In December 2014, the lighted boat parade on the Great Ogeechee River had 15 entries. On one of them, a Grinch made of bright green lights stood on top of the boat. On another, a lighted Santa, his sleigh and his reindeer looked ready for takeoff. A few hundred people watched from the banks at Fort McAllister Marina, according to the Bryan County News account of that year's parade, and the night ended with fireworks and live music on the dock at Fish Tales.
That was the parade's 24th year. This year's version is on the calendar for Saturday, December 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. Earlier that same afternoon, a few miles up the same road, Fort McAllister State Park restages the last Civil War battle fought in Georgia. Richmond Hill's holiday season starts in a park on Cedar Street, and over three weeks it moves out toward the river. For anyone in Waterways, the last stop is on water the community's own marina connects to.
The Season Starts on Cedar Street
The first date belongs to the City of Richmond Hill. Its Tree Lighting & Winter Market is on Thursday, November 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. at J.F. Gregory Park, 521 Cedar Street. Admission is free. The city's event listing includes the market and the tree lighting, plus live entertainment, food trucks, photos with Santa and train rides.
The 30th Annual Christmas Parade follows on Saturday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to noon. Its listing on Living Richmond Hill gives the location as City of Richmond Hill, 40 Richard R. Davis Road. The theme is "Scenes of the Season," the same one planned for last year. Last year's parade was canceled because of bad weather, so the theme is getting its first real run.
Both of these events are in town, on land, in daylight or early evening.
One Road, Two Events, One Afternoon
On December 12, Fort McAllister Road becomes the center of the season. The road leads to two places with long histories:
- Fort McAllister State Park, 3894 Fort McAllister Road, where the 162nd Winter Muster Reenactment takes place
- Fish Tales and Fort McAllister Marina, 3203 Fort McAllister Road, where the Annual Boat Parade of Lights & Fireworks starts after dark
The two events don't overlap, so you can attend both. Here's how the times fit together, using the Georgia State Parks event page and the parade's community listing:
- Friday, December 11. Soldiers' encampments open at the fort, with a look at camp life in the days before the battle.
- Saturday, December 12, 10 a.m. The Winter Muster opens to visitors. Admission is $15.
- 4 p.m. The state's recommended arrival time for the battle.
- 4:40 p.m. The reenactment of Georgia's final Civil War battle begins. That battle marked the end of Sherman's March to the Sea.
- 4:45 p.m. The listed closing time for the day's Winter Muster program.
- 7 to 9 p.m. The Boat Parade of Lights & Fireworks on the Great Ogeechee at Fish Tales.
The state lists the event phone as 912-727-2339. That's the number to call for Winter Muster questions before you drive out.
From the Winter Muster's listed 4:45 p.m. closing time to the first boat at 7 p.m. is two hours and fifteen minutes. That's enough time for dinner along the river before the lights start.
Dinner Between the Two
Fish Tales describes itself as family-friendly waterfront dining on the Great Ogeechee, with live entertainment and events. It doesn't take reservations, and it asks large parties to let the restaurant know ahead of time. On a night when the parade is the main event on its own dock, a quick call before you go is a good idea. Fort McAllister Marina shares the 3203 address. Its site lists fuel, a restaurant, a tiki bar, wet and dry storage, live bait and tackle, a convenience store, and 5,500 linear feet of dock space.
A Tradition the Marina Started
The boat parade is older than the city's Christmas parade. It was already in its 24th year in 2014, and the downtown parade reaches only its 30th this December.
The parade has passed through several sets of hands. In 2014, Butch Broome, then the owner of Fish Tales and Fort McAllister Marina, told the Bryan County News that it began with Tommy Darieng and "Miss Irene," the marina's original owners. After Darieng sold the marina, a fishing club called Offshore Outlaws ran the parade. John and Julie Seckinger, both members of the club, took over after that. In 2021, Reflections Media reported that the Fort McAllister Sport Fishing Club and Fort McAllister Marina hosted that year's parade.
Broome explained to the Bryan County News why the marina kept hosting:
"The community has really supported us, and this is our way of giving back — to make the fireworks show and boat parade bigger year."
That 2014 story also showed how the parade works. Boats moved past the crowd on the banks, some circling to show off their decorations, then headed toward the judges. Awards that year included Best Overall, Best Decorated, Most Holiday Spirit and a Charlie Brown Award. A Bryan County Sheriff's Office corporal who had attended for several years told the paper that the number of boats changes from year to year. He recalled one year with 27 and said he believed the parade started with three.
Where Waterways Meets the Ogeechee
The river is the connection to Waterways. Bryan County News placed the 2014 parade "just a few miles down from the Intracoastal Waterway and Ossabaw Sound." The Waterways amenities page says Waterways Marina, on Redbird Waterway, has direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway, the Great Ogeechee River and the Atlantic Ocean, with dry slip storage, a ship store, and fueling and launching facilities.
The marina's operator, Bowline, lists 200 enclosed dry-storage slips with valet dry-stack service for boats up to 36 feet, along with gas and diesel and a Carefree Boat Club.
If you'd rather put a boat in closer to the fort, there's a public ramp. Georgia State Parks says Fort McAllister's boat ramp is on the left at the park entrance, before the gate, and that the park doesn't rent boats or paddlecraft. The Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia DNR describes it as a single paved lane with a courtesy dock and a dirt-and-gravel parking area.
The Calendar, Start to Finish
| Date | Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Nov 19 | Tree Lighting & Winter Market | 5 to 8 p.m. | J.F. Gregory Park, 521 Cedar Street |
| Sat, Dec 5 | 30th Annual Christmas Parade | 10 a.m. to noon | City of Richmond Hill, 40 Richard R. Davis Road |
| Fri, Dec 11 | Winter Muster encampments | 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. | Fort McAllister State Park, 3894 Fort McAllister Road |
| Sat, Dec 12 | 162nd Winter Muster Reenactment | 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., battle at 4:40 | Fort McAllister State Park, 3894 Fort McAllister Road |
| Sat, Dec 12 | Boat Parade of Lights & Fireworks | 7 to 9 p.m. | Fish Tales, 3203 Fort McAllister Road |
The first event is free and in a city park. The last one is on the river after dark, with fireworks over the marina that started the tradition. If a dock on the Ogeechee is part of how you picture your home in Richmond Hill, The Agency Savannah would be glad to talk through what waterfront access is worth on the Jericho and Ogeechee this season. Request your instant home valuation or schedule a private consultation.
