Holiday spirit is taking over the water as boaters get ready for the 2025 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, known as the “Best Show on H2O.” The festive fleet will illuminate the Intracoastal Waterway this Saturday evening, setting sail from Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park.
7News caught up with two longtime participants who have been preparing since Thanksgiving. Captain Bruce Guttler, now in his fourth year, and fellow boater Linda Griffin spent Wednesday decorating their vessel, the Nutcracker Aboard Aireze, with giant inflatable nutcrackers and Christmas characters. Dressed in matching nutcracker-inspired outfits, the duo said the parade atmosphere is unlike anything else.
“It’s magical… people on the grass, condos, houses, restaurants all cheering us on,” Bruce said. Griffin added that the crowd greets them from the moment they leave the dock. “We all become like a family for this night.”
The beloved holiday parade spans 12 miles through Broward County. Gates open at 4 p.m., and the parade begins at 6 p.m. along the New River before traveling the Intracoastal and looping back downtown.
Tickets are still available for some of the best waterfront viewing spots for this South Florida holiday tradition