In 1960, the developers Haft-Gaines made their move on land in northeast Fort Lauderdale. According to The Landings Residential Association's own history, the timing came down to a bridge.
"In 1960, when an Intracoastal Bridge on Commercial Boulevard was in the offing, Haft-Gaines made their move."
They planned The Landings in three sections. The First Section ran from 52nd Street to 56th Court, the Second from 56th Court to 59th Street, and the Third later became Bay Colony. The first model homes opened in spring 1962 near 55th Street and Bayview Drive. The original price list included a sodded waterfront lot and a private dock with every home.
Sixty-six years later, that bridge still sets the neighborhood's schedule one night a year. On Saturday, December 12, 2026, the 55th Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade will travel 12 miles from downtown to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. Of all the crossings on the route, the Commercial Boulevard bridge stays closed to cars the longest.
The Bridge That Holds the Longest
Winterfest publishes approximate times when each drawbridge on the route closes to cars. Read from south to north, the closures last two to two and a half hours until you reach Commercial Boulevard, which holds for three.
| Bridge | Closes to cars | Reopens | Approximate window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th Avenue, Andrews Avenue, Third Avenue | 5:30 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 2.5 hours |
| Las Olas Boulevard | 6:30 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | 2 hours |
| Sunrise Boulevard | 7:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 2 hours |
| Oakland Park Boulevard | 7:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. | 2 hours |
| Commercial Boulevard | 8:00 p.m. | 11:00 p.m. | 3 hours |
Commercial Boulevard closes two hours after the parade leaves downtown and reopens two and a half hours after Las Olas does. If you live in The Landings and have dinner plans in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea or friends coming over from A1A, those three hours matter more than the parade's 6 p.m. start. The closures follow the parade north. Winterfest says the procession takes about two and a half hours to pass any one point, and that it reaches each spot later the farther north you are.
Winterfest calls these times approximate and does not post a time for when the boats will reach Commercial Boulevard or the streets the Haft-Gaines brochure once sold. The safest plan is to treat the 8 to 11 p.m. car closure as the outer limits of the evening.
On a regular day, the Commercial Boulevard draw opens for boats on the hour and at 20 and 40 minutes past. Oakland Park opens on the quarter-hour and the three-quarter hour. Winterfest lists both as the normal schedules before and after the parade, so normal bridge rhythm returns once the procession clears.
How the Afternoon Moves North
The waterways close in stages through the afternoon, and the north end of the route closes last.
- 2:30 p.m. The New River closes to boats not in the parade, from the fork near Little Florida, west of Cooley's Landing, east to Marker 9.
- 4:30 p.m. Parade boats complete final staging and roll call, according to Winterfest's application page.
- 4:50 p.m. The Intracoastal closes from Port Everglades to the south side of the Oakland Park Bridge.
- 5:30 p.m. A preshow of non-motorized boats begins downtown. The parade fleet stages along the docks west of Stranahan House toward the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
- 5:50 p.m. The Intracoastal closes north of the Oakland Park Bridge through Lake Santa Barbara. That is the stretch that includes the water off Commercial Boulevard.
- 6:00 p.m. The parade leaves Stranahan House, heads east on the New River, then turns north up the Intracoastal.
- 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. The Commercial Boulevard bridge is closed to cars.
The water north of Oakland Park stays open to regular boat traffic for 3 hours and 20 minutes after the New River closes. That leaves the afternoon free for anyone moving a boat on the north end. From the 5:50 p.m. closure to the 11 p.m. bridge reopening is just over five hours. For The Landings, that is the parade night.
The Coast Guard's Moving Zone on the Water
Boats docked along the north end are covered by a federal rule in addition to Winterfest's schedule. The Code of Federal Regulations, Title 33, Part 100 lists Winterfest as a recurring event on one weekend day in December, with exact dates and times announced separately. The rule covers an approximate window of 1:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and sets a moving regulated zone from Cooley's Landing Marina to Lake Santa Barbara. The zone extends 50 yards ahead of the parade, behind it and to either side.
Inside that zone, only boats designated by the sponsor and official patrol vessels may enter without authorization. Spectator boats must request permission to enter, pass through, stay or anchor, and must follow patrol directions. This is general information, not legal advice. Boat owners should check the current rule and any enforcement notice with the Coast Guard before planning to be on the water that night.
If you'd rather join the parade than watch it, Winterfest says entry fees start at $30. Applications must be pre-approved, and boats need Coast Guard certification and proof of insurance. The mandatory Captains' Meeting is Tuesday, December 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Suntex Marinas, 801 Seabreeze Boulevard. Captains get lineup information and rules there, and first-time captains can see the route by Water Taxi afterward.
Booking a Table on the North End
The official public viewing area is far down the route at Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park, 80 Las Olas Circle. Gates open at 4 p.m., and boats are expected there around 6:30 p.m. As of mid-October, Winterfest's 2026 viewing page says tickets will be available soon. The City of Fort Lauderdale's event listing gives hours of 4 to 11 p.m. that day. If you go there from The Landings, you would cross several bridges with their own closure windows on the way home. That trip also ends at Commercial Boulevard, where cars may be held until 11 p.m.
Kaluz has posted a parade reservations page for Saturday, December 12, 2026, with booking handled by email at [email protected]. Winterfest's official 2026 hotel and restaurant directory also lists Bokampers at 3115 NE 32nd Avenue. That listing gives booking details but does not advertise a parade-night event.
Winterfest's Ways to Watch page also lists bridges and other spots along the route as options. The theme this year is "Party in the U.S.A.," announced in a Winterfest press release dated February 16, 2026. Expect plenty of red, white and blue among the lights. Winterfest has not yet named a 2026 grand marshal.
The Lead-Up Calendar
The parade comes at the end of a month of Winterfest and holiday events. Dates worth adding to the calendar between now and December 12:
- Thursday, November 12, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The city's Light Up the Galt at North Beach Restaurants and Shoppes, NE 33rd Avenue and NE 33rd Street.
- Thursday, November 19, 6 p.m. Charles Fazzino's 2026 Winterfest poster reveal.
- Sunday, November 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Winterfest Family Fun Day at Esplanade Park, which Winterfest describes as free.
- Saturday, December 5. The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Black Tie Ball. The events calendar lists 6 p.m. to midnight, and the ball's own page lists cocktails, dinner and dancing from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, December 8, 6 to 8 p.m. Captains' Meeting at Suntex Marinas.
- Saturday, December 12. Parade day. The water north of Oakland Park closes at 5:50 p.m., and the Commercial Boulevard bridge is closed to cars from about 8 to 11 p.m.
If you're thinking about how Intracoastal frontage, dock position or bridge access affects a property in The Landings, Tyler Tuchow and the Fortune | Christie's Las Olas team can walk you through the details. Request a private consultation.
