# Jacksonville Holiday River Fest and Light Boat Parade > Event for families in the Jacksonville area (FL). Times are Eastern Time. - When: Sat, Nov 28 · 5:00 PM - Where: Riverfront Plaza, 2 W Independent Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202 - Ages: All ages - Price: Free - Organizer: City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events - Official page: https://events.jacksonville.gov/ - Last checked: Sat, Oct 24 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/activities/jacksonville-holiday-river-fest-and-light-boat-parade--listing-8bee521e607e56ba78e93dbe ## About One evening that bundles downtown Jacksonville's big holiday traditions. Holiday River Fest opens at Riverfront Plaza at 5 pm with hot cocoa, festive treats, food trucks and family activities. At 6:25 pm Mayor Donna Deegan and guests light the City of Jacksonville's Christmas tree, back at Riverfront Plaza for its second year. At 6:30 pm the Jacksonville Light Boat Parade, a tradition of more than 30 years, begins: decorated boats of every size cruise the St. Johns River along the Northbank and Southbank, and families can watch from the downtown Riverwalks. Winners are announced on the Holiday Stage at Riverfront Plaza around 8:15 pm, and the night ends at about 8:30 pm with fireworks, including the waterfall effect off the Main Street and Acosta bridges. Free to attend. Bring a blanket or chairs if you plan to stay for the whole parade, and expect large crowds downtown. ## Similar picks in Jacksonville - [Holiday Market and Free First Saturday at the Cummer Museum](https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/activities/holiday-market-and-free-first-saturday-at-the-cummer-museum--listing-b02d66634cd863ae3c8c6ff7) — Sat, Dec 5 · 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM · Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. On the first Saturday of December the Cummer Museum's Front Lawn Market becomes a Holiday Market: an open-air market of local artisans and makers selling handcrafted gifts. It… - [Holiday Night Market at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm](https://grassyknees.com/jacksonville/activities/holiday-night-market-at-the-st-augustine-alligator-farm--listing-9dcdf286a874e6c65cccc64d) — Fri, Dec 11 · 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM · St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park · From $10 · checked Oct 24. 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