The month of December officially began in Lake Havasu City as the 35th Annual Boat Parade of Lights kicked off Friday night and will take place again tonight.

Entries in the parade lit the way as several creative and innovative boats made their debut while some regular favorites made their return.

The beaches lining the Bridgewater Channel became packed with people waiting for the parade as the sun set. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

The annual event is an awaited heralding of the holiday season and  guard rails along the Bridgewater Channel were packed with spectators spanning from one end to the other. The London Bridge itself provided a perfect perch to view the parade passing below.

Presented annually by the London Bridge Yacht Club, the parade featured 52 aquatic crafts of various different classes including corporate, individual/family, service and charity class boats.

Sunset Tours participates in the Parade of Lights Friday evening. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

There are 11 corporate entries including Havasu Landing, Slide Anchor, River Medical Inc., Southwest Kayaks, The Nautical Beachfront Resort, Sunset Charter and Tours, Chilly Willy Seith, Lake Havasu State Park, Cattail Cove State Park, and The Boat Brokers/ Santa and His Sleigh.

The service class of boats included six different names such as London Bridge Yacht Club, ASU Lake Havasu, Anglers United, Lake Havasu Yacht Club, Lake Havasu Divers Association and Lake Havasu Sea Scouts. The London Bridge Yacht Club featured a beautiful illumination along the side that resembles the London Bridge.

Other creative crafts included the Denise’s Day Crew boat that represents a nonprofit organization that helps victims of cancer. The boat is decorated with lights in the perfect blend of violet and pink.

Other watercraft entered in the individual/family class included one of the more entertaining boats from this class from A.J. Camou, which featured a bright but simple strand of colorful lights looping the outer frame of the boat, along with an inflatable Snoopy in an airplane on the end of it.

Santa showed up on his personal watercraft Friday evening. Rick Powell/RiverScene

The others involved in the parade in the individual/family class were John & Bonnie View, Ken & Marilyn Young, Richard Marshall, Greg & Debra Arbogast, Mike Claytor, Grady Dees, Team Thompson, River Scene Magazine, Stephen MacLeod, Lewis Burke, Steve Patnode, James Rich, Rick Riegler, Scott Campbell, Don McPerson, Gina Flores (who had all the kayaks involved), and Dale Berke who was responsible for all jet skis and personal watercraft.  

The parade is set to start again at 6:30 p.m., Saturday.

The Lake Havasu High School Choir sings Christmas Carols before the parade along the Bridgewater Channel. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Jock and Liz Giacomi dressed in red for the parade look for a place to set their chairs down Friday evening. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

#5 Denise’s Day parade entry. Rick Powell/Riverscene

#17 Parrot Head Tiny Toot parade entry. Rick Powell/RiverScene

#34 Lake Havasu State Parks parade entry. Rick Powell/Riverscene

#31 Scott Campbell parade entry. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

#13 Grady Dees parade entry. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

#2 London Bridge Yacht Club parade entry. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

#36 Cattail Cove Park Rangers parade entry . Rick Powell/Riverscene

#19 RiverSceneMagazine.com parade entry. Rick Powell/RiverScene

#9 Mike Clayton parade entry. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

#11 AJ Camou parade entry. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

#12 Lake Havasu Yacht Club parade entry. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

#15 Slide Anchor parade entry. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

#22 The Nautical Resort parade entry. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene