The Christmas Ships are getting ready to set sail for their 68th year as delighting spectators with colorful, light-bedecked flotillas during the parade’s 2022 holiday season. The Christmas Ship Parade will open Dec. 2 on the Columbia River in the area of North Portland Harbor. The parade will run for 15 nights through Dec. 21. There will be no parades on Dec 4, 8, 12 and 13.
Up to 60 holiday boats are expected to make up the two fleets, the Columbia and the Willamette. Each skipper is responsible for their own expenses, including fuel and insurance for their vessels over the two weeks. The nonprofit Christmas Ships organization accepts donations for maintaining, managing and promoting the parade, but none of these donations go to the skippers, their crews or their boats. They’re just people who enjoy giving back to the community they love.
A full schedule for the Columbia and Willamette fleets, as well as a link for donations can be found at www.christmasships.org. The Columbia schedule is as follows: