In December 1966, a group from the Channel Islands Yacht Club and the Channel Islands Harbor Association met at the Channel Clipper restaurant to plan the harbor's first Parade of Lights. Their plans were big: as many as 100 boats, a decorated tree on an anchored barge and carolers on the decks. About 30 boats showed up. According to the Channel Islands Yacht Club's history, the mayor and other dignitaries set out on an 85-foot yacht, the Dry Martini, which ran out of fuel and had to drop out after one lap. The entries included a sleigh in lights, a barge set up as Santa's workshop, and "a Hawaiian Christmas complete with dancing girls." Close to 4,000 people came to watch.
Sixty parades later, that Hawaiian entry is the whole theme. The 60th Annual Parade of Lights runs Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 7 to 9 p.m., and the theme is "Aloha Afloat." The theme looks back to the first year, but the harbor around it looks very different from last December. Fisherman's Wharf is being torn down, and a federal dredge is scheduled to work around the clock through the winter. Last year's viewing map still works as a starting point, but last year's paddle launch now sits next to a demolition site.
Two anniversaries a year apart
Channel Islands Harbor opened on Memorial Day 1965 and celebrated that anniversary in 2025, as the VC Reporter covered. The parade started a year and a half later, so 2026 is its own 60th.
The harbor's anniversary year left something behind. Officials described upgraded versions of the annual events for 2025, plus new additions like daytime holiday paddles. One of those paddles is back for a second year, and it sets up a two-weekend December.
The holiday stretch, by date
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | Tamale Festival | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Plaza Park |
| Sunday, Dec. 6 | 2nd Annual Reindeer Paddle | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Channel Islands Harbor, launch site not yet posted |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | 60th Annual Parade of Lights | 7 to 9 p.m. | Channel Islands Harbor |
The city lists the Tamale Festival with food and craft vendors, live music and a kids' zone. It's at Plaza Park, not the harbor, but it lands the day before the paddle, so the first weekend of December fills up in two different parts of town. For now, the paddle and the parade are the only December events on the Channel Islands Harbor events page.
Last year's paddle launched next to what is now a demolition site
The first Reindeer Paddle in December 2025 launched from the East Bank Day Dock, between Fisherman's Wharf and the public launch ramp. Kayakers and paddleboarders went up to the Channel Islands Boulevard Bridge and back at their own pace, and Harbor Patrol handled safety. People could register online, and once online registration closed, they could still sign up on-site at the day dock. Registering in advance guaranteed a set of antlers and Harbor giveaways.
That dock now sits next to the busiest construction zone in the harbor. Demolition at Fisherman's Wharf started in August 2026, and the Karls redevelopment planned for the site is aiming to open in spring 2028. In June, the Harbor Department said the few remaining Wharf businesses would close or relocate, and Hopper Boat Rentals would stay open during construction.
The 2026 Reindeer Paddle page invites paddlers to dress in holiday gear and says more details are coming. It doesn't list a launch site or a registration link yet. If you're planning on the East Bank Day Dock because that's where the paddle started last year, check the page before you load the kayak.
The dredge works the same nights
The other big change is out on the water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is returning in November for maintenance dredging, with Manson Construction of Seattle doing the work. Crews stage equipment first. Dredging is expected to start in November and run through the end of February 2027, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A few details from the Harbor Department's dredging notice apply directly to December plans:
- Heavy equipment on Silver Strand Beach is limited to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., even though the dredging itself runs overnight.
- Sand from the harbor is pumped about a mile south to Hueneme Beach.
- The contractor may pause for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The notice doesn't list December 6 or December 12 among those pauses.
This is the third year in a row with dredging, even though the harbor is usually dredged every other year within an October-to-March window. In 2024, permitting, weather and operational problems kept the Corps from finishing the planned amount, so the work picked up again in 2025. After this cycle, the harbor is expected to go back to every other year. The Harbor Department hasn't said how the equipment and the parade boats will share the water. The parade page is the place to watch for that.
Where to watch, starting from last year's map
The 2026 route and viewing map haven't been published yet. The 2025 guide is the best starting point. It came with a downloadable map of the "prime" outdoor spots and noted that the parade can be seen from almost anywhere in the harbor. The Harbor's advice for those spots was to come early with chairs, blankets and a cooler. Visit Oxnard describes the parade starting near Peninsula Park and Peninsula Yacht Marina, then looping through the harbor, and it links to the Harbor's 2025 map for the route. Visit Oxnard also says to arrive early because harbor and nearby public parking fill up, and to allow for traffic and possible road closures. The Harbor Director told the VC Reporter that general Harbor parking is free.
For an indoor seat, the Channel Islands Maritime Museum held a second-floor viewing party in 2025, and the Harbor called it probably one of the best places to watch. Tickets were $150 and included appetizers, desserts and drinks.
The Harbor's 2025 guide named five restaurants with parade views and told readers to book early. Here's where each one stands heading into this December, with locations from Visit Oxnard's harbor directory:
- Sea Fresh Channel Islands, Marine Emporium Landing. Its website is live with a menu and online ordering.
- The Waterside Restaurant and Wine Bar, Marine Emporium Landing. Its website is live with a menu and private-event booking.
- Moqueca Brazilian Cuisine, Marine Emporium Landing. Still in Visit Oxnard's directory. Call before you book.
- The Lookout Bar and Grill, Harbor Landing. Still in Visit Oxnard's directory. Call before you book.
- Toppers Pizza Place. Named in the 2025 guide. Confirm it's open before you plan around it.
None of these is in the Fisherman's Wharf area, which Visit Oxnard places on the east side by Silver Strand. That matters more this year, since the Wharf is the part of the harbor under demolition.
If your boat is in the parade
The 2026 entry form, deadline and awards haven't been posted yet. The 2025 entry form gives a sense of what to prepare. It had six categories: individual and yacht club entries, each split into over-30-foot and 30-feet-and-under divisions, plus electric boats with a 14-foot minimum and commercial, nonprofit or government entries. Boats over 50 feet had to contact Harbor Patrol before being accepted. Skippers turned in the entry form, a signed release and proof of boat insurance, then went to a mandatory 4 p.m. skipper meeting at the Harbor Patrol offices on parade day. Entries were due by 4 p.m. that same day to the Channel Islands Harbor Foundation, Inc., 3900 Pelican Way, or by email to [email protected].
Last year's judges scored theme, originality, and visual and sound effects. On top of the category awards, there were prizes for best-dressed crew and most humorous display, and the highest-scoring boat took the Sweepstakes perpetual trophy. If the 2026 judges use the same criteria, "Aloha Afloat" rewards the kind of entry the 1966 parade already had: a Hawaiian Christmas on the water. That first year, the Sweepstakes went to a yacht lit up with the Ventura County Tuberculosis and Health Association's double-armed cross to promote the Christmas Seal campaign.
When the 2026 map, entry form and paddle registration go up, they'll be on the Channel Islands Harbor events page.
Living on the harbor means planning around everything from parade night to the dredge schedule, and Debbie Curran follows those changes all year. If you own a home near the parade route and want to know how this year's harbor changes affect its value, request a free home valuation, and Debbie will give you a clear, local answer.
