Nautical holiday spirit

From an 11-foot dinghy illuminated with flashing red and green lights to look like a Christmas tree to 70-foot yachts topped with saluting toy soldiers and dancing Santas, the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade set sail for its 101st year Wednesday night.

Sail boats, electric boats and massive power yachts all adorned with strings of red, green and white Christmas lights crisscrossed Newport Harbor.

Although it’s illegal for boats in the harbor to display Christmas lights, unless the vessel is a sanctioned entry in the parade, “the Harbor Patrol kind of looks the other way at this time of year,” parade emcee Mike Whitehead said.

“In fact, if you don’t have lights on your boat, it’s kind of hard to see you out there,” he said.

Many boats in this year’s parade are adorned with toy-themed motifs, in keeping with the “The Joys of Christmas Toys.”

One yacht was adorned with a giant toy train that shoots simulated flames as dancers dressed as Santa’s elves dance on the deck of the vessel.

Other parade entries seemed to ignore this year’s theme altogether in favor of their own interpretation of the holidays, like one Bee Gees-blaring vessel adorned with a Disco-ball-topped Christmas tree and flashing lights proclaiming “Disco X-Mas.”

About 1 million people from across Southern California and beyond come to watch the parade each year, according to the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Spectators from across Southern California crowded around the water near the Balboa Fun Zone on Wednesday night to wave at the floats and snap pictures.

Orange resident Susan Senft brought her two teenage sons to the parade on. It’s been an annual tradition for her family for the past 15 years, she said.

“It’s a lot of fun, and I love the holiday atmosphere,” Senft said. “It’s amazing I can still get my sons to go with me.”

Other parade goers attended the parade for the first time.

“I’ve always heard about it and have been wanting to come to this since I was 16,” Mira Loma resident Mary Spears, who attended the parade with her husband and two of her six children.

The parade begins from Bay Island at 6:30 each night through Sunday.

The boats travel a roughly 14-mile, counter-clockwise route around Newport Harbor during the parade, ending again at Bay Island about 9 p.m.

A fireworks display launched from Balboa Pier will close out the final night of the parade at 9 p.m. Sunday.