The Palm Valley Boat Parade finishes in Marsh Landing. Its rules send the lit boats north on the Intracoastal "to the last house in Marsh Landing." This year's parade is Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, starting at 6 p.m.
Most coverage treats the parade as a bridge event, with bleachers, food trucks and a shuttle. Along Marsh Landing's shoreline it works differently. The water behind these homes is the final stretch of the route. The parade's dock contest scores only what sits over that water. And if the 2025 schedule holds, the judging happens the night before anyone shows up at the bridge.
Seven Miles North, Ending at the Last House
Boats gather at Marker #3, about a mile south of the Palm Valley Bridge on State Road 210. From there they head north. The Ponte Vedra Recorder describes the route as more than seven miles, ending at the last home in Marsh Landing.
The organizer's parade rules set the pace for the whole procession:
- The lead boat sets the pace at no more than 6 knots.
- Boats stay at least 300 feet apart, holding that gap while the boat ahead "displays" at docks where judges are posted.
- Boat sizes are staggered so large boats don't run one after another, which the rules say is for spectators and judges.
- Larger boats are asked to watch their wake around smaller ones.
- Boats communicate on VHF Channel 72.
Those rules set when the boats reach Marsh Landing. Six knots is just under 7 miles per hour. At top pace with no stops, the lead boat needs about an hour to cover seven miles. In 2025 the parade ran from 6 to 8 p.m. Add the stops at judged docks and a 300-foot gap between entries, and the Marsh Landing stretch sees the parade in the later part of the evening, after the crowd at the bridge has watched the first boats go by.
The Docks Joined the Parade Early On
The organizer's history on its homepage says the parade began at Ward's Landing, now Barbara Jean's, when Joanne and Clen Ward, Maureen Van Doren and friends launched it with a handful of boats. That page dates the start to the fall of 1993. The organizer's viewing page gives a different year and says "Since 1987." The same history says the excitement soon "spilled onto the docks along the Intracoastal." That led to a land-based decorating contest judged by volunteers on the water.
The parade's director, Beacham Still, told the Ponte Vedra Recorder that the canal "was dug around 1908, when this area was known as the Diego Plains. The resulting waterway supported development and ultimately gave rise to the Palm Valley we enjoy today." Still was in his eighth year as director in 2025.
So the dock contest is nearly as old as the parade, and the last stretch of the route runs past Marsh Landing.
Only the Lights Over the Water Count
The prize is called Palm Valley's Top Dock, with "Prizes and Bragging Rights" for the winner. The rules leave out a lot of a waterfront property. Judges score decorations and lighting on the dock itself. Lit trees, the house and "any other structure not over water" don't count.
On a Marsh Landing lot, that means the whole entry lives on the dock. A fully lit house adds nothing to the score. Judging is done by the parade organizers and the participating boaters, so the people scoring an entry see it from the channel. The organizers' own advice on scale:
"Don't be intimidated, creativity always beats extravagance… but more lights never hurt anybody!"
Three rules decide whether a dock is even eligible. The dock must be registered, it must get a number, and it must show that number clearly. The 2026 registration form is open now. It covers four classes: over-30-foot power boats, under-30-foot power boats, sailboats and the dock competition. It also has a box for first-time competitors. Boats entering the parade post their numbers on the starboard side so people on shore can read them. The rules page names Beacham Still as the contact for questions.
The Dock May Need to Be Done a Night Early
The Ponte Vedra Recorder's 2025 recap reported that the parade ran Saturday, Dec. 6, and the Dock Competition was judged Friday, Dec. 5. If 2026 follows the same pattern, Marsh Landing dock entries would be judged on the Friday before the parade, a full day before the parade itself.
| Date | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Now | 2026 boat and dock registration is open, with no closing date posted | Registration page |
| Friday, Dec. 4, 2026 | Likely dock judging night, if the 2025 Friday schedule repeats | Recorder, 2025 recap |
| Saturday, Dec. 5, 5 p.m. | Shuttles start from Landrum Middle School, per the viewing page | Viewing page |
| Saturday, Dec. 5, 6 p.m. | Parade leaves the staging area south of the Palm Valley Bridge, rain or shine | Organizer homepage |
| Later that evening | Boats reach the last house in Marsh Landing | Parade rules |
The organizer hasn't posted a 2026 dock judging date. Treat Friday as the 2025 precedent and confirm with the parade team before planning a dock entry around it. Even with that caveat, an entry that goes up Saturday afternoon could miss the judges completely.
Watching From Outside the Gate
The public side of the night is centered on the Palm Valley Bridge, on State Road 210 near Roscoe Boulevard. The organizer's viewing page lists first-come bleachers, food trucks, holiday music and kids' games, and recommends bringing your own chairs. Parking at the bridge is limited and set aside for ADA needs. Shuttles run continuously from Landrum Middle School from 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Part of that page still shows the 2025 date, so check the details again closer to Dec. 5. Admission is free.
The bridge setup grew out of a county partnership. In 2024, St. Johns County announced it was working with the Palm Valley Community Association to fund shuttle service, lighting, portable toilets, trash cans, bleachers at the bridge, music and food trucks. St. Johns County Parks & Recreation and the Palm Valley Community Association are now listed as presenting partners, and the event is still run entirely by volunteers.
For dinner near the route, the Intracoastal side of Palm Valley has several established spots:
- Barbara Jean's On the Water at 15 S. Roscoe Blvd., described by the Ponte Vedra Recorder as serving lunch, dinner and cocktails. It sits where the parade began as Ward's Landing.
- Palm Valley Fish Camp and Valley Smoke, both on Jacksonville Today's March 2026 list of reader-favorite restaurants.
- Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill on Roscoe Boulevard. Its property sold in November 2024, and management told the Jax Daily Record the restaurant would stay open with the same menu.
None of them has announced a 2026 parade-night event, so call ahead about tables with a water view. The newest addition to the waterfront won't be open yet. Yebo Beach Haus, under construction at 301 N. Roscoe Blvd., is expected to open in 2027, according to the St. Johns Citizen.
Don't mix this parade up with Jacksonville's. The City of Jacksonville's Light Boat Parade is a separate event on the St. Johns River downtown, set for Nov. 28, 2026. Its judged-competition registration closes Nov. 16. The Palm Valley parade is the one on the Intracoastal behind Marsh Landing, a week later.
If you're entering a dock in the Palm Valley Boat Parade this year, or you'd just like to talk about life on the Marsh Landing waterfront, Tyler and Susan at Tyler Ackland know this stretch of the Intracoastal well and are glad to help. Schedule Your Private Consultation.
