Looking back on that Very First Christmas Boat Parade

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The very first Christmas Boat Parade was organized 31 years ago and has become a staple of the Christmas season on Grand Lake. That very first event, which had serious doubters when announced by the Cherokee Yacht Club’s former owner, Terry Frost, was a resounding success in 1989. The atmosphere at the pre-party could be compared to the electricity usually reserved for a championship sporting event.

I was on hand for that first event and can testify to the evening being a game changing promotion which contributed significantly to expanding Grand Lake’s season.

The atmosphere that night was unbelievable and the excitement could have been carved up and served as dessert. There couldn’t have been a Santa suit within 250 miles that hadn’t been rented by a Grand Laker for the evening. Those of us taking part that evening were witnessing a change in the Grand Lake business as usual approach to the off-season, which would benefit our economy for years to come.

That first year, the first place winner was the “Wild, Wild West,” a 42’ Houseboat piloted by Tulsa dentist Jim West and his crew. The decorations were very simple compared to what we see today and of course, the West crew had coordinated costumes for the evening.

Since that inaugural event, there have been peaks and valleys with the numbers of participating boats and crews being as high as 30-plus and as low as seven, but the event last year may have been the best one ever. Now Cherokee Yacht Club's Joe Harwood, Tom McKibben and staff have the objective of making this year’s event, scheduled for December 5th even better. Unlike many years in the past, when entry forms were distributed in the local media and in yacht club newsletters, this year the organizational committee has taken an active role in recruiting participants and have been the catalyst in laying the ground-work for another great Christmas party Grand Style..

It’s not too late to participate in this historic Grand Lake Christmas party. To join the parade contact either of the two organizing yacht club…Cherokee or Arrowhead. We're anticipating the best ever rendition of a truly Grand Lake Christmas tradition...

See Ya’ Around the Pond!!