Bay City Tribune

The Ninth Annual Matagorda Lighted Boat Parade will help usher in the Christmas season Gulf Coast style with a gumbo cookoff, fireworks and a boat parade at the Matagorda Harbor at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27.

Sue Milberger, one of six Matagorda businesswomen who coordinate the event, said they are striving to make the event grow in size and popularity each year.

"We are going to get started with vendors early in the afternoon and we hope people will come early to browse the vendors and embrace the idea of tailgating at the boat parade this year," said Milberger.

There will be plenty to do all afternoon including festival-style shopping and gumbo cook-off tasting before the fireworks kickoff the boat parade at 6:30 p.m.

This year a patriotic ceremony will take place just before the first fireworks burst in the air signaling the beginning of the boat parade.

Milberger said all sizes and styles of boats are welcome to be part of the parade.

"We hope everyone with a boat will get out and decorate it with some Christmas lights and come join our parade," she said.

Each year the procession of lighted and decorated boats increase in number and they are hoping this year will bring the largest turnout yet.

The boat parade will start in the Matagorda Harbor and proceed under the new span bridge, turn around and come back to end in the harbor.

The boats will be judged in two categories - pleasure and commercial craft.

First place winners will receive $500 cash prizes and second place winners will receive $250 cash prizes.

Cook-off entries must include two gallons of gumbo and requires a $25 entry fee.

After the gumbo is judged, $5 tickets will buy your way into the tasting tent.

A raffle drawing will be held at the end of the event for a chance to win prizes including several Nintendo Wii game systems, Ipods, a digital camera, 10-pounds of shrimp, gift certificates, a laptop computer, a Vera Bradley bag and a shotgun among others.

All boat entries are required to participate in a Captain's meeting at 4 p.m.

Gumbo entries should arrive for judging from 3-4 p.m. and entry forms are available at Russell's Bait and Tackle, Cattails, Full Stringer Realty and online at MatagordaBay.com.

Raffle tickets, on sale for $5 per six tickets, can be purchase the day of the event at the harbor.

The proceeds from the event will be donated to several Matagorda County charities.

The event will be held on Sunday, Nov. 29 in case of rain.

Sargent's Annual Free Boat Parade down Caney Creek has become one of the most popular events in the beachside village and is expected to draw a large crowd for the parade that begins at dusk on Saturday Nov. 28.

"There's no entry fee to get in our parade and it is not a fundraiser for anything," said Marie Zikuhr, one of three Sargent residents that coordinate the event each year.

"You just decorate your boat, get in it and just have fun."

Zikuhr said what makes the boat parade great is that it is just for fun.

"The homes along Caney Creek decorate their piers, several businesses along the route open and let people come and watch and everyone joins in and it's just a real good festival time," she said.

Anyone with a decorated boat is invited to gather where the mouth of Caney Creek meets in the Intracoastal Canal, travels up the creek and ends at the old M&T grocery store.

Last year over 20 boats were decorated and paraded down Caney Creek.

"We never know how many will participate," said Zikuhr.

"A lot of people from Houston come down and bring their families to celebrate Thanksgiving and they stay in town to participate."

And any boat will do.

"It doesn't matter how big the boat is," said Zikuhr.

"If you feel like rowing a kayak then you can bring it down here and put it in, it may be a tough row, but you're welcome to do it."

Zikuhr said there is no rain day.

They just hope for good weather.

"We have a lot of fun and there will be a lot of parties going on down here," she said.

"Everybody is welcome and we'd love to have them."