A Guide for Traveling to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the Holidays

If you are looking for a special place to spend your holidays, look no further. Fort Lauderdale has everything you need for the holidays, including snow, the kind that doesn't require shoveling. Blessed with miles of gorgeous beaches and a comfortable winter climate (high 60s, mid 70s), Fort Lauderdale is the perfect place to rest and relax on, before, or after any holiday, Christmas or New Years.

If college spring breakers, honky-tonk shops and seedy hotels are what come to mind when you think of Fort Lauderdale, you would be correct. Of an image of Fort Lauderdale in the 70s and early 80s. Those days are long gone. The last two decades have seen Fort Lauderdale transformed into a premier yachting destination, attracting megayachts from around the world. Laced with a maze of canals, magnificent waterfront homes, top-notched marinas and beautiful yachts, Fort Lauderdale is truly the Venice of America.

Here's what Fort Lauderdale has to offer around the holidays:

Winterfest Boat Parade
Arguably the largest and best boat parade in the U.S., Fort Lauderdale's Winterfest Boat Parade is a festive and exciting event. The 39^th Annual Winterfest Boat Parade takes place on December 11 with the theme "Dancing thru the Decades," so put on your dancing shoes and get ready to party. Hundreds of boats, large and small, will parade down the New River and the Intracoastal Waterway all decked out with spectacular lights and holiday decorations from palm trees to dolphins to the traditional Santa Claus and reindeer. It is definitely a scene to behold. If you are lucky to be watching the Winterfest Boat Parade from a boat, your view will be even more incredible. Not just of boats, but also of all parties going on in the mansions around you. Don't forget to bring your binoculars!

Santa on the Beach
While you are soaking up the rays on the beaches of Fort Lauderdale, Santa and his elves will be busy distributing holiday treats to beachgoers. This event takes place on December 20 along Fort Lauderdale Beach. Santa will begin his route at noon from 1350 W. Broward Boulevard. Click on the Santa on the Beach link for more detailed information on the whereabouts of Santa that day.

See the holiday lights by water taxi
The water taxi is wonderful alternative to driving. You can take it to the beach, the shopping mall and restaurants. Around this time of year, you'll also get to see the gorgeous waterfront mansions adorned with the holiday lights and décor as your water taxi criss-cross Fort Lauderdale's canals and waterways.

Where to shop and eat
The water taxi stops at the Galleria Mall, Las Olas Boulevard and Riverwalk, all must-stop places for your holiday shopping and entertainment. Stroll the trendy Las Olas Boulevard to see unique artworks and galleries, chic boutiques and eat at any of the great restaurants. A short walk from Las Olas Boulevard is Riverwalk, the arts and entertainment district along the New River. In addition to the myriad shops, clubs and restaurants, Riverwalk has a movie and IMAX theater, a Performing Arts Center, and the Museum of Discovery and Science.

New Year's Eve Celebration
Ring in the new year at Fort Lauderdale's annual " Downtown Countdown " event, which takes place on SW 2nd Street and SW 5^th Avenue Dec 31^st from 3 pm to 3 am. Festivities include music, and lots of activities for families and their kids, and a lighted ball drop at midnight.

Relax, get some sun and have a wonderful time in sunny Fort Lauderdale!

Sources:
Winterfest Boat Parade
Santa on the Beach