Christmas on the Bayou is a longtime family tradition, now with a third generation of revelers participating in the holiday festivities.
Jennifer Wittman, one of the event organizers, said her parents were part of the original Bernard Bayou Boating Club, which started the event in 2000.
“When Christmas on the Bayou started, it was just a group of neighbors who decided that we had a really great area where we could have a parade,” she said. “We had all these houses on the water.”
Now her husband and 11-year-old son are getting in on the action, Wittman said. And so is her sister and her sister’s 8-year-old daughter. Her parents still participate in the parade, too.
It has grown from being a neighborhood event to a celebrated attraction, including a nod from the Southeastern Tourism Society as a Top 20 event in the Southeast.
When it first started, it was regular Christmas lights, and they were towing generators on boats back behind them. Now with LED, a lot of people just put a converter on their boats, and with all the colors and the blowups, it’s pretty amazing.
“When it first started, it was regular Christmas lights, and they were towing generators on boats back behind them,” Wittman said. “Now with LED, a lot of people just put a converter on their boats, and with all the colors and the blowups, it’s pretty amazing.”
Unlike Christmas on the Water, another holiday event on the Coast, the bayou parade gives a more intimate look.
“The boats can interact with people on shore,” Wittman said. “You can see the people.”
Dozens of vessels of all sizes participate in the event held along Bayou Bernard in Gulfport. Judges vote for their favorites in the pontoon, 25-feet and under and vessels 26-feet or longer categories. In addition to the winners in each category, one vessel is chosen as the overall winner.
The number of vessels participating can vary, with an average of 50 to 60 boats each year, Wittman said.
The 26th annual Christmas on the Bayou is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, starting and ending at Gulfport Lake, traveling through Bernard Bayou, and the Industrial Seaway before returning to the lake.
“It’s really great from a safety perspective,” Wittman said.
“We don’t have people trying to turn around.”
Local and state law enforcement have vessels on the water, too, to make sure There are several public areas to view the parade as well as a few restaurants, like Captain Al’s Steak and Seafood and Blow Fly Bar and Grill, along the parade route that offer viewing areas for their guests.
Three public viewing areas along the parade route include the bleachers at Bayou Vista Golf Course, the Gulfport Lake boat launch area, and James Hill Park. The viewing areas will have public restrooms or port-a-potties for visitors.
At Captain Al’s, guests can take photos with Santa, enjoy live music and have a prime view of the fireworks during its Christmas at the Captain’s Wharf Marina and Boat Launch, beginning at 5 p.m.
Live entertainment will be provided at Captain Al’s by The Project, a Coast-based cover band, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Blow Fly will offer a public viewing area underneath the restaurant area, where visitors can bring lawn chairs to comfortably watch the parade.
Boat slips are available at Captain’s Wharf Marina for those who want to view the festivities from their vessels.
The parade is free to watch, but some of the private venues may charge a small per-vehicle fee for access.
Visitors can find more information and a map of the parade route at christmasonthebayou.org.
Lici Beveridge is a freelance writer based in Hattiesburg.
