The Royal Victoria Yacht Club’s annual Sea of Lights parade will set sail again on Friday December 7, 2012 at 7:00pm. In partnership with Oak Bay municipality, its purpose is to contribute to civic pride and enjoyment of the holiday season, plus generate donations to the Salvation Army Christmas Fund, and the Oak Bay Kiwanis charity.
The parade is led by HMCS Oriole, and usually brings out some thirty-plus brightly-decorated boats. The event is expected to again attract several thousand spectators to Gyro Park beach and to Willows Beach, where judging of the best-lit boats takes place. Also, many waterfront residents in Cadboro Bay and Oak bay use this colourful event as the ‘kick-off’ to their Christmas social calendar.
The event offers great family fun starting with the fleet passing Cattle Point at 7:00 pm. Spectacular viewing will be at Willows Beach at 7:15 pm where the Kiwanis serve free hot chocolate and cookies at the Willows Beach pavilion. A roaring beach bonfire run by the Oak Bay Fire Department is sure to keep everybody warm. At 7:45 pm the fleet parades past Cadboro Bay’s Gyro Park beach, where hot Chocolate and coffee donated by Cadboro Bay merchants will be served by the 12th Gary Oaks Sea Scouts. Last year’s parade raised a bumper hamper of food and other donations for the Salvation Army’s Christmas Hamper Fund and the Oak Bay Kiwanis charity.
See the amateur video of the 2009 Sea of Lights parade highlights has been posted to YouTube at
The Royal Victoria Yacht Club welcomes all boaters to this event. A warm-up meal and prize presentation party is held at the Club at 8:00pm. Registration is free and full details can be found online at the RVYC website.
