The 64th Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade runs on Saturday, December 12, rain or shine. Burton Chace Park opens its festivities at 4 p.m., and the boats head out at 6. This year, the County lot closest to the park may not be available. Marina Lot 4, near the Visitor Center at Admiralty Way and Mindanao Way, has been closed for construction since December 1, 2025, and the County's timeline anticipates construction running through December 2026, with dates subject to change. The parade route was never limited to one park, though, and this is the year to plan around that.
The Lot Next to the Park Is a Job Site
The County is building a three-level parking structure on part of Lot 4. Together with a surface lot, it will provide 368 spaces, run 24 hours a day and use pay-and-display stations. Its facade on Mindanao Way will carry a civic art piece by the artist team FreelandBuck, designed to look like abstracted sails. The project timeline lists construction from December 2025 to December 2026, and the County notes that its dates are subject to change.
The County's 2026 parade page puts the closure at the top. It says Lot 4 is closed and sends visitors to a map of other County lots. It gives no reopening date before parade night. The same note appears again under the parking rates: "Marina Lot 4 on Mindanao Way will be closed due to a new construction project." Plan for December 12 as if the fence will still be up. If the structure opens early, you'll have a pleasant surprise. If it doesn't, you won't have built your evening around it.
The Route Puts the Parade in Front of Every Seawall
The parade covers a lot of water. According to the organizers' route description, the boats circle the main channel at least twice. They turn south near Pacific Avenue and the Playa del Rey jetty bridge, then turn north at the end of F Basin. Over two hours, each decorated boat passes the same stretch of channel more than once. The County also says the 5:45 p.m. light show can be seen "from nearly anywhere in Marina del Rey."
The organizers' viewing page names three public spots:
- Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way, home of the food trucks, carolers and kids' activities
- Fisherman's Village, 13755 Fiji Way, on the other side of the main channel
- Inlet & Park, which the organizers describe as a parking-lot viewing spot
Visit Marina del Rey describes the experience the same way: you can watch the parade from anywhere along the water, Fisherman's Village included. Burton Chace Park is still where the event's activities happen. The boats themselves can be seen from all along the channel.
Parking, Sorted by Which Side of the Channel You Want
The County's parade page lists event-night rates for each remaining lot. Sorting them by street turns the list into a choice of where to watch. All rates below are the County's posted prices for December 12, 2026.
| Street | Lot and address | Parade-night rate |
|---|---|---|
| Mindanao Way | Lot 77, 13560 Mindanao Way | $8 |
| Admiralty Way | Lot 10, 4101 Admiralty Way | $8 |
| Admiralty Way | Lot 8, 4220 Admiralty Way | $5 |
| Admiralty Way | Lot 7, 4350 Admiralty Way | $6 |
| Admiralty Way | Lot 5, 4545 Admiralty Way | $5 |
| Panay Way | Lot 11, 14101 Panay Way | $6 |
| Palawan Way | Lot 9, 13977 Palawan Way | $6 |
| Via Marina | Lot 13, 4601 Via Marina | $8 |
| Fiji Way | Lot 1 / Fisherman's Village, 13723 Fiji Way | $8 |
| Fiji Way | Lot 2 / Boat Launch Ramp, 13477 Fiji Way | $10 auto only, $15 with trailer |
With Lot 4 out, Lot 77 is the only County lot on the parade list with a Mindanao Way address, the same street as Burton Chace Park. The four Admiralty Way lots have the two lowest rates on the list, $5 at Lot 8 and Lot 5. Lot 13 on Via Marina and the lots on Panay and Palawan Ways serve the other side of the harbor. On Fiji Way, Lot 1 sits at Fisherman's Village. If you want to watch from there, you can park and stay on that side of the channel all evening.
The County also warns of heavy traffic delays on the roads around the marina during the event. If you choose a lot on the same side of the water as your viewing spot, you avoid driving around the harbor at the busiest hour of the night.
The Fiji Way Side Has Its Own Construction Question
Fiji Way has its own County project. The Department of Beaches and Harbors plans to rebuild the public Boat Launch Ramp Facility at 13477 Fiji Way, the same address as Lot 2. The County expected construction to start in early fall 2026 and finish in summer 2027. The work replaces the aging dock system and adds an accessible queuing dock. On land, it adds stormwater features and slurry-seals and restripes the parking lot to improve circulation.
Lot 2 is still on the County's 2026 parade parking list at $10 for cars and $15 for cars with trailers. Because the project includes slurry-sealing and restriping that same lot, check the County's parade page again in the week before December 12 before you count on Lot 2. Lot 1 at Fisherman's Village, a short distance up Fiji Way, is listed at $8.
The Fiji Way side also has restaurants. The organizers' viewing page says spectators can watch from Fisherman's Village restaurants and lists El Torito at 13715 Fiji Way, Sapori Italian Restaurant at 13723 Fiji Way and Whiskey Red's at 13813 Fiji Way. Whiskey Red's currently lists Saturday hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., which line up with the parade's 6 to 8 p.m. window. On a night this busy, call any of the three ahead to ask about their parade-night seating.
Leaving the Car at Home
You can also avoid the Lot 4 closure by leaving the car at home. The County points to the Marvin Braude Coastal Bike Trail, a 22-mile paved path along the county coastline from Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades to Torrance County Beach. Within the marina, it runs from Dockweiler State Beach to Washington Boulevard near Venice Beach.
The County is less optimistic about rideshare. Its parade page says to expect extended delays for Lyft and Uber because of the traffic. It also warns drivers against stopping or parking illegally for pickups and drop-offs. If you're bringing out-of-town guests by rideshare, choose a pickup spot a few blocks from the water ahead of time.
The Night, in Order
Here is the County's schedule for Burton Chace Park on December 12:
- 4 to 6 p.m. Voices of Christmas, roaming carolers
- 4 to 8 p.m. Gourmet food trucks, a photo booth and a kids art corner
- 5:45 to 6 p.m. Holiday Light Show, subject to weather
- 6 to 8 p.m. Holiday Boat Parade
The parade organizers chose "Hollywood Under The Stars" as this year's theme. Visit Marina del Rey lists former original Baywatch cast member David Chokachi as Grand Marshal. It describes the 5:45 p.m. opener as a drone show over the water. The County's schedule just calls it a light show. Last year's County map labeled the same 15-minute slot a drone show over the water.
During the light show, a restricted/security zone covers the main channel between Basins B and H, and no vessel may be inside it from 5:45 to 6 p.m. The County notes that the best views of the show are from outside that zone. If you watch from your own boat, you'll need to be positioned outside that stretch of the channel before 5:45.
The food trucks take online orders through Best Food Trucks, so you can skip the line at Chace Park. Visit Marina del Rey lists admission as free. The County also links an Eventbrite RSVP from its parade page.
Check the prohibited-items list before you pack. It rules out several items, including:
- Tents, canopies and umbrellas of any kind, even though the event runs rain or shine
- Alcohol
- Drones
- Video recording equipment and professional camera gear, including detachable lenses, tripods and large zoom lenses
Since umbrellas are on the list, bring rain jackets if the forecast turns wet.
If you own a rental in the marina, projects like the Lot 4 structure and the Fiji Way ramp rebuild can affect what tenants ask about, from parking on event nights to what the harbor will look like next summer. Jambi Property Management follows these County projects closely for owners across the Westside. Request a free rental analysis, and we'll show you how your property fits into the marina as it changes.
