The village’s annual waterway event, the boat parade, returns on Dec. 12 to delight spectators along the canals of Palmetto Bay as well as collect food items as part of a charity drive.
Presented by the Palmetto Bay Canal Association, the yearly parade was created by Rainer Schael and his wife, Noel, and the procession of small powered craft follows a canal path that winds its way through the village.
“We meet at Coral Reef Park around 5:30 p.m., then head south past Sadowski Park and points south,” said Rainer Schael. “This event represents the best of Palmetto Bay. We come together as a community to both ring in the holiday season and support those in our community in need.”
Members of the PBCA decorate their boats with lights and other Christmas themed touches, sometimes wearing costumes to add to the fun. And they stop at docks along the way to collect canned food donations to add to the village’s charitable food drive.
Mayor Eugene Flinn, who usually participates in the boat parade, praised the effort.
“We are fortunate to have a group like the Palmetto Bay Canal Association led by event organizers Rainer and Noel Schael, who have created the annual boat parade,” Mayor Flinn said. “Our little village is home to a big assortment of holiday events this time of year. We have our ‘Holiday by the Bay’ and are fortunate that other groups have stepped forward to provide events such as Chabad Jewish Center of Palmetto Bay’s menorah lightings and OCPC’s Christmas concerts. These events bring a real holiday feel, upping our usual sense of community here in Palmetto Bay.”
Mayor Flinn said that he always fields questions months in advance about the dates for the boat parade because people who live along the canal try to coordinate their own parties to provide a viewing location and join with the festivities of the boat parade. He asks residents not to forget their canned goods collected as part of the charitable aspect of the boat parade.
“Palmetto Bay offers a very merry mix of seasonal happenings you won’t want to miss,” Mayor Flinn added. “These seasonal activities are yet another reason why we all choose to live, work and play in Palmetto Bay.”
For updated information about the parade and other holiday events, visit the village’s official website at www.palmettobay-fl.gov/.
