Key Largo Lighted Boat Parade Returns, Raises Prize Money for Charities

The Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club staged the 40th annual Key Largo Lighted Boat Parade on December 9, bringing waterfront crowds together for an evening of illuminated vessels and a fireworks finale over Blackwater Sound. Boats followed this year’s theme, The Grinch in the Keys, and the event was designed to benefit local nonprofit programs supported by the Rotary club.

Registration and check in were held the evening before at Florida Bay Outfitters, and Sea Tow provided lineup and float instructions to ensure orderly staging on the water. The awards ceremony was held at Sundowners at 9:30 p.m. Organizers increased total cash prizes to five thousand dollars, up from two thousand five hundred dollars last year, with awards across categories including Most Colorful, Best Use of Theme, Best Business, Best Boat Under 25 feet and Best Boat Over 25 feet. Entrants were also eligible for a separate five hundred dollar drawing.

Proceeds from the parade will support a range of local services including school athletics, pet rescues, the children’s shelter, Wesley House Family Services and assistance to Oasis at the Keys nursing residents. For Monroe County residents these funds translate into direct support for students, families, seniors and animals in need, reinforcing a local safety net that has faced strain in recent years.

The parade also carried public health and safety considerations. The use of Sea Tow for lineup instructions aimed to reduce congestion and navigational risks on Blackwater Sound, and the community gathering required coordination among organizers, venue staff and local businesses. The event’s charitable focus highlights how festive traditions can be leveraged to address gaps in social services and equity by channeling tourism and community engagement into tangible local aid.

As the Keys move into the holiday season, the parade demonstrated both community resilience and the ongoing need for organized support for vulnerable populations. Increased prize money appeared to encourage broad participation, and the funds raised will flow back into Monroe County programs that provide athletic opportunities for youth, shelter for children, care for seniors and rescue services for pets.