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Paola Santiago
Paola Santiago is the Content Manager for Travel Portland and originates from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Read More
Christmas Ships Parade
Watch the river light up with dozens of ships decked out for the holidays.
Paola Santiago
Paola Santiago is the Content Manager for Travel Portland and originates from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Read More
Every year, Portland and Vancouver residents line the Columbia and Willamette Rivers to watch a fleet of 55 to 60 festively-decorated sailboats and yachts parade down the waterfront. These privately owned boats range from 14 to 65 feet long and gather at different locations along the river featuring light displays and inflatable décor.
Christmas Ships Parade FAQ
Where can I watch Christmas Ships in Portland, Oregon?
Do I need tickets to see the Christmas Ships in Portland?
What is the Christmas Ships schedule for this year?
Where do the Portland Christmas Ships go?
Portland Christmas Ships Parade History
What started as a lone ribbon-clad sailboat from the Portland Yacht Club in the 1950s became a decades-long nautical Christmas tradition. Each boat owner individually funds and designs their own display for the parade, and the event is run entirely on volunteer effort. Some boats and their skippers have been appearing at the parade for more than 30 years, with most of them completing a voyage in the last 20 years.
Donations made to the event help to cover the cost of maintaining, managing and promoting the Christmas Ships nonprofit organization. If skippers (or boat operators) decide to retire, they pass their decorations on so the next generation can take up the helm.
Where to Watch the Christmas Ships
The privately owned vessels come from the Portland, Vancouver, McMinnville, Salem and Hood River areas and can be seen at various locations along the Columbia and Willamette riverbanks.
Places to View the Christmas Ships Parade
All or most of the fleet will gather every night of the parade with a different planned route. Visitors can enjoy a meet and greet with the entire fleet of boats and their skippers up close on Dec. 17 and 18 at the public dock near Riverplace Marina.
Grab a couple of hot chocolate thermoses and bundle up to view the parade from South Waterfront Park or the Milwaukie Bay Park.
For roomier views perfect for a picnic blanket, Cottonwood Bay Park or Elk Rock Island are great locations further down the riverfront.
Visitors can also head to the pedestrian portions of Tilikum Crossing Bridge and the Steel Bridge for a view right over the water. For a full list of locations to see the parade, check out the Willamette River and Columbia River fleet schedules.
Special Events During the Christmas Ship Parade
Like all favorite Portland traditions, this event is free and open to the public. Be sure to snag a spot at your favorite South Waterfront Park restaurant or bar and enjoy the parade as you sip seasonal brews or a hot beverage. For a front-row seat view of the parade, sign up to cruise on the modern Portland Spirit vessel. Patrons can enjoy a Christmas Ship Dinner, freshly baked bread, dessert, and live piano entertainment.
The Portland Spirit is a 150-foot modern yacht featuring three viewing decks, two of which are enclosed and set to the perfect cozy temperature with climate-controlled features. All dinners will be hosted inside the Portland Spirit vessel with the exception of the Dec. 20 dinner, hosted inside the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler , an authentic triple-deck paddle wheeler that offers 360-degree views of the river.
Crave the Christmas Ships spirit but don’t want to brave the cold? The Christmas Ships Trolley Excursion takes patrons on a special viewing of the parade from the warmth and comfort of a replica vintage trolley along a historic rail line dating back to the 1800s. Be sure to grab tickets well before December as spots sell out in record time each year.
If meeting old Saint Nick is on your kid’s holiday to-do list, head to the viewing on the St. Helens Riverfront, where the Columbia County Courthouse lights up for the occasion and Santa Clause, his elves, and some holiday alpacas are available for greetings and pictures. Visitors can enjoy holiday music classics with Tom Grant and Alyssa Schwary while watching the ships take off from the adjacent docks.
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