The Parade of Lights Ends at Lakeview Marina This Year. Where Should You Watch From Shore?
"We're thrilled to offer a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone, despite the lower water levels," Cary Lewis, president of Save Eagle Mountain Lake, said in SEML's 2024 parade announcement. That year the boats started at Fort Worth Boat Club and headed toward the Azle side of the lake, a route SEML said it had come up with because of low water.
In 2025 the problem was wind. In 2026 the organizers announced a new route and a new finish line. The Eagle Mountain Lake Parade of Lights is more than 35 years old, but it hasn't run the same way two years in a row. For anyone watching from shore on Saturday, November 28, the one fixed point to plan around is where it ends.
Here is how the last three parades actually went, according to SEML and the Tarrant Regional Water District:
| Year | Date | What shaped it | Where the night wrapped up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Saturday, November 30, 5 p.m. | Low lake levels led to an alternate route starting at Fort Worth Boat Club | Shine & Dine for Tots at The Lakehouse |
| 2025 | Planned for November 29, held Saturday, December 6 | Postponed a week because of high winds | Awards ceremony at The Lakehouse |
| 2026 | Saturday, November 28, about 5:30 to 5:45 p.m. | New route announced by SEML | After-party at The Anchor, Lakeview Marina |
For two years the evening ended at The Lakehouse on Boat Club Road. This year, SEML's November 4 announcement says the parade will finish at Lakeview Marina, with The Anchor on Eagle Mountain Lake hosting the after-party. That moves the end of the night to the Peden Road side of the lake.
A boat parade depends on the water it runs on, and the lake is low again. On November 9, 2026, Water Data for Texas put Eagle Mountain Reservoir at 71.5% full, with a daily mean level of 642.77 feet. Its 8 p.m. reading that day was 642.78 feet, 6.32 feet below the 649.10-foot conservation pool. A month earlier, on October 9, it was 74.1% full at 643.39 feet, so the level dropped about six-tenths of a foot through October.
In 2024, with the lake low, SEML moved the parade to an alternate route. This year's new route will run on a lake that has been dropping all fall.
The schedule also depends on weather. SEML says the parade starts at sundown, about 5:30 to 5:45 p.m., weather permitting, and the parade site says any rain date will be announced there and on SEML's social channels. Last year's one-week wind delay is the most recent example of how that works.
With the route new this year, check the route map at emlpol.com before you pick a spot. Three viewing options are already set.
Lakeview Marina and The Anchor, 6680 Peden Road. This is where the last decorated boat ties up, and the night continues there. The parade site lists live music, food and drinks from The Anchor, pictures with Santa, the awards ceremony with Crowd Favorite and Best Crew, and a fireworks show sponsored by Sparky's Fireworks of Eagle Mountain. SEML says the gathering is open to everyone, whether you came by boat or watched from shore. When the Star-Telegram covered The Anchor in July 2025, it described the restaurant as a new grill and bar at the marina.
Twin Points Park, off Ten Mile Bridge Road. The parade site lists Twin Points Park as a free viewing spot, thanks to the Tarrant Regional Water District. That's different from summer, when TRWD charges $10 per vehicle Monday through Thursday and $20 Friday through Sunday for swim-beach parking. Last year, TRWD opened the gates from 5 to 8 p.m. for the rescheduled parade, gave visitors the parking lot and lawn, and suggested bringing lawn chairs and bug spray. Park rules still apply.
Your own dock or boat. The organizers say marinas and lakeside restaurants have good shoreline views. Private boaters are welcome on the water as long as they stay a safe distance from the parade route.
If you plan to watch somewhere along the route and then go to the after-party, the finish at Lakeview Marina helps. The awards and fireworks happen after the last boat docks, so you can watch the boats pass first and still get to Peden Road in time.
Boat entry costs $100, and you can register on the parade site. SEML says every individual, family or corporate sponsorship also includes a parade entry at no extra charge. Awards are given in these categories:
Trophies are handed out at The Anchor after the parade, so this year crews will finish the evening on the Lakeview Marina docks.
SEML is working with the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation again this year and asks for new, unwrapped toys. The parade site lists these drop-off locations around the lake:
If you'll be in Lakeside before the parade, Town Hall is also collecting nonperishable food and new toys through December 15. Drop-off hours are Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed for lunch from noon to 12:30, according to the town's November newsletter.
Last year's wind delay was exactly one week. If this year's parade slipped by the same amount, it would land on Saturday, December 5, the day Azle already has a full holiday schedule.
That day, the Azle Spirit Boosters' Reindeer Run starts the morning at Azle Central Park, 263 W. Main St., from 8 to 11 a.m. The Azle News reports that registration is $15 through November 22 and includes a T-shirt, a photo with Buzzy and a warm drink after the run.
Christmas on Main, organized by the Azle Area Chamber of Commerce around an "Island of Misfit Toys" theme, takes up the rest of the day. The published schedule runs as follows:
A rescheduled boat parade at sundown would overlap almost exactly with Azle's street parade. If a rain date is announced, check it against your December 5 plans.
The next Saturday, December 12, Kids Markets holds Christmas at the Feedlot at The Feedlot, 225 Church St. in Azle, from 5 to 9 p.m., with children selling their own crafts and goodies.
The Parade of Lights is one of the evenings we look forward to most each year, from Peden Road to Boat Club Road. If you're thinking about a home or acreage near the water, the team at Lori Mayo Real Estate Group is glad to talk through life on the water with you. Talk with our local team any time, and we hope to see you at Lakeview Marina on the 28th.
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