Newport Beach, California – A video from the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade shows illuminated vessels gliding through the harbor as the event opened Wednesday night, marking its 117th anniversary.

The footage captures boats covered in sparkling lights, inflatables, and decorations as they travel the 14-mile route along the Newport Beach shoreline, with fireworks lighting up the sky during the opening night.

Around 100 boats took part in the parade, which organizers say runs nightly at 6:30 p.m. through Dec. 21 and is free for the public to watch from multiple locations around the harbor.

“Parade-goers can look forward to pyrotechnics, synchronized light shows, moving displays, singers, dancers, and much more, all viewable from nearly 50 locations,” organizers said. The parade website adds that this year is expected to be the biggest and brightest celebration yet.

This year’s theme is “Magical Nights of Lights,” following past themes such as “Christmas Across the Decades,” “Jingle on the Waves,” and “A Winter Waterland.”

The video also documents the presence of actor Ted McGinley, a Newport Beach native and the parade’s grand marshal. “I’m extremely honored to be here tonight, to be part of the Newport Beach Boat Parade,” McGinley said. “Having grown up here and lived here my whole life, it is a very special event.”

The parade tradition began in 1907 and was revived in 1919 after a hiatus during World War I, eventually growing into the large-scale event shown in the video.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download