Naples Parade Canceled Amid Seawall Crisis
The Naples Improvement Association has canceled its 2026 holiday boat parade, citing unsafe tides and infrastructure concerns on Naples Island.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Civic
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Should Long Beach spend city money on seawall repair over holiday events?
The Naples Improvement Association canceled the 2026 Naples Island Holiday Boat Parade, the first cancellation since the COVID pandemic began six years ago. The decision followed weeks of deliberation and a 600-respondent poll, with organizers citing high tides and heavy surf as unsafe.
Why it matters
The cancellation highlights the stalled repair of the Naples seawall, with only two of six phases complete and city officials saying $125 million is needed to finish. Residents face the prospect of a costly neighborhood bond to fund the work.
Organizers have run the parade since 1946, drawing more than 100 entries and about 60,000 spectators in a typical year. The association has not announced whether any alternative holiday event will replace it.
The players
Naples Improvement Association
The neighborhood association that organizes the Naples Island Holiday Boat Parade and made the cancellation decision after a member poll.
City of Long Beach
The municipal government responsible for the Naples seawall repairs and considering a neighborhood-wide bond to fund completion.
The details
Organizers said high tides and heavy surf would make the event unsafe for visitors and participants, and they cited the city's failure to address the aging seawall and underperforming drainage. Tides are forecast to rise 6 to 18 inches above normal this season, reaching 7.5 to 8.5 feet during Christmas week.
Timeline
2009: City evaluated the seawall and found significant disrepair.
November 7, 2026: Naples Improvement Association announced the parade cancellation.
Week of Christmas 2026: Tides expected to reach 7.5 to 8.5 feet.
Christmas Eve 2026: Highest tides forecast to peak in the morning.
Legal Context
The 2009 city evaluation found the Naples seawall in significant disrepair, and only two of six repair phases have been completed since. The current funding debate over a 30-year neighborhood bond follows that unresolved infrastructure record.
Residents and visitors who planned to watch the parade will not have a boat parade this holiday season. Homeowners on Naples Island may face a bond cost of $5,100 per property annually if the neighborhood-wide measure advances.
The takeaway
Long Beach residents should watch the Christmas-week tide forecast and any city vote on the neighborhood bond, since both will shape holiday safety and the cost of finishing the seawall.
What happens next
The Christmas-week tide peak of 7.5 to 8.5 feet is forecast for late December 2026, when the parade would have been held.
Further reading
For more on local government and public works, browse Long Beach Civic coverage.
Live Poll
Should Long Beach spend city money on seawall repair over holiday events?
