Newport Beach Christmas Parade

Description

Giclée reproduction of “Newport Beach Christmas Parade” from the original watercolor painting by artist Scott Kennedy in 2008.

About this painting

The annual Newport Beach Christmas Parade offers an exciting and extraordinary display of creatively-lit watercraft. This outstanding display also includes the surrounding waterfront homes.

I was involved with this traditional four-evening party throughout the years. During that time, I made several studies. On the 100^th anniversary of the boat parade, I painted this rendition.

To gain the perspective that offered a wider angle of the harbor, I imagined myself floating above the Balboa Pavilion while rendering this piece.

About this parade

This yuletide favorite originated at the turn of the 20^th century – to the credit of John Scarpa, an Italian gondolier, and Joseph Beek.

In 1907, Scarpa, in a gondola decorated with Japanese lanterns, ferried a group of visitors across Newport bay.   A year later, on the 4^th of July, the first lighted parade took place as Scarpa’s illuminated gondola was trailed by eight canoes.

A few years after that, the event was held again and promoted as the “Illuminated Water Parade”. Decorative efforts on the boats and floats turned competitive as vessels were judged and prizes awarded. Many of the floats, built in Beek’s garage, were decorated in fashion with the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.

Although two world wars and a big-time depression caused hiatuses in the tradition, the parades continued and became larger each year. Then the event became too big. In 1949, overcrowding and traffic congestion at the harbor led to the parade falling out of favor.

Determined minds in Newport Beach were not going to let the popular boat parade fade into obscurity. Beek and his family illuminated their 20-passenger “Fat Ferry” from the Balboa Ferry line for the celebration. Other festively-lit boats soon followed, and the event was reborn as the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade.

In the early ‘70s, the draw became large once again. Ironically, the “Fat Ferry” had to be withdrawn from the parade in order to serve the burgeoning transportation needs that the event had caused.

And the Newport Beach Christmas Parade today…

Today, with as many as 150 boats participating, the parade is “one of the top ten holiday happenings in the nation” according to the New York Times. The Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce hosts this renowned holiday event.

Similar artwork

See Scott Kennedy’s oil painting “Beer Can Regatta” and the pen and ink drawing “Character Boat Parade” – more Newport Beach traditions.