Vero Beach has two Christmas parades on back-to-back nights this year, and both start at 6 p.m. On Saturday, December 5, the Sunrise Rotary Club of Vero Beach runs its Christmas Parade up Ocean Drive. On Sunday, December 6, the City of Vero Beach Christmas Boat Parade loops the Indian River Lagoon.
Riverside Park works for both nights. It's a shuttle stop on Saturday and one of the city's named viewing spots on Sunday. Plan the weekend around that field on the mainland side of the Merrill P. Barber Bridge and both nights are easy. Plan around a parking space on the island and Saturday turns into a puzzle that starts three hours before the first float moves.
Saturday Starts at 3 p.m., Not 6
The Indian River Guardian's October 27 notice gives the route. The parade starts along Cardinal Drive around 6 p.m., turns east on Flamevine, heads north on Ocean Drive and finishes at JayCee Park.
The part that catches people out is the staging. Floats line up on the residential streets south of Beachland, and those streets close long before step-off. The Sunrise Rotary parade map lists the closures in waves:
| Street | Segment | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Dr. | Beachland south to Gayfeather | 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Eagle Dr. | Beachland south to Azalea | 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Azalea Ln. | Eagle east to Ocean | 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Bougainvillea, Camelia, Dahlia, Flamevine | Eagle east to Cardinal | 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Bougainvillea, Camelia, Dahlia, Flamevine | Eagle east to Ocean | 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Ocean Dr. | Beachland south to Flamevine | 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Ocean Dr. | Greytwig south to Beachland | 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Greytwig Rd. | Eagle east to Ocean | 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Silver Palm Dr. | Live Oak to Greytwig | 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Live Oak Rd. and Mango Rd. | A1A to Ocean | 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. |
The table runs in two directions. The south end, where floats stage, closes first and reopens first, around 7 p.m. The north end near the JayCee Park finish closes later and stays closed until 9 p.m. Greytwig, Silver Palm, Live Oak and Mango are the last streets to reopen, two full hours after the southern stretch of Ocean Drive is moving again. If you live on one of those blocks or are hosting friends there, plan on that 9 p.m. reopening.
The map also notes that every posted closure is subject to change without notice by order of the Vero Beach Police Department. Look at the map again the week of the parade.
The Shuttle Is the Shortcut
Sunrise Rotary runs buses with three stops: the southeast corner of the field at Riverside Park, Dahlia Lane at Eagle Drive, and the JC Beach Boardwalk.
There are two services, and they do different jobs:
- The loop: Buses run between Riverside Park and Eagle Drive at Dahlia Lane from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dahlia at Eagle sits right in the closure zone near the start of the route, so the loop drops you at the front of the parade without a car.
- The ride home: Three pre-staged, one-way buses leave the JC Beach Boardwalk for Riverside Park at roughly 7:20 p.m., 8:15 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Read together, the schedule lays out a full evening. Park at Riverside, ride out on the loop, watch the start near Flamevine or walk north with the floats, and catch a bus back from the boardwalk near the finish. The last bus leaves around 9 p.m., the same hour the northern streets reopen, so anyone who lingers near JayCee Park can wait out the closures and still get a ride. A 2025 notice in the Indian River Guardian told spectators to arrive early and warned that traffic backs up after the parade.
How Big It Gets
This is one of the larger community events on the island. Vero News reported more than 90 floats in 2023. The Indian River Guardian counted over 100 entries in 2024. Its 2025 recap listed 91 numbered floats and more than 100 total participants.
The same recap named last year's winners. Gator Building Supply took the business and workmanship awards, Storm Grove Middle School won the school category, and Called Higher won for organization, design and public appeal. A lineup that size, mixing businesses, schools and civic groups, takes time to pass any single spot. That's why the closures start so early.
If your group wants a float, the Sunrise Rotary float registration form sets the terms. The $100 entry fee covers two vehicles, each extra vehicle is $10, and groups are capped at ten vehicles. First-time entrants must attend a meeting on November 12. Every entrant must attend final lineup on December 3 at Cox Gifford Seawinds Funeral Home, 1950 20th St., Vero Beach.
Sunday Moves to the Water
Twenty-four hours later, the parade moves to the lagoon. The City of Vero Beach announcement lays out the route by channel marker:
- Boats start at IR Light 139, just north of the Merrill P. Barber Bridge.
- They circle Fritz Island and pass the City Marina on the port side. Judges sit on the marina's fuel dock.
- They continue south in the channel past Farley Island.
- At Riomar Daybeacon 1 they turn east toward the Quail Valley River Club, then loop back.
- They head south to the Vero Isles channel, turn west toward shore and make a final northbound pass.
- The parade ends just past Royal Palm Pointe Park.
The city names five viewing spots: City Marina, Riverside Park, Cole Coppola Memorial Fishing Pier, A.W. Young Park and Royal Palm Pointe Park.
Each one shows a different slice of the route. City Marina is where the judges sit, on the fuel dock. Royal Palm Pointe Park is at the finish, where the boats make their last pass. Riverside Park is the same field where Saturday's shuttle loop started. A household that parked there for the street parade already knows the lot, the walk and the way out.
Unlike the Saturday parade, the boat parade is free to enter. It's open to sail or power boats of any size, with prizes for Best Overall in small, medium and large boat classes. Registration runs through the Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast, which presents its boat parades as an annual tradition supported by cash and in-kind sponsors. The city calls the event a tradition that draws many spectators every year.
Planning the Two Nights Together
The two parades come with different logistics:
- Saturday: island streets close from 3 p.m., the parade steps off at 6 p.m., the shuttle loop runs from Riverside Park, return buses leave the JC Beach Boardwalk, and the last streets reopen around 9 p.m.
- Sunday: no street closures are posted, the boats leave IR Light 139 at 6 p.m., and you watch from one of five city-named spots on the river side.
Riverside Park is on both lists. On Saturday it's a parking lot and a bus stop. On Sunday it's a front-row seat. For houseguests who don't know the island, one meeting point on both nights is easier than two plans.
Before Either Parade
The season starts two weeks earlier, on the mainland. The Indian River County Chamber of Commerce Tree Lighting Festival runs Saturday, November 21, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Pocahontas Park, 1216 21st Street. It's free and advertises vendors, food trucks, crafts, live performances, a bubble-snow area and Santa. The weekend after the parades, the City of Vero Beach Recreation Department stages "The Mythical Christmas Tree" on December 13 at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center, with performers from Leisure Square Gymnastics and Aerial Antics Youth Circus and shows at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
If you're hosting family for parade weekend and want help picking a spot along the Ocean Drive route or the lagoon, Catherine Curley is glad to share what she knows about the island's holiday season. Request a private consultation, and let's make the first weekend of December a good one for your guests.
