A Year on Clear Lake-Dec 8, 2012

Fireworks on the Lake – Boat Parade, Dec 8, 2012

Fireworks explode over the lake, marking the start of the 51st Annual Christmas Boat Parade. An estimated 100 brightly decorated boats join in the procession that take the boats and their crews from South Shore Harbour and Nassau Bay around to the Seabrook-Kemah channel. The night is one filled with merriment and much cheer as the sounds of countless on board parties bounce across the waters.

We take comfort in traditions and rituals. They lend familiarity to our lives; whether solemn or merry, these events are anchors we can depend upon. The boat parade has become one such tradition, signaling a start to the holiday season. The fun and festivities strike that “little kid” chord inside each of us. Whether watching brightly colored fireworks explode overhead in dazzling displays or seeing neon-decorated, Christmas-themed boats rock pass. For a few minutes, at least, we are all kids again.