Winterfest Boat Parade To Halt Traffic Saturday
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) -- More than a million people are expected to gather along the Intracoastal Waterway to watch the annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade Saturday, and along with the throngs will come road closures as draw bridges are raised to allow the boats to pass.
The Winterfest Boat Parade "Dancing thru the Decades" celebration will set sail at 6:30 PM along the New River from just east of the Stranahan House, 335 SE 6th Ave. off Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
From there, brightly-lit boats pass through downtown and travel east to the Intracoastal Waterway, then north to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach.
Eight bridges will be affected starting at 7th Avenue through Commercial Boulevard with staggered openings from 6 PM to 8 PM.
The FECI Railroad bridge will be locked in the open position for the duration of the parade, which is expected to end at about 8 PM according to WWW.WinterfestParade.com.
A list of bridge openings that will impact traffic flow are:
7th Avenue Bridge from 6:20 PM to 8:00 PM; Andrews Avenue from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM; 3rd Avenue Bridge from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM; Riverside Hotel from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM; Las Olas Boulevard from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM; Sunrise Boulevard from 7:20 PM to 9:30 PM; Oakland Park Boulevard from 7:40 PM to 10:00 PM; and Commercial Boulevard from 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM.
The parade will begin with a fly-over by the United States Coast Guard who will trace the 12 miles of the New River, Intracoastal to Lake Santa Barbara.
