer, and restaurants (some offering window seating or outdoor covered and heated options) are always packed at parade time. As the flotilla moseys by, houseboat dwellers and riverside homeowners frequently blink their porch lights to show appreciation, while flashing parked-car headlights signal approval from those tucked cozily inside.
Over time, the extravaganza has become two parades in one. The Willamette fleet runs from downtown Portland to Lake Oswego, the Columbia fleet from Camas, Washington, to St Helens.
The river parade runs 15 evenings this month, beginning Dec 3. Check other dates at ChristmasShips.org. It’s free to attend and multiple viewing spots are available.
“It’s very addictive doing this,” proclaims one veteran parader. “You get into this, and you just can’t quit.” Want to chat with the skippers? Meet and Greets are scheduled Dec 18 and 19 at 2pm at the public dock near the Riverplace Marina in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Call 503-241-8283 for details.
Most boat owners participate each night of the main two-week period in December. Schedules may be altered due to weather or other circumstances, and any needed changes are made about a half-hour before festivities are set to start.
The Christmas Ships Parade has been featured often on OPB’s popular Oregon Field Guide.
Join the fun this year in what has now become the nation’s oldest continuous boat parade. See for yourself what one adventurous soul started on a chilly night nearly seven decades ago.