§ Everyone Loves a Parade!

The 6 story high Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony that begins the Parade

This year marks the 38th year Corpus Christi has celebrated the Boat Parade on the Bay. From shrimp boats, to yachts, cruise tour boats, sailboats, and small craft, all decked out in their holiday finery. Some simply decorated, while others quite elaborate [one came in from California through the Panama Canal to participate]. Here are several photos taken by me with my cellphone [quality isn't too good]...

§ Boats on Parade....

It was just after a cold front moved through our area, with temps dropping into the 40s with a brisk sea breeze, making it feel even colder than it really was!!!  This past Saturday evening just after sunset, the island [NORTH Padre Island] held its 44th annual Christmas Boat Parade [La Posada] on the south Channel just off Whitecap Blvd. I apologize for rotten photos of these lighted boats. - they were photographed with my cellphone, in the dark. This is the best I could come up with to show them off. There is a yearly contest with judges [so all those that entered after registering were numbered].

Posada....Meaning in Spanish is "inn"...as in Mary and Joseph finding no room in the inn and  Mary giving birth at the stables nearby:  "Lo siento. Ya no hay lugar en esta posada....I'm sorry. There's no room at this inn."

La Posada is a non-profit organization that helps the needy with donations from the city's citizens.  This year, each boat owner collected money donations and new unwrapped toys, teaming up with La Posada and the Marine Corps, for the USMC Toys for Tots!!