Across the U.S., towns ring in the most wonderful time of the year with family-friendly Christmas parades, visits with Santa, and other festive traditions. Along the coast, many seaside towns put a nautical twist on the classic holiday parade. Wilmington, North Carolina’s portside gem, may draw visitors year-round with its charming riverwalk and locally owned shops, but it’s the beach towns along the Intracoastal Waterway where the action happens over the holidays. That’s where you’ll find the NC Holiday Flotilla at Wrightsville Beach happening on Saturday, November 29, 2025.
Abutting the east edge of Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach is one of North Carolina’s most beloved summer towns. Each November since 1983, it’s traded summer bustle for winter glow, hosting an illuminated boat parade and Christmas events for thousands of visitors — averaging over 50,000 in recent years. Festivities begin the Friday after Thanksgiving with ticketed parties and a free Tree Lighting Ceremony at Town Hall (this year, 5:30 p.m. on November 28). Guests can sip hot chocolate and nibble cookies as the Elf Patrol children’s choir performs, followed by the Wilmington Celebration Choir and a visit from Santa.
The next day, starting at 10 a.m., Wrightsville Beach Park fills with around 100 food and craft vendors, plus a vintage car show. When the sun goes down, local captains, their vessels decked out in light displays and other festive decor, cruise 4 miles through Motts Channel, Banks Channel, and the Intracoastal Waterway. Spectators are invited to vote for their favorites as skippers compete for cash prizes and bragging rights. The evening finishes with a fireworks show over the harbor.
Community and holiday spirit at the NC Holiday Flotilla
In 1983, a group of locals gathered at the Blockade Runner Beach Resort and decided to try something fun for the off-season: decorate their boats, set off fireworks, and throw a holiday party. Some also saw it as a way to bring some energy to the town during the off-season. The first flotilla consisted of just a handful of boats — some accounts say three, others say up to eight — and it has grown steadily, with more than 30 vessels participating in 2024…