Christmas Ships on the Vancouver Side: Which December Nights Run the Waterfront Route

Grant Street Pier gets an estimated pass time of 7:50 p.m. on just three December nights this year. The official 2026 Columbia River schedule has the fleet out on 15 evenings between December 3 and December 20. Only three of them are listed as the Vancouver Waterfront/Hayden Bay route: Thursday, December 3; Friday, December 11; and Wednesday, December 16.

The other Washington-side nights are built around other shorelines. Some run upriver toward Steamboat Landing and SE 164th, some work the Wintler Park stretch, and one Saturday belongs to Camas and Washougal. For anyone in Clark County, seeing the parade up close comes down to matching the night to the shoreline you live near.

Three nights at the pier, and the clock they run on

All three waterfront nights work the same way. At 7 p.m. the fleet gathers off M. James Gleason Boat Ramp on NE Marine Drive, crosses to the Washington side near Tidewater Cove, and heads downriver toward the I-5 Bridge. The Christmas Ships route page for December 16 lists these estimated viewing times:

• Surprise Beach, about 7:30 p.m.
• Grant Street Pier, about 7:50 p.m.
• The Holiday Inn on Hayden Island, about 8:15 p.m.
• Hayden Bay, about 8:30 p.m.

The December 3 and December 11 route pages give the same estimates. December 3 is one of the combined-fleet nights, so that Thursday opening night brings out the full fleet rather than just the Columbia boats.

Treat those times as estimates. The organizers say so plainly on the route page:

"Parade schedules may be impacted due to weather conditions, debris in the river, and commercial river traffic. It is not possible for us to give exact times at specific viewing locations."

The fleet stays out for about two hours and can be seen from both sides of the river. If you get to the pier by 7:30, you'll still be in place if the boats come early, and you won't need to rush if they come late.

Every Washington-side night, sorted by shoreline

Once you know the three waterfront nights, the rest of the calendar is easier to read. Each remaining Washington-side night goes to a different part of the river.

The schedule has no parade on December 6, 10 or 14. On December 4, 9 and 15 the fleet goes to North Portland Harbor.

Wintler Park nights, December 7 and 18. The fleet gathers off Gleason for about 15 minutes, crosses to Tidewater Cove, goes upriver toward Lieser Point, and then comes back downriver toward the I-5 Bridge. The route page gives no estimated time for any Washington viewing spot on these nights, so the boats could reach any given stretch of shoreline at a less predictable hour.

Upriver nights, December 8 and 17. These are the longest Washington-side routes. The fleet crosses to the Washington side, runs upriver to Steamboat Landing and SE 164th, and stays along that shore for about two hours. If you live east of I-205, these two nights put the boats closest to you.

Camas and Washougal, Saturday, December 5. The combined fleet gathers at Camas/Washougal at 6 p.m., an hour earlier than the weeknight routes. The listed viewing spots are the Port of Camas-Washougal, Washougal Waterfront Park and Steamboat Landing Park. The boats parade locally for about an hour, then head back toward Portland and Vancouver around 8:30.

November 27 comes before all of them

Vancouver's waterfront sees the boats six days before the parade season opens. On Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, the Vancouver Rotary Club's Community Tree Lighting starts with a Christmas Ships escort. The City of Vancouver event listing and the Rotary schedule lay out the evening:

1. 3 p.m. Festivities start in Esther Short Park with live music, carriage rides and holiday treats.
2. 4 p.m. Music starts on the Vancouver Waterfront, with School of Rock performing. The Christmas Ships listing puts the combined fleet at Grant Street Pier from 4 to 5 p.m.
3. 5 p.m. The flotilla escorts Santa and Mrs. Claus toward Vancouver, with the pair aboard a tugboat bound for the Vancouver City Dock.
4. 5:45 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive in front of the AC Marriott.
5. 6 p.m. A parade of decorated vehicles carries them to Esther Short Park, with music, family photos and refreshments along West Sixth Street.
6. 6:30 p.m. The tree is lit. Music, photos and carriage rides continue until 7 p.m.

On the same Friday, the Vancouver Holiday Market opens at the Hilton Vancouver, 301 W. Sixth St. It runs 3 to 8 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and entry is free. That puts a sheltered option a block from the park during the hours before Santa arrives.

The Esther Short Park lights stay up until New Year's Day, so the park is worth a walk on the evenings when the boats are elsewhere.

Where to stand, and where to sit

On waterfront nights you can watch for free along the shoreline. The Waterfront Vancouver points out that its restaurants have indoor river views and recommends reserving window or patio tables. The official route page names three Vancouver spots as good places to see the parade:

• Hotel Indigo Vancouver, 550 Waterfront Way, just downriver from the pier
• The Cove, 5731 SE Columbia Way, farther east along the river
• McMenamins on the Columbia, 1801 SE Columbia River Dr.

For outdoor viewing, the same page lists Rotary Way, west of I-5. The November 27 listing names Hotel Indigo and Rotary Way as viewing options for the Santa escort too.

Because the boats move west, where you sit decides when you see them. The Cove and McMenamins are on the stretch the fleet passes before it reaches the pier, and Hotel Indigo is near the pier and the 7:50 estimate. If you book a table and want the most time with the boats, reserve around 7:30 at the eastern spots and a little later near the pier.

Parking for the busiest night

November 27 is the night when parking matters most. Downtown has the tree lighting, the market and the escort all within a few blocks of each other. The Rotary parking page lists free street parking, garages and lots near Esther Short Park, and several waterfront options:

• Waterfront Vancouver Parking Center, 700 W. Columbia Way
• Terminal One Garage, 387 W. Columbia Way, with a $4 flat fee that Friday for the tree lighting and holiday market
• AC Hotel parking, 333 W. Columbia Way

The Columbian's event listing recommends arriving early for parking. The December weeknight parades start at 7 p.m. on a Thursday, a Friday and a Wednesday, when the waterfront is usually busy with dinner crowds instead of a parade, so the garages close to the river should be easier to use.

The quiet Sunday in the middle

The schedule has no parade on Sunday, December 6, so Esther Short Park gets the afternoon for a different event. The Chabad Jewish Center of Clark County hosts the Grand Menorah Lighting there from 3 to 4 p.m.

The organizers say plans can change for boating safety and weather, and the Christmas Ships parade schedule page is where changes are posted. Check it before you head out on any of the three waterfront nights.

If you walk to Grant Street Pier on December 3, 11 or 16, you've probably wondered what homes near the waterfront trade for. The team at Green Buck Real Estate follows Vancouver's riverfront and downtown neighborhoods closely. Request a free home valuation and we'll show you what your place is worth this season.